In Australia, the post-pandemic era is witnessing a gradual easing of what some have termed a “migration splash.” Recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals notable trends in international travel, dispelling claims that international students are exacerbating the national housing crisis.
According to the latest figures, Australia experienced an 11.3% increase in total arrivals over the past year, although departures rose by 12.1%. Notably, both short-term visitor arrivals and returns of residents surged by more than 10% compared to the previous year.
Professor Alan Gamlen of the Australian National University emphasized that net overseas migration is decreasing more rapidly than it increased following the pandemic. “The initial splash has happened, and we’re on the way back down to normal,” he stated.
Despite these trends, the federal government aims to reduce net migration to 260,000 this financial year and intends to limit the number of foreign students to 270,000 starting in 2025. Critics argue that international students are being unfairly blamed for the housing crisis.
However, Professor Gamlen dismissed these concerns, asserting that claims of out-of-control migration are rooted in “fear and prejudice.” He pointed out that the current situation reflects ongoing disruptions from the pandemic, which significantly impacted global migration patterns. “It’s simply not the case that we’re in an out-of-control migration situation—this is a false narrative,” he noted.
Data from October 2024 shows that student arrivals were 22.2% lower than pre-pandemic levels in October 2019, with 39,530 international students arriving—an increase of 740 from the same month last year.
Professor Gamlen criticized the political and media discourse suggesting that international students are driving housing market challenges. “Other factors are influencing our housing trends that have nothing to do with migration,” he explained. This narrative, he argued, detracts from addressing the real issues at hand and leads to policies that could have far-reaching consequences for millions.
In the last decade, the highest total of overseas arrivals was recorded at 2.26 million in January 2020, compared to 2.12 million in January 2024. Departures peaked at 2.19 million in December 2019, with 2.03 million in December 2023. Notably, short-term resident departures saw the largest percentage increase in the past year, rising by 13.9%.
Among visitor arrivals from October 2023 to October 2024, New Zealand accounted for 21%, followed by China and the United Kingdom. Overall, more individuals arrived in Australia—whether as short-term visitors or long-term residents—than departed in the last 12 months.
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