Story perspectives

Tony Burke Plans Detaining Visa Overstayers, Adds 100 Officers

By Drooid · Sep 18, 2026, 10:31 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Tony Burke Announces Detention

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced a plan to detain visa overstayers.
The scheme will add 100 compliance officers and free 250 beds.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge said the plan mirrors U.S. President Donald Trump’s ICE raids.
Shoebridge warned against using Management and Training Corporation, which secured a $2.3bn 2025 detention contract via Secure Journeys.

Summary

One Nation Cuts Migration

One Nation plans to cut migration by 750,000 over three years and ban migrants from 26 DFAT-advised countries.
The cuts are a political tactic to prevent Labor losing voters to One Nation.
Pauline Hanson accused Labor of “starving” regional Australia of labour and tourists.
National Farmers Federation chief Mike Guerin warned backpacker limits will raise food prices and deepen harvest staffing shortages.

History

Historical Context

Paul Keating’s 1992 Migration Amendment Act introduced mandatory detention, raising the detainee count to 478 by June that year. The 1994 Migration Reform Act removed the 273-day limit and broadened the regime, a framework later tightened by John Howard’s Pacific Solution. Current proposals to add officers and release beds echo these historic expansions of Australia’s detention system.

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Tony Burke Announces Detention

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced a plan to detain visa overstayers.
The scheme will add 100 compliance officers and free 250 beds.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge said the plan mirrors U.S. President Donald Trump’s ICE raids.
Shoebridge warned against using Management and Training Corporation, which secured a $2.3bn 2025 detention contract via Secure Journeys.

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