The border wars are back.
A temporary migration boom following COVID-19 has stoked worries about housing affordability and congestion. Last month, opposition finance spokesperson Jane Hume even claimed migration was “out of control”.
Immigration is shaping as a key electoral battleground - again.Credit: Louise Kennerley
The political combat has intensified since a High Court decision put an end the indefinite detention of asylum-seekers. A rattled Labor government now claims to be cleaning up the policy “mess” left behind by its Coalition predecessors. Regardless, border policies are shaping as a key electoral battleground – again.
It’s no surprise immigration sucks up so much political oxygen; it is a critical federal responsibility. What’s unusual – given how much migration is debated – is how little we focus on its long-term effects.
Australia’s openness to new migrants will be a major asset as the 21st century unfolds. If you don’t believe me, take a look at the population modelling.
Last month the Bureau of Statistics released its latest 50-year population projections. They show that Australia’s population will climb from the current 26 million to between 34 and 46 million by 2071. That’s broadly consistent with the latest United Nations long-range projections which show Australia with 38 million people by the end of the century.
Illustration: Simon Letch. Credit:
But those forecasts for steady population growth are in stark contrast to many nations with a less friendly approach to migration.
A major study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation based at Washington University, published by The Lancet in mid-2020, forecast the population of 23 countries to fall by 50 per cent or more by the end of the century. For another 34 nations it predicted declines of between 25 and 50 per cent. The proportion o f old people in those places will surge higher as a result.
Take the long view on immigration, it might surprise you
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05.12.2023
The border wars are back.
A temporary migration boom following COVID-19 has stoked worries about housing affordability and congestion. Last month, opposition finance spokesperson Jane Hume even claimed migration was “out of control”.
Immigration is shaping as a key electoral battleground - again.Credit: Louise Kennerley
The political combat has intensified since a High Court decision put an end the indefinite detention of asylum-seekers. A rattled Labor........
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