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Record number of parents stopped at airports due to child support debts

The international airport is proving to be a trap for parents who’ve been avoiding their child support payments.

A record number have been stopped by Border Force and blocked from leaving Australia until they pay up in the first ten months of this financial year.

Parents who arrive at Australian airports, ready to fly out overseas, are being stopped by a Departure Prohibition Order if they have failed to meet their child support obligations.

Human Services Minister Michael Keenan said: “If we see you at an airport or seaport trying to leave the country and you owe child support we will make you pay before you are allowed to leave”.

Parents who owe child support payments are being stopped from leaving the country at airports. Source: 7News
Parents who owe child support payments are being stopped from leaving the country at airports. Source: 7News

Once stopped the traveller has the option of paying up or going home

A total of 358 people, more than one per day, have been caught in the first ten months of this financial year, more than the entire previous year, in which 333 people were caught.

“We think it’s actually very important that people fulfil their obligations and we will use every tool at our disposal to make sure that that happens,” Mr Keenan said.

Human Services Minister Michael Keenan says paying child support should be a parent’s priority over getting a tan in Bali. Source: 7News
Human Services Minister Michael Keenan says paying child support should be a parent’s priority over getting a tan in Bali. Source: 7News

Dead beat parents have coughed up more than $10 million to allow them to travel.

One father handed over $350,000 on the spot and once the debt was cleared, he was free to go.

Mr Keenan said that paying your child support should be a priority over getting a tan in Bali.

“It staggers me that someone would have that money in the bank, denying their own children what they are required to support them.”

Statistic show that fathers make up 90 per cent of delinquent child support payers.

A record number of parents have stopped at airports for not paying their child support payments. Source: 7News
A record number of parents have stopped at airports for not paying their child support payments. Source: 7News