Australia gets tough: Visa overstayers face detention
SYDNEY: Australia will detain tourists who overstay visas to send a message of deterrence under new rules aimed at reducing levels of migration, a minister said on Friday.
Australia will toughen its stance on visa overstayers, with the government announcing measures to detain tourists who remain in the country beyond their permitted stay. The ruling Labour party claims the new rules are not a response to the rise of far-right political parties. By 2022, the number of visa overstayers in Australia had reached 77,000.
Under the new reforms, tourists will be placed in immigration detention to deter others from breaching the conditions of their visas. Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Matt Thistlethwaite stated that the unpleasant experience in immigration detention centers would encourage compliance. The government plans to open 250 additional beds and hire 100 more compliance officers to manage the increased number of detainees.
However, the Australian Tourism Industry Council has criticized the move, arguing that it could harm Australia's reputation as a welcoming destination and damage the tourism industry. Critics also raise concerns about the legality and safety implications of using punitive detention measures, which may violate the Immigration Act.
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