Australians Back Lower Migration but Not Student Cuts

Australians have mixed feelings about migration, according to a new study. While most people think migration levels are too high, they also support skilled migration and don’t want to see international student numbers drop.

With a federal election on the horizon, immigration is shaping up to be a key issue. Opposition leader Peter Dutton has pledged to cut permanent migration to help ease the housing crisis, while the Labor government also plans to reduce net migration this financial year.

But a survey by Australian National University researchers found that many Australians hold conflicting and often inaccurate views about migration. While a little over half of respondents said migration levels were too high, their opinions shifted when given more context.

For example, when people were told a positive story about how migrants could actually help solve the housing crisis, support for migration increased by 4.5%. On the flip side, a negative narrative made people 6% less likely to support maintaining or increasing migration levels.

The study, which surveyed more than 5,000 people, also found that respondents tended to assume other Australians were more anti-migration than they actually were.

Despite concerns about high migration levels, even more people supported keeping or increasing the number of international students. More than 40% felt the same way about permanent and other temporary migration as well.

In short, while Australians may want fewer migrants in general, they’re not keen on cutting numbers across the board—especially when it comes to students and skilled workers.