How many people has Australia sent offshore? Where are they now?
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How many people has Australia subjected to offshore processing?
Australia restarted the policy of offshore processing on 13 August 2012, when it began sending people to PNG and Nauru for their refugee claims to be processed. Under this policy, as with Australia’s earlier policy on offshore processing, once recognised as refugees these people could settle in Australia.
However, on 19 July 2013, this policy changed, so that those sent offshore on or after this date would never be allowed to settle in Australia. Those sent offshore before 19 July 2013 were returned to Australia gradually, with the last arriving in October 2015, to enable the Australian Government to send people under this new policy.
The policy has continued under the Labor Government, with 163 people being transferred to Nauru since its election on 21 May 2022 to 30 September 2025.
The graph below shows the numbers sent offshore for these since the beginning of offshore processing, since 19 July 2013, and since 21 May 2022 (when the Labor Government took power).
This graph breaks down transfers in the past five years.
What has happened to people sent offshore?
The graph shows what has happened to those sent to offshore processing since 13 August 2012.
However, the outcomes have been very different for those who were transferred to offshore processing before and after 19 July 2013. These two graphs show what has happened to these different groups.
Those who were transferred before 19 July 2013 are mostly still in Australia, living in the community. (Note: this data has not been updated in later Senate estimates).
In contrast, about a third of those transferred since 19 July 2013 have been either resettled to a third country, another third are in Australia, and most of the rest have returned or been removed to their country of origin. (Note: this data has not been updated in later Senate estimates).
