Offshore processing statistics

Returns from Australia and offshore processing centres

The Department’s monthly updates (from January 2014) show that there has been a consistent, small number of people who ‘voluntarily’ leave the offshore processing centres. There is a clear increase in the number of ‘voluntary’ returns in the past year or so. The graph also illustrates returns from detention in Australia (voluntary or forced). At the May Senate estimates, a full breakdown was provided for all returns (‘voluntary) and removals (‘involuntary) from Nauru and Manus since September 2012 to May 2018. This is shown in the second graph in the gallery.

Sources

Senate estimates questions (listed in the downloadable spreadsheet and under relevant graphs or linked to relevant text)

2013-18: Newsroom, Operation Sovereign Borders, monthly, DIBP, Canberra

2013-18, Department of Immigration and Border Protection, Immigration Detention and Community Statistics

June 2016: Parliament of Australia, Australia’s offshore processing of people seeking asylum in Nauru and PNG: A Quick Guide to statistics and resources

January 2017: Parliament of Australia, Boat arrivals and boat ‘turnbacks’ in Australia since 1976: a quick guide to the statistics (Table 4)

Thanks to our volunteers Jorja Kelly, Sophie Boyle, Liam Rasmussen, Johan Ariff, Amna Bakhtiar, Stephen Fodorocy, Michael Li and Andrew Lok.