Department of Home Affairs (Australia)

Department of Home Affairs
Department overview
Formed	20 December 2017
Preceding Department	Attorney-General's Department – for national security and emergency management ; Department of Immigration and Border Protection ; Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development – for transport security ; Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet – for counterterrorism and cybersecurity ; Department of Social Services – for multicultural affairs;
Jurisdiction	Commonwealth of Australia
Headquarters	Canberra
Employees	14,569 (2021)
Annual budget	$5.942 billion (2021)
Minister responsible	Tony Burke, Minister for Home Affairs;
Department executive	Stephanie Foster, Secretary;
Child Department	Australian Border Force; National Emergency Management Agency;
Website	www.homeaffairs.gov.au
Footnotes

The Department of Home Affairs is the Australian Government interior ministry with responsibilities for national security, protective services, emergency management, border control, immigration, refugees, citizenship, transport security and multicultural affairs.^[2] The portfolio also includes federal agencies such as the Australian Border Force and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. The Home Affairs portfolio reports to the Minister for Home Affairs, currently held by Tony Burke, and was led by the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs, Mike Pezzullo, until his sacking in November 2023 for breaching the code of conduct.^[3]

The Department was officially established on 20 December 2017, building on the former Department of Immigration and Border Protection and bringing policy responsibilities and agencies from the Attorney-General's Department, Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and Department of Social Services. The Department of Home Affairs was seen at the time as the Australian version of the United Kingdom's Home Office or the United States Department of Homeland Security.^[4]

In 2022, the Australian Federal Police, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and Australian Transaction and Analysis Center were de-merged from the department and moved to the Attorney General portfolio,^[5] and in July 2024 the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation was also moved to the Attorney General portfolio.^[6]

^ "Department of Home Affairs". www.directory.gov.au. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
^ "A Strong and Secure Australia". Prime Minister of Australia. 18 July 2017. Archived from the original on 18 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
^ "Home affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo sacked for breaching government code of conduct | Australian politics | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
^ "Peter Dutton given control of new home affairs super ministry". The Guardian. 18 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
^ Clun, Rachel (1 June 2022). "Australian Federal Police moved out of Home Affairs five years after it went in". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
^ [1] AAO 29 July 2024, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

[1] "Department of Home Affairs". www.directory.gov.au. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2024.

[2] "A Strong and Secure Australia". Prime Minister of Australia. 18 July 2017. Archived from the original on 18 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.

[3] "Home affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo sacked for breaching government code of conduct | Australian politics | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 27 November 2023.

[4] "Peter Dutton given control of new home affairs super ministry". The Guardian. 18 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.

[5] Clun, Rachel (1 June 2022). "Australian Federal Police moved out of Home Affairs five years after it went in". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 August 2022.

[6] [1] AAO 29 July 2024, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

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