Politics

Majority of Australians think migrant intake should be lower

Jun 20, 2018

Nearly 55 per cent out of 1200 people thought there were too many migrants. Source: Getty

Majority of Australians believe there are too many immigrants entering the country, according to social research figures, obtained by Daily Mail.

Nearly 54 per cent of Australians thought the number of migrants coming to Australia was “too high” — which is up 14 points since last year and a staggering 17 points since 2014.

The poll of 1200 people across the country was completed by the Melbourne-based Social Research Centre between March 5 and March 25 over the phone and online.

The study also revealed the lowest number of people in more than three years thought the current immigration rate was “about right”. And about 10 per cent of people said it was “too low”, which was about the same amount as it was in 2014 and slightly down from about 18 per cent last year.

According to SBS, during the first eight months of this year, 54,419 citizenship applications were approved compared to 139,285 in the year 2016-17.

Earlier this year, former prime minister Tony Abbott launched an unofficial campaign for tougher immigration laws, saying high immigration numbers puts extra pressure on housing availability and wages. Meanwhile, immigration minister Peter Dutton recently said it was a “no brainer” to force all migrants who want to live in Australia to learn the English language.

And One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has previously said anyone wanting to come to Australia should be forced to “prove themselves” by learning English. She continually calls for tougher border laws. Their sentiments were echoed by Dick Smith who wants immigration levels capped at 70,000 a year.

Despite all the talk, a 2016 survey found that Australians held mixed views on the subject of immigration with only 4 per cent naming it as the single most important issue in the lead up to the issue. That put it behind Medicare and education, but slightly higher than taxation. However, when asked about the importance of immigration in general, 46 per cent of respondents said immigration was “extremely important”.

According to Australia’s official parliamentary library, the current migration rate is between 180,000 and 190,000 per year.