Billing illegal migrants hardly worth the cost
Paul Maley; 20/6/08
Laws allowing authorities to bill illegal immigrants for the costs of their detention fail the cost-benefit ratio, with the amount of money raised by the scheme directly offset by the cost of administering it. Immigration Minister Chris Evans told the Senate yesterday the Government would overhaul the laws, which Immigration Department figures reveal to be unproductive. Under the Migration Act, detainees are liable for the costs of their own detention. Last year, the Immigration Department sought total payments of $28,960,617. In the same year, the Immigration Department wrote off $28,910,699, although it was not necessarily debt incurred in that same year. About $616,111 in debt was waived.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23892641-5013404,00.html
Tags: Australia, Refugees & Migrants