One Year of a Labor Government: Promises and Developments
The Australian Labor Party came to power after the federal election on 21 May 2022, following nine years of a Coalition government. This Explainer sets out key developments seen during the first year of an Albanese Labor government, and how the government’s election promises have tracked.
Refugee intake
Labor went to the 2022 federal election with promises to increase the refugee intake from 13,750 to 27,000 per year, with an additional 5,000 places for the community sponsorship program. Immigration Minister Andrew Giles said that the government’s promise to increase the refugee intake would take place “over time”. In August 2023, the government announced an increase in the annual refugee intake from 17,875 to 20,000 people in 2023-2024.
Boat arrivals and offshore processing
Labor pledged to continue operating the Nauru offshore processing facilities while in government, but with greater independent oversight and protection for whistle-blowers. The government’s policy remains unchanged and boat arrivals will be returned at sea if it is deemed safe to do so. The Public Interest Disclosure Amendment (Review) Bill 2022 is currently before the Senate, however, it is unclear how this relates to whistle-blowers in relation to immigration detention.
Detention
Labor promised to introduce a 90-day detention limit, applied to those whose applications for asylum were being processed. As at 28 February 2023, the average period of time for people held in detention facilities was 780 days. However, this number includes people in immigration detention not limited to the processing of a refugee claim. The 90-day limit is yet to be seen for those waiting for their claims to be processed.
Visas
Labor promised to move away from temporary protection visas towards more permanent visas, to end fast track processing, and to replace the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT).
In September 2022, the government announced a comprehensive review of Australia’s migration system. The final report was delivered in March 2023 and is set to inform changes to Australia’s overall migration and visa system.
In February 2023, the government announced a new a permanent Subclass 851 Resolution of Status (RoS) visa. This new visa allows Temporary Protection Visas (TPV) and Safe Haven Enterprise Visas (SHEV) holders who arrived in Australia prior to 2013 to transition to a permanent visa. This offers a permanent solution to over 19,000 people currently living with temporary status and offers a pathway to citizenship once they meet the necessary requirements. The Minister for Immigration, Andrew Giles, said that all TPV and SHEV holders have been found to be refugees, and are owed Australia’s protection.
In December 2022, the Government announced the abolition of the AAT. In its place, the government will establish a new federal administrative review body.
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Last updated 2 May 2023