Chinese asylum claims in Australia jump by more than 300%

The number of asylum claims by Chinese nationals in Australia more than tripled between 2017 and 2018, government figures show, raising fears some applicants are exploiting the system as regular migration visas become harder to get. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs, 9,315 Chinese nationals filed for onshore protection visas during the 2017-2018 financial year, compared to 2,269 the year before, an increase of 311%.

The figures suggest that Chinese nationals arriving by plane or those already staying in the country on student and tourist visas are requesting asylum. Malaysian nationals in Australia were the only group to have lodged more onshore asylum claims during the same time period, with 9,319 applications.

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