Refugee Council of Australia
Tents in Manus Island regional processing centre

Offshore processing statistics

Returns from Australia and offshore processing centres

As at 31 August 2022966 people had been returned to their country of origin (both ‘voluntarily’ and involuntarily) since the beginning of offshore processing.

The Department’s monthly updates (from January 2014) show that there has been a small number of people who ‘voluntarily’ leave the offshore processing centres over time.

This graph shows the number of involuntary (forced) returns and 'voluntary' returns by nationality of those transferred to offshore processing since 19 July 2013.

This graph shows the number of people who have been 'assisted' in voluntarily returning to their country of origin. This means they were provided with assistance (including financial assistance), funded by the Australian government, to return.

Sources

Statistics provided by the Department of Home Affairs for 28 August 2019

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

2013-21: Newsroom, Operation Sovereign Borders, monthly, Canberra

From January 2020, Key statistics, Department of Home Affairs, 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)

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