The Australian government tok say dem go reduce di number of pipo wey dey come dia kontri by half within two years, for inside a new plan to fix di kontri “broken” immigration system.
Di government say dem go cut di annual intake to 250,000 – e go dey roughly in line with pre-pandemic levels – by June 2025.
Dem also go tighten di visa rules for international students and low-skilled workers under di new plan.
Migration will rise to record levels for Australia, putting pressure on housing and infrastructure.
But di shortage of skilled workers still dey, and di competition dey struggle to attract dem.
Di Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil, dey unveil di new 10-year immigration strategy for a media briefing on Monday, dey say di previous government no try for di migration system as den leave am “in shambles”.
A review dem carry out earlier dis year show say di system dey “badly broken” – unnecessarily complex, slow and inefficient – and e dey need “major reform”.
A record 510,000 people will arrive in Australia between January and June 2023, but di minister dey say di government will “get di numbers back under control” and reduce di annual migration intake by around 50 per cent.
What are the new measures?
The new measures include tougher minimum English language requirements for international students.
Plus more scrutiny for pipo wey apply for a second visa – dem must say any further study will advance dey academic aspirations or dey career.
About 650,000 foreign students dey for Australia, many of dem dey on dia second visa, according to official data.
Dem also improve di visa pathways for migrants with “specialist” or “essential” skills – such as highly skilled technical workers or care workers – to offer better prospects of permanent residence.
Di new policy go attract more of di workers Australia needs and help reduce di risk of exploitation for those wey dey live, work and study for di contrast, Ms O’Neil tok.
Opposition migration tok-tok pesin Dan Tehan tok say di government bin dey too slow to adjust di migration policies wey dey designed to help Australia recover from di pandemic.
Di horse don escape wen e come to migration mata and di government no say dem no fit catch am only but dem no fit find am,” he tok for weekend.
Di Labor government’s popularity don go down since di election last year, and in recent weeks dem don dey under pressure from some quarters to temporarily reduce migration to help ease Australia’s housing crisis.
However, organisations such as di Business Council of Australia say dem dey use migrants as a scapegoat for lack of investment in affordable housing and many years of poor housing policy.
