Arabic version: مهاجرون يدعون إلى نقاش أسترالي أكثر اطلاعاً حول الهجرة
According to ABC News, migrants who contributed to its Your Say project say they do not want to become political fodder as major parties and One Nation argue over migration numbers. Barbara Dervodel, who moved from Slovenia with her husband Jure, said the challenging process of settling in Australia was worth it, but the current debate has left her unsettled.
The couple arrived in 2017 after completing Masters degrees in science, spent a year on working holiday visas and later gained permanent residency. They live in Mandurah, 70 kilometres south of Perth. Annaliese Claydon, an American-born historian and adjunct researcher at the University of Tasmania, became an Australian citizen on Australia Day this year after a 14-year process. She said migrants can face family separation and fear asking for help while on temporary or permanent visas.
Alan Gamlen, director of the Australian National University’s Migration Hub, said much of the debate was driven by misinformation and myths. He said it was wrong to blame excessive migration for the housing crisis or to suggest migrants were taking jobs or relying on benefits. Net overseas migration was 305,000 in 2024-25, down from 429,000 a year earlier, while the federal government forecast 295,000 for 2025-26.
Professor Gamlen said the focus should instead be on temporary migration and a coherent national population policy. Department of Home Affairs figures show people in Australia on temporary visas, including New Zealand citizens, rose from 1.75 million in 2012 to almost 2.9 million at the end of July.
Regional Australia Institute chief executive Liz Ritchie said planning was essential for sustainable growth. Institute research found migration accounted for 46.2 per cent of regional population growth in 2025, with the largest arriving migrant cohort aged 25 to 44. She called for a national regional population settlement strategy, while skilled migrant Faris Al-Hilli described difficulties finding work in his profession and securing rental housing after moving with his family to Murray Bridge in 2022.
