Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on June 8 that he will reduce net overseas migration to 225,000 over the next few years, aiming to address public concerns amid political shifts [1, 2, 3]. Albanese said, "We will reduce the net overseas migration over the next couple of years down to 225,000. We think that is the right number" [1].
Albanese acknowledged the challenges many Australians face with housing and an economy "that isn’t working for them" but emphasized the value of cultural diversity, saying, "The fact that we have people who have come from all over the world, proud to call Australia home, is something that is a national asset for us" [1, 3]. About half of Australians have at least one parent born overseas, census data shows [1, 3].
The announcement follows a Newspoll published today showing the far-right populist party One Nation leading with 31% support, narrowly ahead of the governing Labor Party at 30% [1, 2, 3]. One Nation won its first seat in the federal Lower House in a May 2026 by-election and attributes recent housing shortages to high net migration levels [1, 2, 3]. One Nation’s support is concentrated mostly in regional and suburban areas rather than major cities [2].
Recent net migration has been unusually high after COVID-19 border closures. Australia recorded 538,000 net arrivals in 2023, followed by 429,000 in 2024 and 306,000 in 2025 [1, 3]. The country’s population reached 28 million in June 2026 [1, 3]. Albanese linked the migration reduction plan to pressing economic and social concerns, aiming to ease housing pressure and meet public demands.
Political analysts view the rise of populist parties like One Nation as part of a global trend. Albanese noted, "民粹主义政党的崛起是一个全球性趋势，并希望将社会凝聚力作为澳洲国家认同的核心" (The rise of populist parties is a global trend and we hope to make social cohesion the core of Australian national identity) [2]. Analysts also say that despite current polling, One Nation is unlikely to form a governing majority at the 2028 federal election due to structural obstacles [2]. Albanese’s net approval rating has declined to -24%, its lowest since the 2022 election [2].
Australia’s next federal election is not scheduled until 2028 [1, 2, 3]. Following the June 8 announcement, the government will closely monitor migration trends and community sentiment as it works toward the new migration target.
