Australia Cracks Down on Visa Overstayers with Administrative Detention Plans

Australia's government is strengthening its measures against visa overstayers by placing tourists in administrative detention. The new policy aims to encourage those affected to leave the country voluntarily and follows several other measures targeting international students and working holiday visa holders.

According to Australian authorities, more than 77,000 people are currently in the country without a valid visa, a number that has increased since 2016 despite a slowdown in net immigration. The government plans to restrict visa switching and introduce a condition that prevents visitors from reapplying for a visa from within Australia.

Home Secretary Tony Burke announced the creation of 250 additional detention places and the recruitment of 100 visa enforcement officers, with the possibility of repurposing a former quarantine facility in Melbourne to house undocumented migrants. The government aims to reduce net immigration to 225,000 people per year from 2027-2028.

Foreign Minister Matt Thistlethwaite confirmed that tourists who overstay their visas will be placed in administrative detention as part of the broader tightening of its immigration policy.