Australia to Detain Visa Overstayers in Immigration Crackdown

The Australian government has announced plans to detain people who remain in the country after their visas expire, as part of a broader crackdown on immigration violations.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the Australian Border Force would add 100 compliance officers to help locate, detain or encourage the departure of about 77,000 people currently living in Australia without valid visas.

Burke said the measure was intended to restore consequences for people who overstay their visas. The government also plans to create 250 additional detention beds, including the possible use of a former quarantine facility in Melbourne.

The government will further tighten rules around what it describes as “visa hopping”, where temporary visa holders switch between visa categories to extend their stay.

Under a proposed “No Further Stay” provision, tourists would be prevented from applying for new visas after arriving in Australia. International students seeking new study visas would also be required to progress to higher qualifications, limiting the practice of moving between lower-level courses to prolong their stay.

Burke said additional legislation would be required to address asylum applications that the government considers to be made primarily to delay departure.

However, rights groups have raised concerns about the measures. The Human Rights Law Centre warned that tougher immigration enforcement could discourage undocumented workers experiencing exploitation from reporting abuse.

Australia’s overstayer population has increased from about 64,000 in 2016 to more than 77,000 in 2026, despite a decline in net overseas migration.

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