On 1 February 2023, Minister for Immigration Andrew Giles confirmed that the Australian Government would preserve the Section 501 deportation policy but issued a ministerial directive for the Department of Home Affairs to consider deportees' length of time in Australia and ties to the community. This directive comes into effect on 3 March 2023. The announcement was welcomed by New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. By contrast, deportee advocate Filipa Payne regarded the Australian Government's changes as insufficient, objecting to the mandatory detention policy and the continual deportation of individuals deemed dangerous by the Government.
