The Department of Home Affairs provides coordinated strategy, policy and leadership in relation to Australia’s domestic and national security arrangements, law enforcement, counter-terrorism, foreign interference, transnational and serious crime, cyber security, social cohesion, the protection of Australia’s sovereignty and the integrity of Australia’s border, emergency management, and the resilience of Australia’s national infrastructure.
The Department’s intelligence function supports the work of the Department, the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the wider portfolio, particularly the management of Australia’s border, customs regime and migration program.
The intelligence function collects and analyses intelligence to deliver intelligence assessments, products and services to inform strategy, policy development, capability requirements and operational decisions.
Intelligence assessments draw on an array of information collected by the Department, for example: passenger and cargo movements, visa applications, biometrics captured in the border environment, international mail items, data collected by offshore officers engaged in immigration integrity checks, and findings provided by ABF investigation and operational teams.
The Department’s intelligence function also serves as the principal interface with the NIC on intelligence prioritisation, requirements and evaluation matters.
The ABF is Australia’s frontline border law enforcement agency and Australia’s customs service. It delivers critical border protection and national security outcomes while facilitating the movement of people and goods across the border.
The ABF works closely with other agencies to share knowledge, expertise and intelligence in order to detect, deter and prosecute those who attempt to do Australia harm at the border.
