The Australian Government has reprioritised up to $375.1 million in Official Development Assistance (ODA) in the 2012–13 financial year to support asylum seekers waiting to have their claims heard in Australia. The support will cover food, shelter and other essential items.
The reprioritisation represents a small portion (around 7 per cent) of Australia's total aid program, which is still expected to reach around $5.2 billion in the 2012–13 financial year and is consistent with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee's (DAC) Reporting Directives.
The Government will minimise the impact of the reprioritisation by ensuring that, wherever possible, payments are delayed rather than cut.
The Australian Government remains committed to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and to our goal of providing 0.5 per cent of Gross National Income as ODA by 2016–17.
For more detailed budget information, please see the country and aid issues pages, which provide links to country programs and thematic profiles.
More information
2012–13 Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements [external website, PDF]