Australia's refugee intake falls 30% below target as pandemic takes toll

Home affairs department says 13,171 humanitarian places were given, well below the target of 18,750, as applications drop across most visa categories

The home affairs department has reported a significant reduction in the number of visas being granted – including refugee visas, which have been reduced by almost a third – in large part due to the pandemic.

Despite the drop in visa numbers, the department still raised $2.2bn in revenue through applications.

Of the 13,171 humanitarian places the department reported as delivered, 11,521 were given to refugees outside of Australia who had been assessed as needing protection. The government has set a target of 18,750 places, meaning home affairs failed to meet its metric, delivering almost 30% fewer places than the year before.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/oct/19/australias-refugee-intake-falls-30-below-target-as-pandemic-takes-toll