Palmer Progress Fact Sheet
Improved liaison and training with police
This fact sheet is also available in PDF format.
See: Improved liaison and training with police (245KB PDF file)
DIMA is actively working with police from around Australia to boost inter-agency cooperation and awareness of their powers under the Migration Act 1958 (the Act).
The Act empowers police officers to detain people whom they reasonably suspect of being an unlawful non-citizen. To support police in this role, the Police Liaison and Training Project was established to:
- Develop nationally consistent information to raise the awareness of police powers and functions under the Act;
- Promote the department's support services for police; and
- Extend liaison with police to improve the effectiveness of DIMA's compliance activities.
A national information package for police is being finalised. A trial was conducted in June 2006 with a focus group of police officers in Canberra and the package is currently being refined in response to the feedback. The package is expected to be available soon.
The package will provide information on the Immigration Status Service (ISS), the department's 24-hour, seven-day-a-week service that allows police to make enquiries about the immigration status of people who are in Australia and suspected of being unlawful non-citizens. The ISS contact details will be prominently displayed on ready reckoners, wallet cards and quick reference guides that are being developed as support materials for the package.
Meetings have already been held with senior police around the country, and DIMA will address police commissioners at the Australasian Police Minister's Council Senior Officers Group meeting in September 2006 on compliance-related issues.
More information is available.
See: Palmer Progress Update: September 2006