As has been the case every month since around 2015-16, the number of asylum seekers in Australia continued to set records, reaching 116,389 at end July 2024. The total number refused at both the primary level and at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), but not departed, is now a record of 43,499. On current policy settings, this number will continue to rise.

The $160 million invested in processing asylum seekers more quickly has meant the backlog at the primary level appears to have plateaued at around 32,000 and at around 41,000 at the AAT (see Chart 1).

The more rapid processing of asylum seekers at the primary and AAT levels, at an average........

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