Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Smith for his question. I am pleased to advise the Senate that the government has finalised new bridging visa arrangements that provide greater protection and support for young children aged under 10 and their families and that will enable them to now be released from detention into the community on bridging visas if they arrived prior to 19 July last year. This initiative builds on the success that this government has already had on reducing the number of children in detention. Releasing these young children and their families had not to date been an option for the government, because the previous government's arrangements for bridging visas were insufficient to protect these young children and their families. This lack of support arrangements would have put young children at risk if released into the community on these visas.

This government has now approved new support arrangements for families with children on bridging visas that address the fundamental weaknesses of the former government. The arrangements extend to the care and support that is provided in community based residential detention to those released on bridging visas. These arrangements are estimated to deliver savings to the taxpayer of $50 million over the forward estimates. Restoring integrity to our borders, which is exactly what this government is doing, is not only saving lives; it is now enabling us to release into the community young children, 10 and under, and their families in an orderly and proper manner.