REFUGEES & PEOPLE SEEKING ASYLUM IN THE AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY
Updated Oct 2024 with latest data available.
Bridging Visa E (BVE)
at 30 June 2024
7,392
Asylum seekers on a current BVE living in the community. They cannot apply for protection because they came by boat on or after 19 July 2013. Of them, 43% are in Victoria, 37% are in NSW, and 10% in Queensland. Around 1,000 are children (476 in Victoria, 256 in NSW).
2,189
People living in the community have expired BVEs that have not yet been renewed. When a person’s visa expires their work and Medicare rights are suspended.
Source: Department of Home Affairs.
The ‘Legacy Caseload’ and TPV
at March 2024
32,019
People seeking asylum in Australia from the ‘UMA Legacy Caseload'. Of whom 4,827 are awaiting a decision on a protection application.
20,062
People in the legacy caseload have secured a TPV/SHEV or Resolution of Status (RoS) visa.
7,477
People in the legacy caseload are without a visa (expired, cancelled or refused).
3,143
People have secured non-protection visas, left Australia or have died.
Source: Department of Home Affairs.
Permanent Protection Visas (onshore)
At 31 Aug 2024
3,250
people in Australia were granted permanent protection visas in the 23-24 financial year. This compares to 2,000 people the previous year. In July and August 2024 a further 665 people were granted permanent protection visas onshore.
27,229
People in Australia applied for permanent protection in the 23-24 year. The total applicants in the previous year was 18,738. The top 3 nationalities of applicants in the current financial year are Vietnamese (3,003), Chinese (2,179), Indian (1,768) and Filipino (830).
18,507
People in Australia were refused permanent protection in the 23-24 year. The total number refused in the previous year was 12,752.
In July and August 2024 a further 4,540 people received negative decisions.
Source: Department of Home Affairs.
31,842
People in Australia are awaiting a decision on their refugee claim (down from 37,093 three years ago).
85,687
People in Australia have been refused a permanent protection visa, but have not yet departed (up from 52,032 three years ago). This figure includes people who are awaiting a merits or judicial review of their case.
Source: Department of Home Affairs
Vulnerable Women and Children
2,645
People were granted visas under the vulnerable women and children program in 2022-23. Almost half were Afghans.
Source: Department of Home Affairs.
Community Support Program
1,291
People were granted visas under the Community Support Program whereby organisations or individuals sponsor the refugee.
Humanitarian intake by program
Administrative Appeals Tribunal
7,907
New refugee cases lodged at the AAT from July 23 - 31 Mar 24. The AAT has a total of 41,855 refugee appeals on hand.
Source: Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
Top nationalities who lodged refugee claims at AAT 2023-24
Refugee claim decisions by outcome (2023-24)
Source: Administrative Appeals Tribunal
209
The average number of weeks the AAT takes to finalise a refugee case.
Source: Administrative Appeals Tribunal
Statistics are updated regularly. Request an asylum statistic: info@asyluminsight.com.