Immigration

As the son of migrant parents who fled Egypt to escape a region engulfed by war, having a fair and just immigration system is important to me. Everyone deserves a life of peace, security and opportunity.

I will always speak up for refugees and asylum seekers who need help. In my first speech to parliament in 2016, I said Australia has a moral obligation to take responsibility for the care of refugees and asylum seekers emotionally and physically impacted by long-term detention. I used the opportunity to call on Australia to increase our refugee intake and take a leadership role to address the global crisis.

I believe true leadership is demonstrated not by stoking fear, but by being fair and decent.

The Albanese Government inherited a broken migration system from the previous Liberal National Government and now, we’re rebuilding it.

Rebuilding Australia’s Immigration System

I have always been a firm believer that Australia should be more ambitious in our support for refugees, and since being elected in 2016, I have advocated for a more compassionate approach towards assisting asylum seekers and refugees. In 2023, we announced the end of the Temporary Protection Visas and Safe Haven Enterprise Visas, with 19,000 refugees granted a pathway to citizenship on the Resolution of Status visa.

The Albanese Labor Government has restored the immigration compliance function in the Home Affairs department.

That means

Cracking down on the organised abuse of immigration programs
Working to resolve the immigration status of people who have exhausted their onshore visa options
Addressing criminality in the migrant advice industry, and
Improving protection for vulnerable migrants.

Many skilled migrants coming to Australia are currently working in jobs beneath their skill level, with many forced to work in unskilled labour fields. The sustainable migration system our government is working towards means better outcomes and a better chance of success for new migrants, and a pathway for Australia to get the skills we need to take care of our growing population, deliver more homes, and keep building Australia’s future.

Caps on International Students

When international students come to Australia to study, they deserve a fair go and a world-class education system, not shonky education providers trying to rort them into substandard certificates.

As part of the University Accords, our Government will grow the number of Australia’s international students sustainably, through encouraging universities to build more student housing for international students, increased student support services, and encourage international students to consider universities outside of the major cities.