The Australian migration zone refers to the parts of Australian territory where a non citizen must hold a visa to legally enter and remain. It includes all states and mainland territories, plus some external territories, at the mean low water mark.
In September 2001 the Federal Parliament passed the Migration Amendment (Excision from Migration Zone) Act and the Migration Amendment (Excision from Migration Zone) (Consequential Provisions) Act. These pieces of legislation excised certain external territories from the migration zone, for purposes relating to unauthorised arrivals. These territories included Ashmore Island, Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, and Cocos Islands.
On 30 October 2012, the Australian Labor Party federal parliamentary caucus resolved to excise the entire Australian mainland from the migration zone, in order to remove any incentive for asylum seekers travelling from Indonesia to try to reach the mainland instead of Christmas Island or other Australian territories which are closer to Indonesia but excised from the migration zone.
Read more about Australian Migration Zone: Unauthorised Arrival, Effect of Excision On Sovereignty
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