1.3.4 Removals
Objectives
- Give effect to the legislative requirement that non-citizens who have no legal basis to remain in Australia are removed.
- Delivers security to the community by the removal or deportation of non-citizens who may be of concern to the public for reasons such as involvement in serious criminal activity.
Description
People who are located but not removed are managed in a variety of ways. Some remain in immigration or other form of detention. Others are granted bridging visas to allow for voluntary departure or to remain in the community while substantive visa applications, merits or judicial review proceedings are being considered. Removal refers to a person leaving Australia as an unlawful non-citizen under section 198 of the Act, or a deportee under section 200 of the Act.
Under sections 199 and 205 of the Act, the department can help with the return of the spouse and/or dependants of a person being removed or deported.
The department has established effective arrangements with most countries to remove people with no entitlement to remain in Australia. Departmental staff liaise with foreign missions in Australia and directly with foreign agencies overseas to facilitate return.
Performance
In 2006-07, there were 2335 removal departures and 4433 monitored departures compared to 10 501 in 2005-06 and 12 524 in 2004-05.
Character removals of these, 55 people were removed after their visas were cancelled or refused under s.501 of the Migration Act, compared with 44 in 2005-06 and 47 in 2004-05.
Illegal foreign fishers rapid repatriation
In 2006-07, there were 1437 illegal foreign fishers taken into immigration detention, of whom 212 were minors. A total of 1673 illegal foreign fishers were removed, compared with 2691 removals out of 2888 taken into immigration detention in 2005-06.
|
2006-07 measures |
Results |
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
2004-05 |
2005-06 |
2006-07 |
|
|
Quantity |
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|
8800 removals and departures |
12 524 |
10 501 |
9 489 |