Enforcement of One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s proposed cuts to temporary migration could cost Australia billions of dollars and require extensive compliance checks across industries such as aged care and construction, according to a former senior immigration official.
Hanson unveiled on Monday a plan to reduce the number of temporary migrants in Australia by more than 750,000 over three years, specifically targeting international students and family members of skilled migrants. The policy includes automatic three-year bans on re-entry for individuals overstaying their visas by more than one month, with lifetime bans proposed for those overstaying six months or longer. The plan aims to remove incentives for visa breaches and increase enforcement against employers of undocumented workers.
The Department of Home Affairs reports that as of July, approximately 110,898 individuals without protection visas remain in Australia and subject to deportation processes. One Nation’s policy states the government would cover travel costs for non-citizens unable to afford return flights, and impose stricter penalties on employers hiring illegal workers, suggesting that cutting off illegal income streams could encourage voluntary departures.
However, Abul Rizvi, the former deputy secretary of the immigration department, warned that implementing the policy would require “many, many billions” of dollars, mainly due to the logistics of enforcement. Rizvi highlighted the need for substantial staffing increases, including officers to locate overstayers, conduct raids on farms and construction sites, and manage an expanded detention system. He questioned the feasibility and cost of building or expanding detention facilities necessary to hold the increased number of detainees.
Rizvi also pointed to anticipated rises in legal challenges and court cases, as well as diplomatic negotiations with countries expected to receive deportees. He cautioned that wrongful detentions and deportations could lead to significant compensation expenses. Comparing Hanson’s approach to the enforcement policies of the Trump administration—which operated on a budget of approximately US$170 billion—Rizvi described the plan as a costly and inefficient strategy, advocating instead for targeted, calibrated compliance efforts.
The proposal faced strong criticism from various sectors and political parties. Business groups, universities, and both Labor and Coalition representatives expressed concern about the plan’s economic and social impact. The agricultural sector is pressing the government to avoid delays in processing working holidaymaker visas ahead of the critical pre-Christmas harvest season, when labor demand peaks.
Leaders in aged care also warned of severe consequences. Rob Stokes, advocacy officer for aged care provider Anglicare, described the proposal as “catastrophic,” highlighting that many facilities, especially in regional and rural areas with existing workforce shortages, could be forced to close.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge described the plan as complex and fraught with risks, raising alarms about the potential for increased detention and harsher prison conditions for non-citizens.
On Monday evening, One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce acknowledged uncertainty over the policy’s budget and employment impacts and dismissed calls for consultation with the parliamentary budget office, stating that public fatigue with expert economic input meant the issue “has to be dealt with” regardless of cost.