Over the last week I have cancelled 30 visas of non-citizens with serious criminal histories, in the national interest.
It is clear that the Administrative Appeals Tribunal’s decision to reinstate these visas did not meet community expectations, and Ministerial Direction 99 has not been working as the Government intended.
The Government is on track to overhaul this regime and put in place a new Direction before the end of the week.
Last week, in an interview on Sky News, I stated that Operation AEGIS was using drones.
I relied on information provided by my department at the time, which has since been clarified.
As part of the work monitoring and supporting community safety, Operation AEGIS draws on information from a range of sources using different technologies including aerial open-source and other imagery through their work with state and territory law enforcement bodies.
Our strong laws impose strict visa conditions on everyone in the NZYQ cohort that were released due to a High Court decision.
This can include electronic monitoring, curfews, financial reporting, spot checks, random home visits, as well as the other mandatory conditions which means the location of every individual is known.
As the Government has consistently said, community safety is our number one priority and we will always act in the interest of Australians.
