Irregular Migration | Australia (2010) | bpb.de

There is a well-organised route with migrants flying in to Malaysia and travelling by land and sea through Indonesia to Australia. The Australian government is making intensive efforts to collaborate with Indonesia and Malaysia to reduce this flow.

A large number of irregular migrants in Australia is attributed to the persons who enter on valid visas and then subsequently overstay. All foreigners visiting Australia must hold a valid visa and are registered on entry and exit, so counting of overstayers is possible. It is estimated that in mid-2008 there were 48.500 overstayers in Australia, with around 10 percent of those being from China. While most unauthorised arrivals apply for asylum after entry, the majority of overstayers avoid contact with immigration authorities.