The opposition Coalition has proposed strict migration and education reforms in the upcoming May 2025 federal election, and if elected, it has promised to reduce permanent migration by 25% and impose…
The opposition Coalition has proposed strict migration and education reforms in the upcoming May 2025 federal election, and if elected, it has promised to reduce permanent migration by 25% and impose stricter limits on international students at metropolitan universities, potentially upsetting the dreams of many Indians hoping to settle in Australia. Coalition leader Peter Dutton said on January 12 during a speech in the Victorian electorate of Chisholm that he wanted no Australian to be left wondering what the Coalition stands for.For the following two years, Dutton said, Australia's yearly intake of permanent migrants will be reduced from 185,000 to 140,000. In the third and fourth years, the intake would increase to 150,000 and 160,000, respectively."The floodgates of migration have been opened by labour." In the first two years of Labor, a record one million migrants had come. Compared to any other two-year period, that is 70% greater. Housing, infrastructure, and services are under strain. Demand has greatly exceeded supply, since just 350,000 houses have been constructed within the same period, according to Dutton."The Coalition will act," he continued. Foreign investors and temporary residents will not be allowed to buy existing Australian properties for two years. To alleviate pressure on city rental markets, we will collaborate with large metropolitan colleges to impose more stringent restrictions on international students. nearly a five-year period, we will free up nearly 100,000 residences using these levers.
Student visas are declining
The reality is that there are currently fewer foreign students and job seekers in Australia, regardless of whether the opposition wins or loses. Arrivals of student visas fell by 25% in 2023–2024, from 278,000 to 207,000, according to the Department of Home Affairs. International students still make up the largest category of new migrants, accounting for 39.5% of Australia's net foreign migration, notwithstanding the downturn. India continues to be a major source of international students in Australia. 746,080 international students studied in Australia in 2023, with 159,485 of them coming from China, 122,391 from India and 60,258 from Nepal. Concerns have been expressed, meanwhile, over the reasons behind some students' use of the visa system, especially those from South Asia, who may be doing so purely for employment. Clare O'Neil, Minister of Home Affairs, stated in December 2024 that "Australia needs to manage its international student intake to balance educational quality with the needs of the economy." Australia's profitable education industry is still vital, since more than 860,000 individuals, or more than 3% of the population, are now on student or post-study employment visas. Immigration policy is expected to be a hot topic of political discussion until the May 2025 election.
