Rising number of illegal Irish migrants deported

The number of Irish visa overstayers being deported from Australia has increased over the past three years, according to the figures released by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

The Irish Echo reports that almost 1,000 Irish migrants were located and deported by the DIBP over the time period, at an average cost of around $5,000 per deportation.

However the number is only a fraction of the total number of illegal migrants living in Australia, which was last estimated by the DIBP to be around 62,700, a figure which is increasing at a rate of 5 per cent annually.

Despite the large number, the DIBP only manages to locate and deport approximately 2000 illegal migrants each year – even with the accompanying efforts of the Australian Taxation Office and Centrelink, which share information in order to help locate unlawful residents.

Any visa-holder who overstays their visa for more than 28 days can be subject to an exclusion period, whereby they are unable to apply for a temporary residency visa to Australia for a further three years, regardless of whether their departure is voluntary or forced.

The DIBP and Migration Solutions encourage anyone who has overstayed their visa or is unsure if they are a lawful citizen to come forward and discuss their situation.

Did you know?

As of 2011, the top 5 countries for visa overstayers are:

  1. People’s Republic of China – 8070
  2. United States of America – 5080
  3. Malaysia – 4260
  4. United Kingdom – 3610
  5. India – 3290

Total number of estimated unlawful non-citizens: 58,400

Source: DIBP report – Unlawful Citizens Appendix C 

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