Australia says net migration down as far-right popularity surges
June 18, 2026 06:40
SYDNEY: Australia’s immigration levels fell last year, official data showed on Thursday, as its center-left government seeks to combat an ascendent far-right riding a wave of public discontent over soaring housing prices and cost of living.
Net overseas migration added 301,000 people to Australia’s population of 28 million last year, Canberra’s Bureau of Statistics reported.
Immigration minister Tony Burke said the figure was down nine percent from a year earlier and 45 percent lower than a post-Covid peak in 2023.
