Australia’s Labor government revealed in its 2024 Budget that more than 1 million new immigrants are expected to be allowed into Australia by mid-2028, and revised its forecast for this financial year to almost 400,000.
In December last year the government predicted the 2023-24 intake would be 375,000, up from 315,000 in last year’s budget, but according to treasury papers released Thursday this figure has been revised upwards to 395,000.
Next financial year 260,000 are expected, 255,000 the year after that, and 235,000 in 2026-27 and 2027-28.
Added to the 528,000 net overseas migration number last year, this would mean a total net intake of 1.9 million between 2022 and 2028, assuming the forecasts are accurate.
One Nation federal campaign manager Craig Kelly said the numbers were too high.
“This will ensure continued upward pressure on housing price inflation and increasing rents. The supply of extra labor will keep wages suppressed, and more Australians will end up living in tents and caravans,” he said on X on Thursday.
In a separate post on the impact of record immigration on Sydney, he wrote “the Great Replacement has commenced”, pointing to recent Australian Bureau of Statistics data showing 38,435 people left the city during 2022-23, while there were 156,616 net overseas arrivals.
“Since 2001, Sydney’s population has increased by 1.35 million people, nearly entirely due to net overseas migration. This is madness,” he wrote.
“Yet weak, cowardly and gutless Labor and Liberal politicians attempt to blame ‘lack of supply’ for the exodus of Sydney families from the city. Australia must slash migration numbers, but only One Nation has the courage to say that.”
In his budget speech Treasurer Jim Chalmers admitted that rapid population growth was putting pressure on Australians, and announced a series of changes he claimed would help Labor halve net migration.
Universities will be forced to cap overseas student enrolments, English proficiency requirements will be tightened, and the permanent migration program will be capped at 185,000 places in 2024-25.
But at the same time Labor will reduce the work experience requirement for the “temporary skill shortage visa” from two years down to one, and commence its controversial Indian migration program.
The Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) is due to start in November for thousands of Indian graduates or young professionals aged 18 to 30 with knowledge or skills in “targeted fields”, who will be allowed to live and work in Australia for two years.
“Migration is out of control and the Budget papers confirm the unprecedented increase in net overseas migration that will now see 1.67 million new migrants coming to Australia over five years,” shadow treasurer Angus Taylor said.
“Labor has fuelled the housing and rental crisis with unprecedented immigration at a time when housing approvals are at an 11 year low.”
