AustraliaIrregular migration is a prominentSecuritisation case studyIrregular migrationAustralia in the field of irregular migration governance, mainly due to its distinctive yet controversial policies. The ‘Australian model’ is often cited as an example to replicate elsewhere, although detailed discussions of how to achieve this are scant. On the one hand, Canberra’s policies are highly dependent on the country’s geographic and socio-political characteristics. On the other, they have attracted strong and consistent criticism over the years for their human rights implications. Against this backdrop, this chapter seeks to shed light on Australia’s irregular migration governance. First, it contextualises it in a fragmented international system; second, it traces the country’s foreign policy on irregular migration from 2000 to 2025; third, it assesses the role of securitisation in creating path dependencePath dependence and shaping the political system. As a result, this research provides a timely contribution to both irregular migration studies and Australian foreign policy debates.