Migration expert says 64,000 visa overstayers ‘frustrating’ given focus on asylum seekers

Latest figures from the Immigration department show Malaysians lead in overstaying visas, though the overall number has been static for years

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By James Elton-Pym
 

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Australia’s population of 64,600 lapsed visa holders is more than triple the size of last year’s refugee intake, newly released Immigration data has revealed.


Malaysian visa overstayers were the most highly represented, with around 9,440 living in the country in June 30 last year.


By comparison, the 2015-16 refugee intake was 17,555, including the extra places for 12,000 Syrians and Iraqis.


The data shows the vast majority of visa overstayers were on tourist visas – an estimated 47,000 – followed by student visas at around 10,000.


Marianne Dickie, who teaches a Masters in migration law at the Australian National University, said the numbers were “frustrating” and evidence that the Immigration department was failing to tackle the issue.


“I don’t know if compliance [Immigration officers] chase people that much. Often you hear of raids on cafes and that sort of thing, but it’s not frequent,” Ms Dickie said.

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