UK slashes migration in half, Australia urged to follow

As the UK introduces drastic measures to curb immigration, Australia is being urged to follow suit to address the chronic housing shortage.

More than 500,000 people are expected to come to Australia this year.

As the UK introduces drastic measures to slash immigration, Australia is being urged to follow suit to address a chronic housing shortage.

Under tough new rules, the UK will axe spousal visas, wind back the intake of foreign students and reduce migration overall by 50 per cent.

The move came as Rishi Sunak’s government sought to regain the initiative on immigration ahead of a general election expected next year.

The policy shift was pounced on by 2GB’s Ben Fordham who told listeners Australia should be “learning a lesson” from the UK.

“The UK seems to get it while Australia keeps on growing,” he said.

“If we had any brains we would be paying close attention to what is happening over there.

“The UK is taking the axe to their record migration.”

More than 500,000 people are expected to come to Australia this year.

Renowned entrepreneur Dick Smith followed suit slamming Anthony Albanese for “failing the working class’ by refusing to cut immigration during a cost of living crisis.

Mr Smith told The Daily Mail that Labor had failed in its duty to help people in outer suburban battler heartlands, who traditionally vote Labor.

“You would think they would have a population plan so working people can afford to buy a house and can afford to buy their food,” he said.

He noted young people were living like “battery hens instead of free range … it is a complete disaster”.

Mr Smith urged the federal government to consider slashing migration to 70,000 people a year, back where it was in 1997.

Dick Smith. Picture: Nikki Short

Ben Fordham. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

Both the UK and Australia are experiencing chronic worker shortages in many sectors, including healthcare and agriculture.

The latest data from the Bureau of Statistics shows the population grew by 2.2 per cent to 26.5 million in the year to March. Net migration reached a record 454,400 for the period, twice the amount of the decade average.

More than 500,000 people are expected to come into Australia this calendar year.

Although that largely reflects a catch-up effect after international borders were shut due to the pandemic — which saw a plunge in migration levels — the now rapidly growing population is having noticeable effects on the rental market, which could make the job of the Reserve Bank to curb inflation harder.

Former treasurer in the Howard government and outgoing Future Fund chair Peter Costello said in a recent speech, quoted in The Australian, that while the current pace of migration benefited the economy, it put pressure on inflation through the rental market.

“I’m pro-immigration, but I think it’s very, very important that we do it in a gradualised way, rather than have these huge licks which are putting pressure on the housing market,” he said.

“Rent’s a big driver of inflation, so (immigration) is good but it’s got to be managed in a careful and considerate way.”

Some believe migrants have been unduly scapegoated in the housing debate.

Some believe migrants have been unduly scapegoated in the housing debate, with the Business Council of Australia (BCA) arguing Australia’s housing crisis is the result of poor policy, not migration and the surge of foreigners is nothing more than playing catch-up from the pandemic years.

“Some have characterised this (migration) as a ‘big Australia policy’, but this is a totally disingenuous representation of the nation’s migration and population story,” the paper says.

“Today, Australia’s population is estimated to be over 375,000 people below the forecast prior to the pandemic.

“Even by the end of the decade, the population is still expected to be 225,000 short of the pre-pandemic projection for that same period.”

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