Anthony Albanese announces plan to reduce immigration levels following Covid influx

From: The gurdian.com

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has flagged a major plan to return immigration to what he believes is a sustainable level after a post-Covid influx.

Immigration will be scaled back to what are considered sustainable levels hand-in-hand with a crackdown on abuses of Australia’s intake of overseas students.

The impending overhaul follows a once-in-a-generation review which determined the nation’s immigration system was “badly broken” and in need of a 10-year rebuild, Albanese said.

“What we know is that we need to have a migration system that enables Australia to get the skills that we need but make sure the system is working in the interests of all Australians,” he told reporters in Sydney on Saturday.

“Well, we are determined to fix this.”

Albanese said there was always going to be a jump in immigration after Covid-19 although current projections were lower than those prior to Australia shutting its borders during the pandemic.

Treasury forecasts also showed the intake is expected to decline substantially over the coming financial year.

However, the review, conducted by former Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet head Martin Parkinson, had found concerning abuses of Australia’s acceptance of international students, the prime minister said.

“People are coming here, enrolling in courses that don’t really add substantially to either their skills base or to the national interest here,” he said.

“So it’s not in the interests of our neighbours, nor is it in the interests of Australia, that there not be a crackdown on this.

“We’re determined to do that.”

While the government already had a blueprint for increased housing and a $120bn infrastructure rollout, the full details of the immigration overhaul would be unveiled next week, Albanese said.