PEOPLE IN ONSHORE AND OFFSHORE DETENTION
Updated Jan 2026.
Onshore
1036
People held in onshore immigration detention as at 31 Dec 2025. Of whom, 188 arrived by air or boat without a valid visa.
89
People in community detention (designated address, nightly curfews, no security guards).
Source: Department of Home Affairs.
People in locked detention, by classification (n = 1036)
Source: Department of Home Affairs.
9
People in detention who are stateless (approx figure). Their average duration of detention was 1172 days and 2 are on a removal pathway (note these figures have not been updated since Dec 2024.
Source: Refugee Council of Australia
165
New Zealanders in onshore immigration detention. Followed by Iranians (80) and Indian (68).
Source: Department of Home Affairs.
0
Children in locked detention. In February 2024 there were six children in locked detention.
24
Children in community detention in Australia (designated address, nightly curfew, no guards).
Source: Department of Home Affairs.
454
Average days spent in immigration detention.
Average days in locked detention onshore
Source: Department of Home Affairs.
174
People have been detained for more than 2 years onshore (17% of total detention population).
Of them, 68 people have been detained for more than 5 years.
Source: Department of Home Affairs.
Offshore
91
People are believed to be in Nauru, as at 30 September 2025.
Source: Refugee Council of Australia.
64
The approximate number of people still in PNG (latest data is to Nov 2023).
Source: Refugee Council of Australia
1115
People resettled in the US under the United States resettlement deal. Around 1,900 people applied for US resettlement.
324
The approximate number of people resettled in New Zealand under the Australia-New Zealand deal.
Source: Refugee Council of Australia
21
People who were subject to offshore processing have died since 2014, including 7 by known or suspected suicide.
Source: Refugee Council of Australia.
>$12 billion
Spent on offshore processing since 2012. The 23-24 Budget allocates $485,721 to offshore processing arrangements.
Source: Refugee Council of Australia.
1046
People who were transferred offshore are currently in Australia. This includes 838 people who were part of the pre-19 July 2013 group.
Source: Refugee Council of Australia
Statistics are updated when source updates are published. Request an asylum statistic: info@asyluminsight.com