One Nation's Migration Plan: Experts Question Feasibility of Cutting 766,000 Temporary Migrants

One Nation's plan to reduce temporary migration in Australia has been met with skepticism over its feasibility. The party aims to cut 766,000 people from key temporary visa categories over three years, including students, graduates, skilled workers, and unlawful non-citizens. However, experts question how much of this reduction will come from actual departures rather than people moving onto permanent visas.

The plan involves reducing the number of student visa holders by about 240,000, temporary graduates by 230,000, and skilled workers by 103,000. The party also aims to eliminate an estimated 80,000 unlawful non-citizens within three years. However, experts point out that this may not necessarily lead to a reduction in the overall population, as people who leave on permanent visas will still be counted towards Australia's population.

Abul Rizvi, a migration analyst and former senior Immigration Department official, highlighted the complexity of the plan. 'Trying to reduce TE population by 750,000 over 3 years when labour market is relatively strong will be challenging,' he said. He also noted that it was unclear how much of the reduction would come from departures versus people moving onto permanent visas.