Jetsetting parents told to pay child support or give up holiday plans

A RECORD number of deadbeat parents have been caught at Australian airports and forced to pay their child support debts.

A RECORD number of deadbeat parents have been caught at the airport and forced to pay their child support debts.

The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal 358 people have been stopped at departure gates in the past nine months, eclipsing the previous record of 333 sprung last financial year.

Once stopped, these ­par­ents are given the choice to ­either pay what they owe and be allowed to go on their holiday — or remain in Australia.

The joint operation ­between the Child Support Agency and the Department of Immigration has already ­reaped more than $10.4 million since July, surpassing last year’s record of $9.9 million.

In recent months, Border Force recouped $60,000 from one parent who tried to leave Australia on an overseas holiday.

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Human Services Minister Michael Keenan. Picture: Kym Smith

Another parent, who now lives overseas, was hit with a $30,000 fine while trying to ­return to their new family abroad.

The government transfers the cash to the parent who is owed the money.

Human Services Minister Michael Keenan said Departure Prohibition Orders are just one measure in the government’s arsenal to force parents to meet their obligations.

“What those examples clearly demonstrate is that parents often have the means to pay, but are deliberately choosing to shirk their obligations,” he said.

“If a parent can afford to take an overseas holiday, the government believes they can and should be made to pay what they owe.

The airport crackdown has grounded parents who do not honour their child support commitments.

“The welfare of their children should be their first priority, not getting a tan on a beach in Bali.”

Anyone who has unpaid tax debts, such as a child support debt, can be placed on a DPO, which gives authorities the power to prevent cheats from travelling abroad. More than 1200 DPOs have been issued in the past year.

The government can also take deadbeat parents to court and raid their tax refunds in order to recover outstanding debts.

Earlier this year, we­revealed the case of one parent who had to cough up $350,000 after being stopped at an Australian airport in December.