Labor visa overstayer detention centre plan branded a ‘Donald Trump twist’ on immigration
News Source
•Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:30:00 GMT
📰 What Happened
Labor plans to reopen detention centres for visa overstayers. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke says 100 new compliance officers will be hired to find them. Another 250 beds will be freed up. A 100-bed quarantine site in Victoria may also be reused.
About 77,000 people are in Australia without a valid visa. Burke says most will be held only for weeks and urged to leave on their own. He called the policy a return to routine rules used before 2015. The Greens and advocates strongly disagree with the plan.
🔍 The Backstory
Greens senator David Shoebridge called it a "Donald Trump twist" on immigration. He said Labor is reheating Tony Abbott's old attacks and behaving like US immigration agents. Burke rejected the comparison as a "ridiculous claim".
Critics point out the federal detention network is run by Management and Training Corporation. The US private prison firm runs it here as Secure Journeys. It won a $2.3bn contract in 2025 despite concerns about its record. The debate comes as One Nation gains in the polls.
🎯 Why It Matters
The policy decides how people who overstay their visas are treated. It also fuels a wider political fight over migration before the next election.
Labor plans to reopen detention centres for visa overstayers. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke says 100 new compliance officers will be hired to find them. Another 250 beds will be freed up. A 100-bed quarantine site in Victoria may also be reused.
About 77,000 people are in Australia without a valid visa. Burke says most will be held only for weeks and urged to leave on their own. He called the policy a return to routine rules used before 2015. The Greens and advocates strongly disagree with the plan.
Greens senator David Shoebridge called it a "Donald Trump twist" on immigration. He said Labor is reheating Tony Abbott's old attacks and behaving like US immigration agents. Burke rejected the comparison as a "ridiculous claim".
Critics point out the federal detention network is run by Management and Training Corporation. The US private prison firm runs it here as Secure Journeys. It won a $2.3bn contract in 2025 despite concerns about its record. The debate comes as One Nation gains in the polls.
The policy decides how people who overstay their visas are treated. It also fuels a wider political fight over migration before the next election.