Labor’s deportation bill could affect several thousand more people than first estimated, inquiry told

Home affairs officials have revealed up to 5,000 non-citizens could receive orders to cooperate with removal from Australia under Labor’s controversial deportation bill, a figure far higher that earlier estimates.

Kaneshan said that her family had been “failed by the fast-track” visa assessment process, with claims of needing protection from Sri Lanka rejected because authorities “said we were safe because of my father” who has now died.

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Paterson told reporters in Canberra that multicultural groups are being “silenced” and government legal experts will not appear due to the fact the inquiry had been limited to one day.

Foster told the inquiry that the department “acknowledges” the concerns of those who gave evidence particularly in relation to family unity, but she warned that “most” had roles in advocacy.

Foster said the bill dealt with “a relatively small caseload of non-citizens who have come to end of the line” with efforts to stay – including having exhausted merits and judicial review – “and are not cooperating with departure”.