Detailing the enforcement arm of its migration platform, the Coalition told media on 7 October it would revive a mothballed Home Affairs taskforce to identify and deport Australia’s estimated 77,000 “unlawful non-citizens”. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor linked the initiative to national-security concerns and said extra resources would be provided to the Australian Border Force, federal police and ASIO. Under the plan, most visa applications – including student and partner visas – would have to be lodged offshore, virtually eliminating bridging visas and enabling authorities to focus on compliance rather than processing. Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie confirmed the department’s processing capacity would be “significantly” expanded to locate overstayers and “help them leave”. The proposal goes further than Labor’s September announcement, which allows for targeted detention of some overstayers but stops short of mass deportations. Critics immediately drew parallels with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, a comparison Taylor rejected. Industry reaction is mixed. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry supports tougher action on non-compliance but warns that reducing temporary visa numbers by 650,000 over four years risks choking sectors such as hospitality and agriculture that depend on seasonal labour. Migration lawyers say large-scale compliance actions could clog tribunals with appeals and strain detention facilities. Global-mobility programmes should prepare for more workplace audits, especially in high-risk sectors, and ensure all foreign staff have up-to-date visa records. Companies sponsoring project or agriculture-stream visas under a future Coalition government may need to demonstrate robust compliance systems to avoid hefty penalties.
Source: Neos Kosmos / AAP
