Albo’s Immigration Magnet: Why Failed Asylum Seekers Stay and Australia Pays, By James Reed and Brian Simpson
Australia's immigration system under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is quietly brewing a crisis that could haunt Labor for years. A recent Senate report revealed a staggering 98,979 failed asylum seekers, people rejected for protection, still living in Australia as of July 2025, up from 68,000 when Labor took office in 2022. With only 10 deportations last month (half voluntary), the system is a "vast magnet" drawing migrants who know they can stay, work, and study, regardless of their claim's outcome. This is the intended consequence of Albo's mass immigration program, creating a "sucker society" where no one leaves. Let's unpack the numbers, the policies, and the fallout, asking why Australia's footing the bill for a broken system.
The Numbers: A Growing Tide of Failed Asylum Seekers
The latest data paints a grim picture. Each month, around 2,000 people apply for protection visas, with India (365) and China (233) leading the pack. In July 2025, 2,200 decisions were made: 599 granted protection (mostly Malaysians, Pakistanis, Iranians), while 1,621 were rejected (including most Indians and Chinese). Yet, the total number of asylum seekers awaiting decisions, 27,100, hasn't budged since 2022, despite faster processing. The real issue? Failed asylum seekers aren't leaving. From 68,000 in May 2022, their numbers swelled to 98,979 by July 2025, likely topping 100,000 now. A year ago, it was 84,000; at this rate, another 45,000 could join by 2028.
Deportations are a farce, only 10 last month, compared to nine under the Coalition's final month. Shockingly, 78% of these failed asylum seekers have work and study rights, blurring the line between successful and rejected applicants. Australia's spending millions on an assessment system where outcomes barely differ, with asylum support costs slashed to $17 million in 2024-25 from $300 million in 2015-16, yet thousands live in limbo, often on Bridging Visa E (BVE) with limited rights.
The Magnet: Why No One Leaves
Why stay? Because Australia's system makes it easy. Failed asylum seekers face little pressure to depart, enjoying work and study rights while appeals drag on for years. The article notes that international students, after years on course-hopping visas, can pivot to asylum claims, fighting rejections through the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) or Federal Circuit Court, all while working legally. The 2024 closure of pandemic-era visas likely pushed more into asylum applications, fearing return to unstable homelands. With 43% of BVE holders in Victoria, 37% in NSW, and 800 children among them, entire communities are embedding themselves.
Albo's policies amplify this pull. The 2024-25 Migration Program, set at 185,000 places (down from 190,000), prioritises skills (132,200) but keeps partner/child visas demand-driven, leaving room for asylum pathways. The Humanitarian Program holds steady at 20,000 places, but onshore asylum claims, mostly by plane arrivals, face no cap, with over 30,000 pending decisions. The 2014 visa cap delays grants, yet failed applicants linger, knowing deportation is unlikely. Posts on X echo this sentiment, calling Australia a "free-for-all" for migrants exploiting lax enforcement.
Consequences: A Sucker Society?
This "magnet" effect risks turning Australia into a "sucker society," where the system incentivises staying, regardless of legal status. The article warns of a growing pull factor: if word spreads that reaching Australia means staying, applications could surge. Already, tightened student visa rules are pushing more toward asylum claims, as seen with the 27,100 backlog. The 350,000 annual net migration dwarfs the 15,000 yearly increase in failed asylum seekers, but the latter's permanence, 98,979 and counting, strains housing, welfare, and social cohesion.
The Cost: Billions and Social Strain
Quantifying the cost is tricky, but clues exist. Asylum seeker support costs $17 million in 2024-25, but this excludes indirect expenses, healthcare, housing, legal aid. With 78% of failed asylum seekers accessing Medicare and education, the bill could run into hundreds of millions annually. The broader migration program, including $120.9 million for settlement services, diverts funds from citizens' needs, like the housing crisis Albo claims to tackle.
Socially, the stakes are high. X posts decry "woke" policies letting migrants stay, echoing European concerns about unchecked migration eroding identity. If 100,000 failed asylum seekers grow to 150,000 by decade's end, tensions could mirror Europe's, where 11.2% Muslim populations by 2025 spark debates over integration.
Fixing It: An Aussie DOGE Approach
An Aussie DOGE-style audit could save billions by reforming this mess. Options include:
Enforce Deportations: Increase removals (only 10 last month) to deter frivolous claims, saving $100-200 million annually in support costs.
Cap Asylum Pathways: Limit student-to-asylum transitions, addressing the 27,100 backlog, potentially saving $50-100 million in processing.
Streamline Appeals: Reform the ART to resolve cases faster, reducing the $16.5 million spent on legal aid for temporary visa holders.
But Labor's inaction, continuing Coalition-era neglect, suggests political cowardice. Deportations risk backlash from human rights groups, as seen with calls to resolve 8,000 legacy cases.
Counterpoint: Humanitarian Duty or Political Trap?
Defenders argue Australia's obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention require leniency. The Human Rights Commission notes asylum seekers face persecution risks, and prolonged limbo (e.g., 88% of offshore detainees with mental health issues) demands compassion. Granting work rights integrates families contributing economically. Yet, this ignores the "sucker" dynamic: a system where 98,979 rejected applicants stay undermines fairness, rewarding queue-jumping over the 20,000 humanitarian visas granted annually.
Verdict: A Magnet Breaking Australia
Albo's immigration policies, by failing to deport 98,979 failed asylum seekers, create a magnet drawing more to Australia's shores. With 15,000 added yearly, lax enforcement, and work/study rights for 78% of rejects, the system screams, "Come and stay!" This isn't compassion, it's a $200-500 million annual burden, straining housing and social cohesion. An Aussie DOGE could slash costs and restore order, but without political will, Australia risks becoming a "sucker society" where no one leaves, and everyone pays. Time to close the magnet's pull, or brace for the fallout.
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2025/08/labor-overseas-explosion-in-fake-asylum-seekers/
Comments