A major multi-agency effort is underway to crack down on scam migration agents who have ripped off vulnerable visa applicants of more than $1.4 million.
Field Operations officers from the Department of Home Affairs, supported by Commonwealth partners, are tracking down scam migration agents financially exploiting vulnerable visa applicants by giving out unlawful migration advice.
In particular, they are focusing on scam agents providing people with unlawful advice about applying for a Protection (subclass 866) visa - charging exorbitant fees and then encouraging applicants to make false claims to secure a bridging visa with work rights.
Field Operations officers from Home Affairs' Field Operations and Sponsoring Monitoring Branch have already located and removed four major scam agents operating onshore illegally in Victoria and Queensland and who had no right to be here - and located and detained a further three who are pending removal.
These seven are known to have facilitated more than 470 Protection visa applications between them, charging clients cumulatively up to $1,422,000 despite knowing they were not asylum seekers and would be refused a Protection visa.
The investigation has also identified potential links to organised crime syndicates and other fraudulent activity.
"If you engage in this sort of unlawful activity, chances are you have been reported and we are coming for you. Don't do it. We simply will not tolerate scammers taking advantage of the hopes and fears of vulnerable people," Commander, Field Operations and Sponsoring Monitoring, John Taylor said.
More scam agents will be targeted over coming months as the operation continues.
But it's not just scam agents under scrutiny. Applicants themselves who knowingly make false Protection visa claims risk serious fines and potentially long jail terms.
Department of Home Affairs' Assistant Secretary, Citizenship and Humanitarian Policy Branch, Lavinia Mitchell, warned them of the dangers of engaging a scam agent for migration advice.
"Scam agents may tell you to provide false or misleading information and false documents when applying for a Protection visa. But this activity is illegal and could result in you, the applicant, facing large fines and possible jail time for up to 10 years."
"If you're thinking about applying for a Protection visa, you should engage a registered migration agent or seek free legal help from one of the specialist refugee and immigration legal providers listed on the Department of Home Affairs website."
Ms Mitchell pointed out that scam agents don't just do harm to vulnerable applicants. By making false Protection visa claims on behalf of their clients, they also slow the system down for people who genuinely need Australia's protection.
"A Protection visa is for asylum seekers, not for people who just want to stay longer in Australia to work. Home Affairs has made big changes to the Protection visa application process. We're speeding up processing times so that Protection visas are quickly granted to those in need, while those who are ineligible are swiftly refused."
These changes help ensure Australia's Protection visa system remains fair and efficient, and breaks the business model of those attempting to exploit the system.
Emily Winch, Senior Director of the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA), reminded visa applicants it is unlawful for someone to charge for migration advice unless they were a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner.
Ms Winch said that visa applicants should check if an agent is registered before engaging and paying for an agent's services by visiting OMARA's Self-Service Portal.
Australia remains serious about protecting the integrity of the visa system, protecting vulnerable applicants from exploitation, and making the whole system fairer for genuine Protection visa applicants.
Anyone with information relating to potential immigration offences or suspicious activity is encouraged to contact Home Affairs and make a report online at Border Watch. Reports can be made anonymously.
