Steel fences surround Villawood detention centre in Sydney, where many ‘501s’ are held before deportation. Australia’s enforcement of the populist immigration policy has dogged diplomatic relations since 2014. The topic is likely to be on the agenda when Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne arrives for talks with counterpart Nanaia Mahuta on Wednesday. Since 2015, 2374 Kiwis have been sent back across the Tasman, with numbers reaching a peak in 2017 at 468 returnees. Last year, as the world grappled with travel restrictions imposed to tackle the virus, 320 people were returned. Between January and March this year, 61 were removed from Australia, many on a series of ‘Con Air’ flights.