Home > Our Publications > Australian Outlook> 2003 > October

Sponsors to pay for detention

AUSTRALIA has introduced tough new measures to enhance the integrity of the temporary entry programmes to attract skilled people, with the sponsor legally liable to pay for the cost of finding and detaining unlawful visa holders.
The Sponsorship Measures Bill will apply to a range of temporary entry visas and introduces sanctions for sponsors where the conditions of the sponsorship or associated visas are breached.
The new measures will start with the long stay business visa and the professional development visa. Occupations covered by the long stay business visa include the IT, health and finance sectors.
People in these categories bring important skills to Australia, as well as new ideas and international contacts benefiting all Australians.
Visa holders in the categories covered by the bill come to Australia under sponsorship arrangements with Australian employers or organisations.
"While these are generally very compliant visa classes, I am keen to ensure that any areas of non-compliance are dealt with appropriately," the Minister for Immigration, Mr Philip Ruddock said.
"This includes enforcing sanctions against sponsors who do not comply with their undertakings and can include cancelling sponsorship or imposing bars on sponsors.
"This is particularly relevant where sponsors gain a commercial advantage from the sponsorship arrangements," Mr Ruddock said.
The changes would also ensure that overseas employees are not exploited by sponsors. The changes will also stop abuse of the appeal system where, for example, applicants clearly do not meet the ongoing requirement to have a sponsor.
The sponsorship measure plays a central role in protecting the Australian community from the costs and risks associated with the stay of non-citizens in Australia.
For example sponsors, rather than the Australian community, will be responsible for the cost of locating and detaining visa holders who become unlawful. That cost will be capped initially at $10,000 per person.