IMMIGRATION OFFICER: "...Now, could you, as an alien, become Prime Minister of Australia?

APPLICANT FOR NATURALISATION: "Mista, yoo haf excoosa me, plees... I gotta da good job already at de gassworks...."

The federal government is set to unveil a major new migration strategy on Monday that aims to dramatically cut Australia's intake. 

• Net overseas migration is estimated to be about 500,000 over the year to September
• As part of the new strategy, the intake of foreign students entering low-quality courses will be cut
• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says migration levels will be "brought to a sustainable level"

Temporary migration has jumped sharply over the past year — largely driven by foreign students — leading to a record intake. The Net Overseas Migration is expected to have hit about 500,000 over the year to September.

This was previously described as a post-COVID 19 influx of returning foreign students, but the ABC understands the government believes this is more than a one-off surge.

Rather, it is seen as part of a broader international trend, involving middle-income families in India, South-East Asia and Latin America seeking better opportunities in high-income countries including Australia, Canada, the US and UK.

As part of the new migration strategy — which has already been signed off by cabinet and follows months of consultation with the higher education sector, business groups and other stakeholders — steps will be taken to cut the intake of foreign students entering low-quality courses.

The ABC understands the government will not cap the number of foreign students allowed in but will crack down on low-quality training providers and limit opportunities for student visas to be used as a backdoor for low-skilled workers to stay in Australia.

The new strategy will also involve new efforts to retain the best-performing students in Australia and new pathways to attract more high-skilled permanent migrants.

The changes follow a review, published in April, into the migration system by Martin Parkinson — the former secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet — which found the visa system was "broken".

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-10/migration-strategy-anthony-albanese-martin-parkinson-intake/103210216

FREE JULIAN ASSANGE NOW............

Toon at top by Stan Cross, Smith's weekly (1921)