Australia Plans Detentions for Tourist Overstayers

Australia plans to detain tourists who overstay their visas as part of a broader effort to reduce migration and deter the roughly 77,000 people whose visas have expired. The government will also restrict family members accompanying international students, introduce ballots for working-holiday visas, add 250 detention beds and hire 100 compliance officers. Officials say people without permission to remain will be removed, while the Labor government denies the measures are a response to the far-right One Nation party and cites housing and migration pressures instead. Tourism representatives warn that detaining visitors could damage Australia’s reputation and economy, while human rights advocates have questioned the legality and conditions of the policy. The government aims to reduce annual net migration to 225,000 from about 292,000.