No amnesty: overstayers must depart

Letter to the Editor - The Australian Chinese Daily
6 June 2003

Dear Sir/Madam

On 30 May 2003, your newspaper incorrectly reported that the Australian Government had introduced a new visa category that provided an "amnesty" for long-term overstayers.

This is incorrect and may have given false hope to people who are illegally in Australia.

There is no new visa category which provides an "amnesty" for unlawful non-citizens in Australia. Australian Governments have made it clear on a number of occasions that there will be no amnesty.

The Close Ties visa subclass you referred to has been in existence for more than 10 years and provides a concession for a limited number of people. The numbers approved annually are very small. Applicants must meet strict eligibility criteria to remain permanently in Australia.

It includes for example, for former permanent residents including those who served in the Australian Armed Forces before 1981, and certain "innocent illegals" over the age of 18 who spent most of their childhood in Australia.

Please advise your readers that all unlawful non-citizens should make arrangements to depart Australia before they are located by officers of this Department, detained and removed from Australia. They will then be excluded from returning from Australia for a considerable period of time.

Stewart Foster
Director
Public Affairs
DIMIA