Blueprint for Integration

BLUEPRINT FOR INTEGRATION © Commonwealth of Australia 2014 With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, all material presented in this publication is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/deed.en). For the avoidance of doubt, this means this licence only applies to material as set out in this document.

The details of the relevant licence conditions are available on the Creative Commons website (accessible using the links provided) as is the full legal code for the CC BY 3.0 AU licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode).

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JOINT FOREWORD

Working together with the professional and dedicated people of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, we have the opportunity to create history as we integrate our functions into a new Department and establish the Australian Border Force.

Our job is crucial to preserving and proud historical traditions use of technology and revise our nation’s sovereignty. The of the two organisations we our business processes to broad remit and focus of our are bringing together. The ensure we maintain pace with new Department means we will historical traditions from which our environment and that touch every part of Australian we come provide a strong you are well supported by life—industry and commerce, foundation to form a new sense technology and equipment trade and travel, our national of mission and a new culture. to achieve our mission. security, the protection of our community and the enforcement This Blueprint describes what As you are our most important of our laws, the security of our we are responsible for, our asset, we are committed to offshore maritime resources challenges and opportunities, building capability that supports and environment and the and the timeframes for early you with access to improved collection of revenue for the integration. With you we will learning and development Australian Government. build a high-performance opportunities, active career organisation that demonstrates management, and a diversity This change will make Australia positive values, behaviours and of job choices throughout your a safer and more prosperous professional standards to each career in the new Department nation. We cannot make this other and our stakeholders. and Australian Border Force. change alone. To achieve our Most importantly, you will mission—to protect Australia’s We want our new Department to be supported by strong borders and manage the design and develop innovative and effective leadership. movement of people and goods policy and solutions that across it—we will rely on every assist our stakeholders and As an organisation with a one of our dedicated staff in the community. We also need significant global footprint, coming days, months and years. to have systems in place that we will increasingly focus on support us to effectively facilitate opportunities to influence and As we integrate over the next and enforce our immigration, achieve border protection nine months and establish humanitarian, travel, trade, outcomes offshore. Together, the Australian Border Force, citizenship, offshore maritime we will need to be cognisant it will be crucially important to security and revenue objectives. of the threats our organisation preserve and honour the long We will need to optimise the faces, including from organised

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A NEW DEPARTMENT

In May 2014, the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection announced significant changes to how we protect and manage Australia’s borders to enhance our national security and to create an even stronger national economy. This will be a once-in-a-generation change.

From 1 July 2015, the functions of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service will be integrated into a new Department, and a new front-line operational agency, the Australian Border Force, will be established within the new Department.

The new Department of Immigration and Border Protection will for the first time bring together into a single policy space traditional immigration and customs border policy. The Department’s remit will include refugee and humanitarian programmes, immigration and citizenship, trade and customs, offshore maritime security and revenue collection. The new Department will lead the policy, regulatory and corporate services for the organisation, including the Australian Border Force.

The Australian Border Force, as the operational enforcement entity within the Department, will focus on our investigations, compliance and detention operations offshore and onshore, across our air and seaports, and land and maritime domains.

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Our history

We have proud organisational histories that have helped build and protect Australia since Federation. Both agencies have worked closely together in key operating environments for many years.

Established in 1945, the to achieving a cohesive Equally, the Australian Customs Department of Immigration society. A special ceremony and Border Protection Service was setup in the aftermath of marked the 65th anniversary of has been serving the Australian World War II, when the nation Australian citizenship this year community for more than 110 embarked on a remarkable in Albert Hall, Canberra, the years. The Service traces programme of nation-building. site of the first-ever Australian its roots back to Federation The expansion of our population citizenship ceremony in 1949. as the Department of Trade through managed migration and Customs, and indeed to was central to this programme, The Department also has a proud the customs administrations and the Department has history of supporting Australia’s of the Australian colonies played a crucial economic and economic prosperity through the in the 19th century. social role in the development Migration Programme, especially of our nation ever since. in relation to filling identified It has played a vital role in skill shortages in our labour protecting the safety, security Leading work for the nation markets as well as managing and commercial interests of in the areas of citizenship Australia’s Humanitarian Australia since its establishment and national identity, the Programme, which allows us to in 1901. Currently, it performs Department has contributed resettle those most in need. tasks and enforces regulations

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THE BORDER: A strategic national asset

Our border is a national asset. It holds economic, social and strategic value for our nation.

The border is not a line on a map. in humanitarian and refugee border control over who and programmes, and to grant what has the right to enter or Our focus is on the border citizenship. It also includes the exit and under what conditions. in the sense of a complex collection of border revenue This includes significant effort continuum stretching ahead and trade and travel statistics. offshore to authorise travel of and behind the border, movements to Australia through including the physical border. Treating the border as a the comprehensive visa regime It is a space that enables and continuum allows an integrated, and to prevent unauthorised controls the flow of people and layered approach to provide people movements to Australia. the movement of goods through border management in depth— complex supply chains. We working ahead of and behind the Effective border security allows call this the border continuum, border, as well as at the border, for the seamless legitimate illustrated on page 11. to manage threats and take movement of people and goods advantage of opportunities. across our borders, which The continuum includes our are all critical to enhancing immigration responsibilities to By applying an intelligence-led trade, travel and migration. manage and assist temporary model and working with partners and permanent migrants and across the border continuum, those people participating we are able to deliver effective

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THE CHALLENGE

By harnessing these challenges we will contribute to Australia’s national security, economic strength and a cohesive society.

Creating a new Department and establishing the Australian Border Force provides us with the opportunity to leverage our combined experience and capabilities to better tackle the challenges facing Australia’s border. These challenges are complex and multi-faceted.

Protecting our borders

Australia is a free, prosperous Continuing to secure our Border Command, ensuring and harmonious society. borders, while enabling seamless our assets and resources are However, it is also these legitimate movement of people deployed to greatest effect, aspects of our society that and goods, will be essential including offshore, domestically terrorists and violent extremists to ensuring Australia remains and in our maritime zone. seek to harm. The threat to a prosperous society. We We will also work to counter Australia and Australians from will establish the Australian threats ahead of the border, terrorists and violent extremists Border Force as the front-line employing sophisticated risk is both real and growing. operational agency within the assessments through our visa Department, which will help programmes and working with Similarly, geopolitical events, us meet these challenges. The international partners to deliver ranging from instability and combination of enforcement enforcement outcomes. conflict, through to global resources from both immigration health crises, can lead to and customs, together with failed states or major armed retraining, will enable us to conflict. These events create boost our capacity over time. both direct and indirect security challenges to Australia, The Australian Border Force will including fostering terrorism, be an intelligence-led, mobile and population displacement technologically enabled force. and irregular movement. It will operate under a Strategic

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Promoting trade, travel, migration and Australian citizenship continued

In the next four years, our border partners to manage these As we increase the security of systems will need to manage movements efficiently. our systems through increased estimated growth of 23 per cent use of biometrics, automated in people travelling into and To support responsive border gates and trusted trade schemes, out of Australia, 16.5 per cent systems and processes, we we will deliver a more seamless in student visas, 17 per cent in will promote the use of new experience at the border for sea cargo movements, 54 per technologies, automate old legitimate travellers and traders, cent in air cargo movements and processes, and offer tailored and those legitimately seeking around 23 per cent in people options for facilitation. This to call Australia home. This applying to be Australian citizens. will allow us to better serve will reduce red tape, promote traders and travellers, better simplicity and offer self-service The increasing connectedness support processes that fill skills options. These approaches of the global economy, and shortages crucial to the operation will also allow us to focus more complex supply chains of our economy, appropriately our efforts and interventions for the movement of goods and manage Australia’s Humanitarian only where required. people, require technological Programme and collect revenue advancements and increased for the Australian Government. cooperation with international

14 Blueprint for Integration Australian Crime Commission (ACC) data estimates the cost of organised crime in Australia at more than $15 billion annually.

Combating serious and organised crime

Serious and organised crime crime markets, including illicit serious and ongoing concern for groups are well-organised, drugs, illicit firearms, revenue agencies such as ours, invested well-resourced and opportunistic. fraud and environment crimes. with powers to make decisions They present a significant and enforce laws, such as threat to Australia’s society and In almost all cases of organised granting visas and authorising economy, with new Australian crime, there is an international the movement of goods. Crime Commission (ACC) data connection, which makes it estimates the cost of organised important to address the threat We must ensure our people are crime in Australia at more posed along the entire border highly resistant to corruption than $15 billion annually. continuum. We will work with our through the culture we live partners both in Australia and and promote, that they are The commodities traded by overseas to share intelligence equipped with anti-corruption organised crime for illicit profit essential to us combating these tools, and that there are are limitless, including drugs, groups. We will also harness our systems and practices in firearms, tobacco, forged visas access to the growing volume place to continually monitor and passports, and people. The of information and exploit this and respond to this threat. nature and type of commodities ‘big data’ challenge to target traded illicitly is likely to our interventions better and expand into the future, aided to make informed decisions, by the speed and complexity including about who and what of new travel and migration can come to Australia. routes and supply chains. Organised crime groups not only Public sector corruption has attempt to breach our border also been identified by the ACC controls, they attempt to infiltrate as being present in a range of our systems. Corruption is a

Examples of our approach: eMedical—collaborating internationally trusted international partners, including the We will promote the further use of eMedical to United Kingdom and the United States of America our international partners in order to expand to promote eMedical, to enable more efficient access to the system. Collaboration between and cost-effective global visa processing. Australia and Canada to date has resulted in more than 130 countries now having access to this Reviewing the Australian Citizenship ground breaking system. Originally introduced Ceremonies Code in late 2012, eMedical is used to record online We will finalise the review of the Australian the health examination results of visa applicants Citizenship Ceremonies Code commissioned by who complete their examinations for Australia or the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Canada, with more than one million Australian in late 2013. The review has been conducted with health cases already processed in the new system. key stakeholders throughout 2014, including the Australian Government and, state, territory and eMedical enhances the integrity of the immigration local governments, and will ensure that the Code health process, reduces the possibility of error, continues to provide effective guidance on the protects applicants’ privacy and saves them protocols, procedures and legal requirements for time. In November 2014, New Zealand will roll the conduct of Australian citizenship ceremonies. out the system. We will collaborate with our

Ensuring a holistic view of risk

We will adopt a holistic view of risk. We will identify and respond to threats and opportunities, seeking to mitigate and manage threats and to ensure that maximum advantage is taken of any opportunities. We will identify and plan comprehensively for all risks related to the border, applying an intelligence-led, risk-based approach to inform our strategy, planning, decision-making and resource allocations.

Example of our approach:

Validating digital identities a more client—centric approach to visa applications For a border security agency, knowing who we and systems to enable a holistic view of the are dealing with is critical, especially when dealing applicant to be established and validated. electronically or online. Establishing the identity of We will collect biometrics on a risk-tiered basis, an applicant, and validating it as far ahead of the validating elements of identity at logical touch border as possible, is essential in determining the points– including as people cross the border. risk that the person presents to the border and This way, we will have a good understanding of Australia. who we are dealing with and what, if any, risk they present to national security. In the future, Building on our existing work to collect biometrics this verified identity will present opportunities of visa applicants from a number of countries, to facilitate future travel or even applications refugees, persons in detention, and persons for permanent residence or citizenship. removed from Australia, we will explore how to take

Investing in the Australian citizenship people already in Australia who are found to be programme refugees according to the Refugees Convention. A robust Australian citizenship programme is a critical component of the national security The Onshore Protection reforms will establish and the social cohesion of Australia. Many a new framework and processing model to government and non-government agencies clear the current legacy caseload of illegal depend upon the Department’s citizenship arrival protection applicants and deliver the management for their business services. government’s election commitments in relation to the management of asylum seekers. We will strengthen programme delivery through use of digital services and provide self-management New temporary visa products will be available for options, including moving paper based applications those illegal arrivals who are assessed through on-line. We will also improve support options, the process as engaging Australia’s protection piloting an online Virtual Assist avatar to assist obligations. The reforms will also rationalise clients in determining the correct service they and strengthen Australia’s protection status require and how to lodge applications correctly. determination processes to ensure that only those We will continue to develop the Service Delivery with clearly established protection needs receive Partnership for regional citizenship testing. protection, that a robust response is in place to respond to those who attempt to abuse the These initiatives will assist us manage the large system and the overall speed and integrity of the increase in volume of applications in recent years administration of the programme is improved. and support our agenda to remove red tape and provide greater simplicity of processes for applicants and our programme stakeholders.

Delivering Onshore Protection reforms We are undertaking significant reform of our Onshore Protection component of Australia’s Humanitarian Programme through legislative, policy and procedural changes. This fulfils Australia’s international obligations by offering protection to

ENGAGEMENT

As we build our new organisation and develop the detail, we are committed to engaging with our people, their representatives, industry, the community and strategic partners. Based on this Blueprint, we will share with everyone a detailed plan for building our new organisation in February next year.

Our people

Our people are critical to Some of our work areas have There will be further the delivery of our mission, already felt elements of this opportunities to Have Your and success of our new through integration activities Say including as we build our organisation. We are committed that have already occurred. new organisation and deliver to engaging with our people The success of this so far, our future business. You can: and their representatives, and the positive attitude of and providing opportunity our people to bring about the • participate in surveys to understand, discuss and change, have assisted this. and questionnaires contribute to the development • provide input through of our new organisation. The National Roadshow, supervisors and managers, commencing in October, will be reference and advisory Given we have a diverse an opportunity to discuss with group members workforce—both in terms of senior leaders what we know, • Have Your Say by sending people’s functional roles, as well the scope of change, and what feedback to as the geographic spread—the we still need to work on together. [email protected] or changes will be felt by people We will proceed in a detailed and [email protected] at various stages, in different methodical way, to get this right. • participate in information jobs, different locations, and feedback sessions. and at different levels.

42 Blueprint for Integration Stakeholders

Bringing together border policy into one Department presents significant opportunities for the future. As we work to design the future and deliver business opportunities, we will actively engage with the wide range of stakeholders who have an interest in our policy and activities across the border continuum.

We are committed to collaborating through our existing stakeholder engagement forums and will look for new opportunities to work with stakeholders whether they are our clients, the community, industry, non-government organisations, international partners, academics and think tanks, or other departments and agencies.