Albanese tempts political fate by pledging status quo on migration

Amid the rise of One Nation to the top of the list for the primary vote, according to the most recent aggregate polling data, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to continue reducing migration over the years ahead.

“We will reduce that overseas migration over next couple of years down to 225,000 and we think that’s the right number”, Albanese said.

As the table below of migration forecasts reveals, the figure of 225,000 for 2027-28 onwards is not a new goal from the government in the recent federal budget; it is the same target for that period laid out in the 2025-26 budget in May last year.