As of May 2024, the number of asylum seekers in Australia. more applications being processed, while rejection rates are at all-time highs. $160 million is allotted. There are still issues with removals and backlogs.

The amount of applications continues to rise to previously unheard-of levels even as the government tries to control the backlog of asylum seekers.



By the end of May 2024, there were 114,006 asylum seekers in Australia, a record amount, 40,877 of them had been turned down by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) as well as the primary level.

The amount of money the government set aside for this purpose last year increased to $160 million, which resulted in a rise in the number of asylum cases that were processed each month at the primary level as well as the AAT.

Over the previous four months, the number of asylum decisions at the primary level has averaged about 2,000 per month. But the rate of asylum applications each month has also risen to a comparable degree, leading to a primary level backlog that has been between 32,000 and 33,000 over the last six months.

There is a shift in the kind of people applying for asylum from those with visitor visas to those with student visas. As of May 2024, China (314), Vietnam (182), Colombia (152), India (148), and the Philippines (129) were the top source nations for asylum requests.

Additionally, there has been a noticeable rise in the number of people applying for asylum who have travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority. Furthermore, a considerable number of refugee applications come from Pacific Island countries, which is indicative of problems with the Pacific Australia Labor Mobility visas.

Asylum at the AAT

Asylum appeals to the AAT have increased as a result of quicker primary processing; the number of asylum applications filed with the Tribunal each month has increased to over 1,500 from fewer than 1,000 throughout the majority of 2022–2023.

With the help of additional money, the AAT has been able to process more asylum appeals. Between February 2024 and May 2024, the AAT made 2,446 rulings on asylum, up from 890 in February 2024.

Those asylum seekers who are denied at both the primary and AAT phases must leave the country or be deported in order to manage the problem efficiently.

Removal of Refused Asylum Seekers

Following years of budget cuts for immigration compliance, the government increased money for this role somewhat, which allowed for a small rise in the number of asylum seekers who were turned away.

Still, the issue is not sufficiently addressed, given that over 40,000 asylum seekers in Australia have been turned down both at the primary level and by the AAT.