Overview

• Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed the 2025–26 permanent program will stay at 185,000 places, with states backing a skilled‑migration focus and visa processing already aligned to last year’s level.
• Net overseas migration surged to a record above 530,000 after borders reopened but fell to about 446,000 in 2023–24, with ministers saying the rate is continuing to trend lower.
• The Senate will run a two‑hour inquiry before passing government legislation to facilitate third‑country deportations to Nauru, as rights groups warn the bill curtails natural justice and follows a reported A$400–408 million deal with Nauru.
• Opposition figures and some crossbenchers are pushing for lower migration citing housing and infrastructure strains, while Labor argues the intake supports critical skill gaps in health, aged care and construction.
• Police charged neo‑Nazi figure Thomas Sewell over violent disorder after the weekend rallies, as experts and former officials blamed misinformation and weak communication for stoking public anxiety; the ABS has warned against misusing arrivals data to infer migration.