Australia’s Labor government has announced plans to reopen detention facilities for people who remain in the country after their visas expire, as part of a wider immigration crackdown.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government will hire 100 additional compliance officers and make 250 extra detention beds available. A former quarantine facility in Victoria may also be repurposed to accommodate visa overstayers.
The government says the policy is a return to a system used before 2015. Under the proposed approach, people whose visas have expired could be placed in detention while arrangements are made for them to leave Australia. Burke said most people would stay for only a short period, sometimes just a few weeks or less.
Australia currently has about 77,000 unlawful non-citizens, according to the government’s figures. Officials say stronger compliance measures are intended to encourage people to leave voluntarily once they no longer have a valid visa.
However, the plans have faced criticism from the Greens and immigration advocates. Greens immigration spokesperson David Shoebridge compared the measures to former US President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, while critics argued that the government should instead focus on improving visa processing and appeals.
Burke rejected comparisons with the United States, saying the government was not introducing an American-style immigration crackdown. He described the policy as a routine enforcement process designed to maintain the integrity of Australia’s visa system.
The changes form part of Labor’s broader immigration reforms, which also include measures affecting international students and working holidaymakers. The government says the reforms are aimed at managing migration numbers while ensuring people who no longer have a legal right to remain in Australia leave the country.
