Labor Scrambles After High Court Decision Bans Monitoring of Migrant Detainees With Criminal Past

The home affairs minister could have more powers to place restrictions on illegal migrant detainees.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Dec. 2, 2022. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

The Australian government has scrambled to put forward new laws in response to a High Court decision outlawing ankle monitoring and curfew restrictions for migrant detainees.

The judgement was handed down on Nov. 6 and affects those released into the community after a contentious 2023 High Court decision ruled that “indefinite detention” for illegal detainees unlawful.