Pauline Hanson has unveiled a sweeping plan to cut Australia’s temporary migrant population by about 750,000 over three years, with international students among the biggest targets of One Nation’s immigration crackdown.
Under the proposal, net overseas migration would be driven below zero during a three-year ‘reset’ before being permanently capped at 130,000 people a year.
That compares with Labor’s forecast of 245,000 net overseas arrivals this financial year, and 225,000 a year after that.
The plan would target Australia’s temporary migrant population, which has surged to about three million people from just over two million when Labor came to power in 2022.
The plan would cap international student visas at 100,000 a year, while targeting lower-level courses One Nation says have become a pathway for some foreigners to stay in Australia.
A new visa, with no limit, would be introduced for students studying PhDs and selected science, technology, engineering and maths degrees, with about 15,000 foreigners and their dependents expected to use it.
Skilled worker visas would remain uncapped under One Nation, but family members would lose access to secondary visas, cutting the program from around 263,000 people to 160,000 within three years.
The party says its three-year crackdown would reduce numbers across five major visa categories, cutting 239,923 student visa holders, 229,674 graduate visa holders, 103,448 temporary skilled workers, 112,533 people on bridging visas, and 80,000 unlawful non-citizens or people who have overstayed their visas.
Pauline Hanson has unveiled a plan to cut Australia’s temporary migrant population by about 750,000 over three years, as One Nation pushes for a major reduction in overseas migration
‘We will crack down on illegal migrant employment, cutting off illicit income and encouraging departures. Illegal migrants will be given three months to leave Australia.
‘Those who depart will be allowed to apply for a visa in the future. Those who remain unlawfully after this period will face immigration enforcement and a lifetime ban from re-entering Australia.’
Australians have had enough of mass migration, according to Hanson.
‘I know Australians are doing it tough. Families are competing with hundreds of people for rental accommodation,’ she added.
Patients are stuck in ambulances because there are not enough hospital beds. Young Australians are being locked out of home ownership while wages and infrastructure fail to keep up.
‘The Labor-Liberal political cartel has sacrificed Australian living standards to serve vested interests demanding continued mass migration.
She claimed that the number of temporary visa holders has surged from two million in 2022 to roughly three million.
‘A larger economy on paper means nothing if Australians are poorer per person and cannot afford a home, find a hospital bed or get ahead. A larger economic pie doesn’t mean anything if individual Australians’ slice of it is getting smaller.
‘One Nation’s plan will return the temporary migrant population to around 2017 levels and the international student population to 2015 levels.
‘Over the three years, net overseas migration will be net-negative. Following this, One Nation’s net overseas migration ceiling of 130,000 per year would remain in place.
‘Vested interests and elite economists will shriek at the prospect of these cuts,’ Senator Hanson said.
‘But Canada has shown you can cut migrant numbers, take pressure off rents, and still grow the economy.
‘Over the three years, net overseas migration will be net-negative.
‘Following this, One Nation’s net overseas migration ceiling of 130,000 per year would remain in place.’
