The Joint Agency Taskforce Operation Sovereign Borders was established to disrupt these maritime people smuggling ventures and prevent vulnerable people risking their lives on dangerous sea journeys to Australia. Ten years later, Operation Sovereign Borders continues to deliver on this mission, which is a central element of Australia's broader civil maritime security program.
It has now been almost a decade since anyone is known to have lost their life at sea in an unauthorised attempt to reach Australia by boat. However, I would like to state clearly and unequivocally: the criminal trade of maritime people smuggling remains an enduring threat to our borders, to our region, and to the lives of the smugglers' potential victims. This threat has been effectively suppressed through the unrelenting efforts of Operation Sovereign Borders over the past 10 years, but the threat will endure as long as unscrupulous criminals see the potential to profit by exploiting the hope of vulnerable people for a better life elsewhere.
During my time as Commander Joint Agency Task Force Operation Sovereign Borders, I have heard repeated accounts from people who have unwittingly become entangled in this criminal trade, falling victims to the lies and misinformation used by people smugglers to convince them that taking risky boat journeys will lead to a better life in Australia. Under Operation Sovereign Borders, these journeys will not succeed. We will not allow that door to such tragic loss of life and criminal exploitation to open again.
I would like to express my gratitude once more to Australia's international partners who work diligently in collaboration with us to counter maritime border security threats across the region. Since the inception of Operation Sovereign Borders, this collaboration has led to the disruption of at least 104 ventures in source and transit countries.
In 2022 and 2023, Operation Sovereign Borders responded to a heightened tempo of maritime people smuggling activity from Sri Lanka, as smugglers sought to exploit that country's economic crisis and an increased interest among vulnerable Sri Lankans to seek opportunities abroad. This period saw the interception, and safe and lawful return, of 224 Sri Lankan nationals on seven different ventures, every one of whom was sold a lie by a criminal with no care for their safety or their life.
On my recent visit to Sri Lanka in July, I relayed the Australian Government's thanks for the Sri Lankan government's efforts and cooperation to supress the people-smuggling trade during this challenging period. We deeply appreciate the continued efforts of Sri Lankan authorities to both successfully disrupt attempted ventures in-country, and for their ongoing assistance in facilitating the safe return of Sri Lankan nationals intercepted at sea by Australian authorities.
The deterrence and disruption outcomes we achieve in cooperation with our regional partners help to reinforce the risks and consequences of engaging with the people-smuggling trade, and demonstrates to smugglers and potential unauthorised arrivals that irregular maritime routes to Australia remain closed.
Operation Sovereign Borders is increasingly recognised by international and domestic observers as delivering one of the most successful responses to the despicable and criminal maritime people-smuggling trade seen anywhere in the world. Maintaining an enduring regional processing capability in Nauru, to support protection assessments and returns and resettlement outcomes for those persons who cannot be safely returned, remains a key pillar of this approach.
On this occasion, in my final appearance before this Committee as Commander Joint Agency Taskforce Operation Sovereign Borders and Commander Maritime Border Command, I would like to reflect on the dangers of attempting to come to Australia by boat, and emphasise why I feel so strongly about delivering this element of Australia's maritime border security program.
The widespread and tragic loss of life at sea from people smuggling ventures en route to Australia seen prior to 2014 is thankfully no longer occurring. Similarly, our service men and women in the Royal Australian Navy and officers of the Australian Border Force are no longer witnessing and responding to disasters at sea as a regular occurrence, an experience that can create severe and lasting trauma for many years to come.
While this is good news, there is an inherent risk of tragedy in every maritime people smuggling venture, and despite our successes, during almost every one of the past ten years, our people have been tasked to respond to one or more people-smuggling vessels within the Australian maritime domain.
Of the seven ventures intercepted en route to Australia in 2022, all vessels were assessed as unseaworthy. Our maritime crews, both Australian Defence Force and Australian Border Force, work in dangerous conditions to intercept these vessels and risk their own lives to ensure the safety of those on board. During one of these operations in 2022, the maritime crew responding spent over 20 hours in suboptimal sea conditions, transferring passengers and crew from their foundering vessel to safety. The risk to life and safety of all involved is real. This is why we work so hard to protect people from the false promises of criminal people smugglers.
To quote Sarah Lou Ysmael ARRIOLA, Regional Director Asia for the International Organisation for Migration: "Smugglers are selling hope."
There are too many recent examples across the globe of failed irregular maritime migration attempts and traffic losses of life. The vessel Adriana capsized in the Mediterranean in June, resulting in the deaths of approximately 600 migrants in a single incident, demonstrating the criminal disregard smugglers have for the welfare of those they exploit. Our sympathies are with the families of those who lost their lives in this event. When these tragedies occur, they are a clear reminder of why our policies remain in place 10 years after they were first established, and why our resolve to ensure the success of the Operation Sovereign Borders mission remains unwavering to this day.
According to the latest United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Global Trends reporting, at the end of 2022, 108.4 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide, including 35.3 million refugees and 5.4 million asylum seekers. This represents an increase of 19 million forcibly displaced people compared with the end of 2021. By contrast, only 6 million displaced people returned to their areas or countries of origin in 2022, and 114,300 refugees were resettled. Demand for resettlement will almost certainly continue to outstrip global supply in future years, leaving many people potentially vulnerable to exploitation by people smugglers.
Operation Sovereign Borders contributes to the integrity of the Australian border and enables Australia's safe, orderly, and legal migration pathways, including a generous humanitarian program. It is these legitimate means to settle in Australia that contribute to the multicultural and prosperous society that we all call home. As part of our offshore strategic communications campaign, OSB places a strong focus on educating all those who may be considering an irregular journey about Australia's immigration and border protection policies, and the legal avenues to achieving their preferred migration outcomes. As a result of these efforts, the vast majority of potential irregular immigrants in our region know there is only one viable way to enter and remain in Australia-that is with a valid Australian visa.
In closing, as Commander of both Operation Sovereign Borders and Maritime Border Command, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all staff and officers involved in the delivery of the important maritime border security outcomes we work to achieve every day.
There are currently 1037 ABF and ADF people assigned to Operation Sovereign Borders and Maritime Border Command, including 689 active sea crew and 398 in the Canberra headquarters or in the regions.
Of course, maritime people smuggling is not the only threat we deal with, and the hard work of maritime border security officers does not end with OSB. These officers continue to protect Australia's maritime domain from the eight civil maritime security threats, 24-hours a day, and 365 days a year. This includes significant efforts to counter the scourge of illegal foreign fishing, and to interdict any shipments of border-controlled drugs that may be targeting our shores.
The dedication of our people is rarely visible to the Australian public, and I thank them for their service.
I thank the Chair and Committee for your time and welcome any further questions.
