More than 80,000 at risk of deportation from Australia under Labor bill likened to UK’s failed Rwanda plan

Bill gives authority to the Australian government to pay third countries to accept unlawful non-citizens on a removal pathway

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More than 80,000 people are susceptible to deportation from Australia to third countries paid to take them under Labor's new bill likened to the UK's failed Rwanda deportation plan.

At a Senate inquiry hearing on Thursday, home affairs department officials confirmed the migration amendment bill could affect far more people than those released from immigration detention by the high court but insisted it does not expand the cohort of those eligible for removal.

An estimated 75,400 people with no valid visa in the Australian community

4,452 people on bridging visa E, so they can make acceptable arrangements to depart Australia"

986 people in immigration detention

193 in community detention

246 on bridging visa R, released as a result of the high court's NZYQ ruling that indefinite detention is unlawful; and

a further 96 people on BVRs that predated that decision