One Nation has laid out an ambitious proposal to cap Australia’s annual migration intake at 130,000, aligning this number with the projected net overseas migration figures.
The issue of migration levels is causing significant waves across Australia’s federal political landscape, intensifying amid a critical housing shortage and mounting stress on public services, especially in suburban regions.
Migration specialists caution against political rhetoric that points the finger at migrants for the housing crunch, emphasizing that the migrant workforce is crucial for meeting the necessary housing demand and that they provide a vital contribution to the construction industry.
The net overseas migration forecast looks at the balance of people entering versus leaving Australia, accounting also for Australians returning from abroad.
This calculation takes into consideration various categories such as tourists, family reunification visas, opportunities for working holidaymakers, skilled migration entries, and the intake from refugee and humanitarian programs.
Under Labor, net overseas migration reached a record high of 556,000 in 2023, following the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Labor has moved to tighten restrictions, projecting net overseas migration to fall to 225,000 people by the 2027-2028 financial year.
The government is preparing to unveil a plan to wind back migration settings to ensure the net overseas migration forecast is met.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke was set to unveil that plan at the National Press Club last week — but it was put on hold after cabinet jitters about the political implications of cuts to certain programs.
According to its website, One Nation’s policy is “capping visas at 130,000 per year to ease pressure on housing, wages, and infrastructure”.
A One Nation spokesperson has confirmed to SBS World News that the cap of 130,000 will be on net overseas migration.
That is a dramatic reduction from the current numbers, which the government maintains would affect a range of visa categories and impede productivity nationwide.
But One Nation leader Pauline Hanson maintains the government has been too reliant on migration to keep the economy going.
Bragg provokes internal dispute over migration
Meanwhile, Nationals and senior Liberals have distanced themselves from a figure the Opposition’s housing minister suggested cutting immigration to.
Andrew Bragg used a National Press Club speech on Wednesday to argue for a Coalition policy of capping net overseas migration at 180,000.
But Nationals leader Matt Canavan has already cautioned against any moves that would reduce the workforce in regional areas.
On Thursday, Opposition leader Angus Taylor said Bragg was expressing personal views and didn’t run the speech by him before he delivered it.