Migrants in Australia Worry About Political Instability
Resident migrants express anxiety that their status may be leveraged in ongoing political debates regarding national migration targets.
Across Australia, a growing number of migrants are expressing concern that their personal circumstances may become entangled in the intensifying political debate over the scale of national migration. According to reports from ABC News Australia, participants in the Your Say project have described the challenges of securing visas, adapting to local life, and finding stable employment after relocation. These individuals fear that their residency status could be used as a political tool rather than treated as a fundamental right, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty for those who have chosen Australia as their home.
The anxiety is not merely abstract; for many, it stems from lengthy and stressful processes to secure permanent status. Barbara Dervodel, who moved from Slovenia in 2017, spent a year on working holiday visas before obtaining permanent residency five years later. Similarly, Annalise Claydon, a historian at the University of Tasmania, waited 14 years for citizenship. Claydon noted that during her application process, she was afraid to seek help due to fears regarding her visa rights, a sentiment that reflects a broader apprehension among temporary residents who feel like outsiders in the country they call home.
Debates Over Migration Figures
The political discourse often centers on the net overseas migration figure, which measures the difference between arrivals and departures. In the 2024–2025 financial year, this number stood at 305,000, down from 429,000 the previous year. However, Alan Gamlen, director of the Migration Hub at the Australian National University, argues that much of the public debate is driven by myths. He contends that claims linking migration directly to the housing crisis or suggesting that migrants take jobs from locals are unfounded. Instead, he suggests that policymakers should focus more closely on the temporary migration program, which includes students and skilled workers, rather than fixating solely on the net figure.
Data from the Department of Home Affairs supports the significance of the temporary category. The number of people in the country on temporary visas, including New Zealand citizens, has risen significantly, growing from 1.75 million in 2012 to nearly 2.9 million by the end of July this year. This shift highlights a changing demographic landscape where temporary residents play an increasingly vital role in the economy, yet often lack the same security of tenure as permanent residents.
Regional Needs And Skilled Labor
While national debates focus on headcounts, regional areas are experiencing acute demographic shifts. Liz Ritchie, chief executive of the Regional Australia Institute, stated that there is a critical need for a national population settlement strategy for these areas. Research indicates that migration accounted for 46.2% of population growth in regional Australia in 2025, with the largest group of newcomers being between the ages of 25 and 44. This influx is seen as essential for sustaining local economies and services in areas that might otherwise face depopulation.
Despite their economic value, skilled migrants often face significant barriers to professional integration. Fares Al-Hilli, who arrived from Iraq in 2022 on a skilled migrant visa, struggled to find work in his biomedical field due to a lack of local experience. He was forced to work in unrelated roles, such as at a mushroom factory and as a pool attendant, before eventually becoming a laboratory manager at a local school in 2024. His experience underscores the gap between the skills migrants possess and the opportunities available to them upon arrival.
Watch For Policy Shifts
As the federal government forecasts the net migration figure to fall to 295,000 in the 2025–2026 financial year, the focus is likely to shift toward how temporary visas are managed and integrated. Observers should watch for legislative changes regarding the pathway from temporary to permanent residency, as well as targeted initiatives to support skilled workers in regional areas. The balance between managing national population targets and protecting the rights of individual migrants will remain a central tension in Australian policy, with the potential to shape the social fabric of the country for years to come.
