Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, in writing, on 15 October 2019:

1. As at September 2019 (or more recently) and expressed in tabular form: (a) what is the number of asylum seekers in each category of detention in Australian sovereign territory, broken down by number of total whole years of their detention (whether continuous or non-continuous); and (b) what is the number of asylum seekers who have been detained for more than a total of five years (whether continuous or non-continuous), broken down by category of reason for their continued detention.

2. What are the most significant reasons the Government has been unable to deport or release asylum seekers who have been detained for more than a total of five years (whether continuous or non-continuous).

Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer to the honourable member's question is:

1. a) Table 1 provides the number of persons in each category of detention in Australia with an application for a Temporary Protection (subclass 785) visa, Safe Haven Enterprise (subclass 790) visa, or Protection (subclass 866) visa on hand before the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) as at 30 September 2019.

Table 1 : As at 30 September 2019, persons in each category of detention in Australia with an on hand protection visa application.

Please note:

1. Figures were extracted from departmental systems on 28 November 2019. As data has been drawn from a live systems environment, the figures provided may differ slightly in previous or future reporting.

2. For privacy reasons, the Department does not provide figures where there are less than five individuals.

3. Periods of detention are cumulative whether the individual is held for a continuous or non-continuous period.

4. Places of immigration detention include: immigration detention centres (IDC), alternative places of detention (APOD) and immigration transit accommodation (ITA).

1. b) Data on the number of persons with an ongoing protection visa application broken down by reasons for continued detention cannot be readily reported by departmental systems. However, the reasons for continued detention most commonly include unresolved identity, health issues that cannot be managed in the community, national security risks or serious criminality.

2. The most common reasons individuals are in detention for more than five years are unresolved identity, national security risks or serious criminality. The Department is unable to remove these individuals from Australia where they have ongoing matters including merits or judicial review.