LEGISLATION TO COMBAT PEOPLE SMUGGLING
Joint Media Release
Attorney-General
Hon Robert McClelland MP
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
Senator the Hon Chris Evans
Mnister for Home Affairs
Hon Brendan O'Connor
23 February 2010
Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, and Minister for Home Affairs, Brendan O’Connor, today outlined the Government’s intention to introduce legislation to significantly strengthen Australia’s people smuggling laws.
The Anti-People Smuggling and Other Measures Bill 2010, to be introduced into Parliament tomorrow, will support the Government’s multi pronged approach in combating people smuggling by enabling the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) to specifically investigate people smuggling and other serious border security threats.
The Bill will also enable Australia’s national security agencies to collect foreign intelligence about non-State actors, including people smugglers and their networks.
In addition, the Bill will include additional offences targeting those who finance or provide support for people smuggling activities as well as strong penalties that recognise the seriousness of people smuggling offences, including:
- creating a new offence of providing material support for people smuggling with a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment and/or a fine of $110,000;
- creating a new offence of people smuggling involving exploitation or danger of death or serious harm, applying to ventures entering Australia, with a maximum penalty of twenty years imprisonment and/or a fine of $220,000;
- ensuring that where a person is convicted of multiple people smuggling offences, mandatory minimum penalties set out in the Migration Act are applied; and
- providing greater clarity and consistency by harmonising people smuggling offences in the Migration Act and the Criminal Code.
The Government is committed to targeting criminal groups who organise, participate in and benefit from people smuggling activities.
This legislation represents an important part of the Government’s comprehensive approach to combating people smuggling.
Media Contact:
Adam Siddique (McClelland) 0407 473 630
Simon Dowding (Evans) 0411 138 541
Brian Humphreys (O’Connor) 0438 595 567
