Migration offences up 122%
PEOPLE smuggling and migration offences that reached Australian criminal courts rose 122% in a year to June 2010-11, figures released on Tuesday reveal.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics released figures showing that people smuggling and migration offences finalised in criminal courts grew from 220 in 2009-10 to 488 in 2010-11.
The biggest rise was seen in the higher courts, where the number of offences rocketed 514% from 29 to 178, of the largest increase in any federal offence in the higher courts.
Across all criminal courts the most common federal offence remains fraud, deception and related offences, at 33% of all cases, down 1% from the 34% in 2009-10.
