Migrants, temporary workers flood back after lockdown lull; report reveals growing numbers

A return of migrants and temporary workers to Victoria “will likely reignite lobbying against big migration” an expert says.

Melbourne City Council wants more international students in the city but there are fears it could create a jobs crush. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Migrants and temporary workers are starting to return to Victoria after the flow was halted during the pandemic, a new report shows.

In July, about 27,000 permanent settlers arrived in the state, mainly in Melbourne, including 9460 people on skilled visas.

A further 5550 migrants came under family reunion, and there were 3170 arrivals on temporary skilled visas, says the ABS report Overseas Arrivals and Departures Australia July 2022.

While the total numbers are still well below pre-pandemic figures, they have increased significantly in recent months.

The total number of temporary visa arrivals, including foreign students, jumped from 65,970 in June to nearly 77,000 in July, compared to 192,530 arrivals in July 2019 before Covid hit.

Australian Population Research Institute director Dr Bob Birrell said that arrivals were starting to come back as wanted by interests including big business, the state government and Melbourne City Council.

Migrants are returning to Victoria post-lockdowns. Picture: David Geraghty

“What the recent national skills summit has done is recommended even more opening up of opportunities for temporaries, so as to ensure that those numbers are restored,” he said.

“The pro-migration lobbies are all about restoring the underclass of temporary migrants that made Melbourne and Sydney operate in a way that employers and property owners have become accustomed to.”

Dr Birrell said that assuming total permanent and temporary arrivals would return to pre-Covid levels within a couple of years, it would revive many of the concerns Australians had about congestion, and problems with accessing services like health and education.

“It will likely reignite lobbying against big migration, and (federal opposition leader) Peter Dutton is likely to find his voice again,” he said.

State Opposition Leader Matthew Guy told a seminar this week that the population loss experienced by Melbourne during the pandemic had not been seen since the 1800s.

“This comes down to confidence, it comes down to our city and where we are at, and as a lifelong Melburnian … it is concerning to me,” he told a Tourism and Transport Forum event.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy says the population loss experienced by Melbourne during the pandemic had not been seen since the 1800s. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Mr Guy said he would try to turn that around “because what we offer as a city is something that is unique in Australia, and has the ability to be a driver of … the economy of this nation, we were the fastest-growing city in the country just two-and-a-half years ago”.

State Tourism Minister Steve Dimopoulos said the government had a recovery master plan that included the city.

“In terms of Melbourne, I feel very energetic and inspired by the opportunities, I don’t think there’s gloom and doom,” he said.

It comes as Melbourne City Council calls for the federal government to roll out the red carpet for foreign students as the number of arrivals starts ramping up but Dr Birrell warns easing visa rules will lead to an influx of people competing for jobs with young Australians.

Nearly 24,000 overseas students arrived in Victoria in July, up 15,000 on the previous month, but still well down on pre-Covid numbers, says a new ABS report.

Melbourne ranks among the best places in the world for international students to study. Picture: Ian Currie

Melbourne City Council estimates that about 86,600 such students are now in Victoria, down from the more than 200,000 that were in the city before the pandemic.

Councillors recently voted to step up lobbying efforts to get more students here amid a poll that rated Melbourne as the fifth best student city in the world.

“International students help to make Melbourne an exciting, vibrant and globally engaged city,” said a report by council’s acting director economic development and international Mark Cochrane-Holley.

“They are employees, business operators, tenants, consumers, … which is why the City of Melbourne has proactively advocated to facilitate and attract the return of international students.”

The council, together with the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors, is urging the Albanese Government to extend post-study work visas for students “as a pathway to permanent residency and citizenship”.

“(This) will enhance the value of an educational experience in Australia, and enhance Australia’s attractiveness as a study destination, along with addressing labour and skills shortages in Melbourne,” the report said.

Dr Birrell said the council’s policy made it clear that the presence of students was basic to how the city operated.

“Indeed, Melbourne has been built via small apartments in high-rise buildings to accommodate students,” he said.

“The city council is advocating that the focus in attracting students should not be education quality, but rather access to the labour market, and to permanent residence and citizenship.”

Dr Birrell said this was likely to happen because federal government overseas student policy arising from the recent skills summit was to minimise study requirements while maximising options for extended work visas and ultimately permanent residence.

“So, Melbourne is likely to get a big increase in the number of students looking for this outcome, and as a consequence, they will be drawn heavily from countries like India and Nepal,” he said.

Dr Birrell said the result of council’s advocacy would lead to renewed pressure on the youth job market by overseas students.

Originally published as Migrants, temporary workers flood back after lockdown lull; report reveals growing numbers