Today the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts launched the 2022-23 Consular State of Play.
The Consular State of Play is a snapshot of the consular assistance and crisis support the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) provided to Australians overseas during the previous financial year.
In 2022-23, there were over 9,200 cases of Australians seeking consular assistance and crisis support. That’s a 17% increase in consular cases compared to the previous financial year.
Whether it’s a lost passport, a hospitalisation, or something more complex – Australian consular staff were there to help.
And when crises like the Sudan conflict or the Türkiye earthquakes hit, our dedicated teams in Australia and around the world worked tirelessly to help Australians and bring them home in extremely difficult circumstances.
In the 2022-23 financial year there were:
- over 3,100 cases for welfare or other serious matters
- over 1,870 cases involving death – an increase of 23 per cent
- almost 200 cases of assault – an increase of 54 per cent
- 265 whereabouts cases – an increase of 57 per cent
- almost 230 cases of immigration detention cases – an increase of 28 per cent.
The data also shows DFAT’s 24/7 Consular Emergency Centre answered, on average, one call for help every 11 minutes.
As Australians get out into the world again, it’s important to remember the unexpected can happen. Visit Smartraveller to make sure you’re as prepared as possible – and subscribe for updates while you’re away.
New online portal showcases the human side of consular
The Consular State of Play has gone fully digital this year via our new online portal. In it, you can find the same statistics as in previous years, now as downloadable infographics. We also have consular officers in Australia and around the world telling the story of consular from a human perspective.
Explore data, videos, written case studies and more in the Consular State of Play online portal.