64,600 illegals in Australia

MORE than 64,000 people are living illegally in Australia.

More than two thirds of those, who came to Australia on legal visas and have overstayed, have been living here for more than two years.

As many as 20,000 of the 64,600 “unlawful non- citizens” are believed to be working, while the total number of people living illegally in Australia on expired visas has increased 6 per cent compared with five years ago.

More than 70 per cent are here on expired visitor visas, while student visas made up 15 per cent of the overstayers and working holiday visas about 3 per cent.

Malaysians were the worst offenders for overstaying, as 9440 people from the SouthEast Asian nation were here on expired visas as at June 30, according to Immigration Department figures.

An Immigration and Border Protection spokesman said it used regular “targeted field compliance” to locate people.

Opposition Immigration spokesman Shayne Neumann said it was untenable to have more than 20,000 visa overstayers working illegally.

A spokesman for Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said some only overstayed their visa by a day or two, while the total number represented less than 1 per cent of the 6.5 million temporary entrants to Australia each year.