The Crime Point-in-Time Service has been updated to include the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Firearms and Customs Laws) Act 2026 (Cth) (Act No 1 of 2026) and the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Act 2026 (Cth) (Act No 2 of 2026).

This Act forms a comprehensive package of reforms which aim to:

• prohibit the importation of violent extremist material and goods depicting prohibited symbols;
• establish a national gun buyback scheme for surplus and newly restricted firearms;
• create a framework to ensure that Commonwealth intelligence agencies can inform state and territory firearms licensing decisions;
• strengthen border controls on firearms and firearm-related goods importation; and
• criminalise using carriage services to deal with firearms and explosives manufacture material.

Schedule 1 to the Act expands customs controls on violent extremist material and prohibited symbols. These changes strengthen the ability of the Australian Border Force to prevent extremist material entering and leaving Australia, and reinforce Australia’s commitment to combatting violent extremism and hate-based ideologies. 

Schedule 2 to the Act establishes a national gun buy-back scheme consistent with the 1996 approach, with the Commonwealth reimbursing states and territories for implementation costs. Schedule 3 to the Act authorises the relevant Minister to make rules prescribing transitional matters relating to the amendments or repeals made by the Act.

This Act seeks to further criminalise hateful conduct, and ensure that those that seek to spread hate, division and radicalisation are met with severe penalties. The Act includes amendments to:

• introduce new grounds to allow for the refusal or cancellation of a visa where a person spreads hate and division in Australia, or would do so if they were allowed to enter or remain in Australia;
• strengthen the public display of prohibited hate symbol offences in sections 80.2H and 80.2HA of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth); and
• provide for the review of the operation of aggravated offences for preachers and leaders as well as the operation of the prohibited hate groups framework by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.

The Act also amends the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) (the Migration Act) to insert new grounds that specifically address hate-motivated conduct and conduct or offences relating to the spread of hatred and extremism. The new grounds enable the Minister to exercise their discretionary powers under section 500A and section 501 of the Migration Act to refuse to grant, or to cancel, a visa in certain circumstances.

These amendments have been updated in the Point-in-Time Crime Service current to 27 January 2026. (NB: Subscription required).

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