The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released the final figures for Net Overseas Migration (migrant arrivals less migrant departures) for the year ended 30 June 2025. Net Overseas Migration for the year ended 30 June 2025 was 306,000.
This follows Net Overseas Migration of 429,000 in 2023-24 and 538,000 in 2022-23. Based on the most recent ABS release, the aggregate net overseas migration for the last three years is 1,273,000.
Senator Scarr said: “The rate of migration is still approximately 90,000 or 41.67% above the 10-year average prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic. It is too high. Given the pressures on housing, infrastructure and government services, net overseas migration needs to be lower”.
Senator Scarr continued: “Aggregate net overseas migration for Labor’s first full three years in office is 543,000 above Labor’s initial forecasts. This underlines the failure by the Labor Government to manage Australia’s migration settings”.
“Labor has abandoned multi-year planning. There is no long-term planning. There is a failure to communicate with the Australian people”.
Senator Scarr referred to the comments made by the ABS in relation to the rate of departures.
“One of the main issues that the ABS referred to in their announcement is that the rate of departures is 15% lower than they were in 2018-19”.
“We are seeing that through the increase in the number of bridging visas. As of 31 October 2025, there were over 402,000 bridging visas on issue. On 30 June 2019, the figure was approximately 180,000. It has more than doubled”.
Senator Scarr gave an example of applicants obtaining a bridging visa whilst appealing against a decision to refuse or cancel a student visa.
“The numbers are extraordinary. As of 31 October 2025, the Administrative Review Tribunal had 46,590 cases on hand from applicants who had applications for student visas refused or cancelled”.
‘As of 30 June 2023, the cases on hand were 2,278. Under Labor’s watch, this has increased by over 2,000%.
It has gone from 3% of the ART’s workload to 38%. It is not sustainable.”
