There is no ‘debate’: them is us – Message from the Editor
There is no ‘debate’: them is us – Message from the Editor
Catriona Jackson

There is no ‘debate’: them is us – Message from the Editor

Another week, another migration policy. Except that makes it sound normal, and this nasty race to the bottom between those who purport to represent us is anything but.

Recent articles in Immigration

Australia’s migration debate is ignoring the regions that need migrants most
Stewart Lockie, Nick Osbaldiston, Rana Dadpour

Australia’s migration debate is ignoring the regions that need migrants most

Migration is doing much of the demographic heavy lifting outside Australia’s major cities. Cutting it without a serious regional population strategy risks accelerating decline in smaller communities.

Five myths behind the Coalition’s migration crackdown
Alan Gamlen

Five myths behind the Coalition’s migration crackdown

The Coalition promises the biggest migration cut in Australian history, but its policy confuses arrivals with net migration, oversimplifies housing pressures and mistakes political symbolism for serious integration policy.

Migrants live by two ledgers. Australia only counts one
Komla Tsey

Migrants live by two ledgers. Australia only counts one

Australia measures migrant success through jobs, income and settlement. It rarely counts the financial obligations migrants carry across borders, or the development those private sacrifices sustain.

The immigrants leading the anti-immigrant right
Sławomir Sierakowski

The immigrants leading the anti-immigrant right

Across Europe and the US, some of the loudest anti-immigration politicians have migrant roots, migrant spouses or family histories shaped by migration. The contradiction has done little to slow their rise.

24 years on: The inquiry that exposed the children overboard lies
Marianne van Galen Dickie, Andrew Bartlett

24 years on: The inquiry that exposed the children overboard lies

The 2002 Senate inquiry found Peter Reith deceived Australians over children overboard. Cabinet then blocked key staff from giving evidence, leaving crucial questions unanswered.

Gandhi at 157: the multicultural vision Australia made its own
Rakesh Ahuja

Gandhi at 157: the multicultural vision Australia made its own

Today marks the 157th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth. His vision of religious pluralism, cultural identity and belonging without assimilation finds a striking echo in Australian multiculturalism.

Settlement outcomes of permanent migrants are much better than media tells us
Abul Rizvi

Settlement outcomes of permanent migrants are much better than media tells us

New ABS data show high employment, qualifications and earnings among skilled migrants and their accompanying families. The findings raise questions about calls for deep cuts to Australia’s permanent skilled migration program.

Politicians keep talking about immigration. Voters keep talking about their bills
Kos Samaras

Politicians keep talking about immigration. Voters keep talking about their bills

Housing costs, falling living standards and distrust of politicians are driving deep frustration among voters. Yet immigration dominates the national debate, obscuring the economic pressures behind the drift away from the major parties.

Enough. Australia is a successful nation of migrants – Message from the Editor
Catriona Jackson

Enough. Australia is a successful nation of migrants – Message from the Editor

I spent a day in Parliament House last week. It was the day Immigration Minister Tony Burke was to make his long-delayed speech to the National Press Club on migration, and that issue hung heavy in the air.

One Nation will not be defeated by tiny tweaks
Jack Waterford

One Nation will not be defeated by tiny tweaks

Labor’s new migration restrictions respond to public concerns about immigration, but tighter visa rules alone cannot resolve deeper anxieties about housing, economic security and social change.

The government's failure to make the case for refugees
John Menadue

The government's failure to make the case for refugees

Australia’s migration debate has become consumed by numbers, borders and fear, while failures in temporary migration management and the treatment of Palestinians expose deeper questions of multiculturalism and humanitarian responsibility.

Australia needs migration with dignity, not scapegoating and political panic
Noura Mansour

Australia needs migration with dignity, not scapegoating and political panic

The government’s new migration measures tighten rules for students, visa overstayers and protection claims. A fair migration system should address genuine policy challenges without turning vulnerable communities into political scapegoats.

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More from Immigration

International students face tougher visa rules – but what's the bigger plan?
Peter Hurley, Melinda Hildebrandt

International students face tougher visa rules – but what's the bigger plan?

Barnaby Joyce exposes the gaps in One Nation’s migration plan
Abul Rizvi

Barnaby Joyce exposes the gaps in One Nation’s migration plan

SIEV X at 25: 353 lives Australia should not forget
Mainul Haque

SIEV X at 25: 353 lives Australia should not forget

Australia needs a population policy built around capability
Stewart Sweeney

Australia needs a population policy built around capability

Australia has a skills shortage. Why are we wasting the skilled migrants already here?
Cathy Foley

Australia has a skills shortage. Why are we wasting the skilled migrants already here?

The world is not prepared for the scale of future migration
Julian Cribb

The world is not prepared for the scale of future migration

Reflections of a migrant's daughter
Glenda Korporaal

Reflections of a migrant's daughter

Australia’s far right is not as fringe as we like to think
Ibolya Losoncz

Australia’s far right is not as fringe as we like to think

Migration is not the problem. Bad migration policy is
Alan Gamlen

Migration is not the problem. Bad migration policy is

A future where Australian Muslims no longer question belonging
Mainul Haque

A future where Australian Muslims no longer question belonging

Debunking mass deportation hype
Abul Rizvi

Debunking mass deportation hype

Anger and fear is real – but don't blame migrants
Alan Gamlen

Anger and fear is real – but don't blame migrants

Albanese inherited a migration mess. It is taking too long to fix it
John Menadue

Albanese inherited a migration mess. It is taking too long to fix it

Seven hours to prove he speaks English: Gaza students in visa limbo
Meg Schwarz

Seven hours to prove he speaks English: Gaza students in visa limbo

Six things Tony Burke should say about immigration
Alan Gamlen, Peter McDonald

Six things Tony Burke should say about immigration

Twenty-five years after Tampa, Australia is still at sea
Julie Macken

Twenty-five years after Tampa, Australia is still at sea

Migration targets need more than thought bubbles
Abul Rizvi

Migration targets need more than thought bubbles

More immigration is a must, not an option
Jack Waterford

More immigration is a must, not an option

Before we debate migration, we need to ask: who will care for Australia?
Mainul Haque

Before we debate migration, we need to ask: who will care for Australia?

Australia is wasting the skills migrants bring
John Menadue

Australia is wasting the skills migrants bring

One Nation’s student visa plan would kill a $55 billion export industry
Abul Rizvi

One Nation’s student visa plan would kill a $55 billion export industry

Seventy-five years on, the Refugee Convention still matters
Jane McAdam

Seventy-five years on, the Refugee Convention still matters

Australia’s Japanese migrants are changing with Japan itself
Iori Hamada

Australia’s Japanese migrants are changing with Japan itself

The World Cup is showing countries who they really are
Mohamad Elmasry

The World Cup is showing countries who they really are

What the Socceroos taught us about belonging
Mainul Haque

What the Socceroos taught us about belonging

The new geography of migration is reshaping economic success
Stewart Sweeney

The new geography of migration is reshaping economic success

Government is contorting itself on overseas students
Abul Rizvi

Government is contorting itself on overseas students

Migration is falling, but the politics keeps getting hotter
Emily Foley

Migration is falling, but the politics keeps getting hotter

Who among us wasn't once a newcomer?
Meg Schwarz

Who among us wasn't once a newcomer?

The World Cup asks what we mean by “we” – Message from the (acting) Editor
Martyn Pearce

The World Cup asks what we mean by “we” – Message from the (acting) Editor

Football shows how belonging is built
Mainul Haque

Football shows how belonging is built

Where 'we' begins: the World Cup and multicultural Australia
Sirwan Barzanji

Where 'we' begins: the World Cup and multicultural Australia

Living well together despite our differences
Mainul Haque

Living well together despite our differences

When Hanson starts fishing in multicultural waters
Fred Zhang

When Hanson starts fishing in multicultural waters

Once refugees, now part of Australia’s story
Luke Hunt

Once refugees, now part of Australia’s story

Immigration debate needs facts, not inflated numbers
Abul Rizvi

Immigration debate needs facts, not inflated numbers

Stateless people need protection, not removal to Nauru
Katie Robertson

Stateless people need protection, not removal to Nauru

All earlier articles in Immigration (1017 more)

DateTitleAuthor
16 Jun 2026What the Socceroos teach us about belongingJohn Frew
16 Jun 2026Refugee Week should be more than celebration Meg Schwarz
16 Jun 2026Australia fixed one honours gap. Is another being overlooked?Mainul Haque
15 Jun 2026Belonging without assimilation: lessons from Prophet Muhammad’s lifeMainul Haque
14 Jun 2026Food heritage as part of the migrant experienceCatherine Gomes, Jing Qi, Wilfred Yang Wang
13 Jun 2026High Court strikes down Commonwealth on long-detained refugeesGreg Barns
11 Jun 2026An open letter to the Minister for Home Affairs – Australia’s obligations to Palestinians must reach the visa systemMeg Schwarz
9 Jun 2026The students we aren’t seeingMeg Schwarz
27 May 2026Tensions in Australia's migration system: a missed opportunity for the CoalitionPeter McDonald
27 May 2026Understanding counters fear – let's learn more about Australia's diversityJocelyn Chey
21 May 2026Angus Taylor may have just created half a million new Labor votersKos Samaras
6 May 2026A decade of dog-whistles and a decade of lost votersKos Samaras
26 Apr 2026Virtues, not values: Angus Taylor's poorly-designed public policyJohn Uhr
23 Apr 2026Non-discrimination is a core Australian value. We must defend itSteph Cousins
22 Apr 2026On immigration, we’ve heard this before – and we were wrong then tooDesmond Manderson
21 Apr 2026Duniam contradicts Taylor on Coalition immigration policyAbul Rizvi
18 Apr 2026Chasing ghosts, losing votesKos Samaras
17 Apr 2026On asylum, the Coalition is offering old fixes to problems of its own makingAbul Rizvi
17 Apr 2026Angus Taylor and the Liberal Party’s moral declinePaul Keating
16 Apr 2026Values-based citizenship is vague, selective and dangerousJocelyn Chey
14 Apr 2026Australia’s pre-emptive strike against Iranian asylum seekersPeter Hughes
8 Apr 2026When will housing completions in Australia overtake population growth?Abul Rizvi
29 Mar 2026‘I lost hope in humanity, but I now call myself human’: what refugees told us about settling in regional AustraliaEliza Crosbie, Karen Block, Natascha Klocker
20 Mar 2026Another High Court rebuke on immigration laws – and a warning on rushed policymakingGreg Barns
14 Mar 2026Grandstanding government right off-side – Message from the EditorCatriona Jackson
14 Mar 2026Immigration and toxic nostalgiaRoger Beale
13 Mar 2026Treatment of Iranian asylum seekers reeks of contradictionsAbul Rizvi
12 Mar 2026Selective compassion in Australia’s refugee policyNail Aykan
10 Mar 2026Angus Taylor’s immigration rhetoric faces policy realityAbul Rizvi
21 Feb 2026Let’s not turn back the clock on immigrationPeter Hughes
12 Feb 2026Is Hanson planning to copy Trump on mass deportation?Abul Rizvi
29 Jan 2026If we’re choosing a national day, there are better optionsIan Robinson
18 Jan 2026Best of 2025 - Our politicians continue to fail us on immigration policyAbul Rizvi
17 Jan 2026Best of 2025 - Assessing the Liberal Party's policy-making capacityMichael Keating
15 Jan 2026Best of 2025 - Australia’s fragile multicultural consensus under threatWanning Sun
7 Jan 2026Best of 2025 - Courts brace for next wave of 'sovereign citizens'Andrew Fraser
17 Dec 2025A beautiful mosaic: celebrating multicultural AustraliaJocelyn Chey
10 Dec 20252025 in Review: immigration policy turns back toward dog whistles and driftAbul Rizvi
6 Dec 2025Refugees aren’t politically progressive by default – and policy needs to catch upKo Ko Aung
5 Dec 2025Fear versus facts: why migrants strengthen AustraliaMainul Haque
21 Nov 2025Assessing the Liberal Party's policy-making capacityMichael Keating
21 Nov 2025The shadow of the TampaJulie Macken
19 Nov 2025Migration mythsIan McAuley
14 Nov 2025As Australia welcomes its millionth refugee, its hardline border policies endure. We can lead by example againDaniel Ghezelbash, Jane McAdam
7 Nov 2025Australia’s fragile multicultural consensus under threatWanning Sun
4 Nov 2025When will immigration return to 'normal'?Jane O'Sullivan
3 Nov 2025The pearling past and the multicultural present: A story of connection and contributionMainul Haque
30 Oct 2025The morality we need, the asylum they seekDuncan Graham
29 Oct 2025Why the Coalition can’t win without losing itselfKos Samaras
27 Oct 2025On No Kings day, a new America came to lifeRobert C. Koehler
21 Oct 2025The migration debate in AustraliaMichael Keating
18 Oct 2025Paper walls at Thailand’s borderKo Ko Aung
16 Oct 2025Reuniting families: reforming Australia’s approachSaffron Williams
25 Sep 2025The perfect storm: Why immigration has become the scapegoat for our age of crisisAlan Gamlen
24 Sep 2025‘Release the tapes’: Lawmakers demand answers over alleged US$50,000 bribe of Trump border czar Tom HomanJon Queally
12 Sep 2025The retreat of social democracy and the rise of the hard rightStewart Sweeney
11 Sep 2025A good captain can stop this Senator’s social cohesion ‘Titanic’Carl Gopalkrishnan
10 Sep 2025Courts brace for next wave of 'sovereign citizens'Andrew Fraser
9 Sep 2025'Like us': Australia’s uneasy dance with immigrationRaghid Nahhas
8 Sep 2025The speech we are still waiting for Anthony Albanese to deliverDavid O'Halloran
7 Sep 2025The good, the bad and the stupidKos Samaras
6 Sep 2025People dumping in the PacificFrank Brennan
5 Sep 2025Neo-Nazis and racist rallies: why it’s important the Australian media call them for what they areDenis Muller
4 Sep 2025Australia should halt plan to deport refugees, migrants to NauruAnnabel Hennessy
22 Aug 2025Cancelling the ethnic cleansers: Australia revokes Simcha Rothman’s visaBinoy Kampmark
29 Jul 2025The new Commonwealth office of Multicultural Affairs unveiledPeter Hughes
25 Jul 2025The penalty for being late is to be doomed foreverDuncan Graham
19 Jul 202512 years on, are we not yet tired of cruel policies towards asylum-seekers?Sophie Singh
7 Jul 2025Lawsuit aims to end 'systematic' snatching of brown-skinned people by Trump agentsBrett Wilkins
21 Jun 2025Australia must turn promising refugee pilots into bold policy to meet the momentSteph Cousins
20 Jun 2025Humanitarian visa processing – Is it who you know, rather than what you know? Part 2Marie Sellstrom
19 Jun 2025Home Affairs and the bleak hole of humanitarian visa processing – Part 1Marie Sellstrom
31 May 2025Freer movement: Pacific priorities for Labor in its second termStephen Howes
6 May 2025Incoming immigration minister faces immense challengesAbul Rizvi
4 May 2025Why extremists see gold in the migration debateJosh Roose
26 Apr 2025Why has there been no discussion of asylum-seekers in this campaign?Abul Rizvi
15 Apr 2025Managing overseas student policy is key to keeping migration numbers in check. If I was immigration minister, Part 2Abul Rizvi
13 Apr 2025Good migration policy pays — this is what it looks likeAlan Gamlen
10 Apr 2025If I was immigration minister, I would develop a population planAbul Rizvi
2 Apr 2025Immigration policy and the federal electionAbul Rizvi
30 Mar 2025Four key myths that manufacture an immigration 'crisis'Fethi Mansouri, Amanuel Elias 
25 Mar 2025Devaluing Australian citizenshipPeter Hughes
12 Mar 2025Australian immigration and the federal electionPeter Hughes
12 Feb 2025Denigrating refugees: Media Watch is no exceptionPeter Job
26 Jan 2025A Home For MJane Salmon
17 Dec 2024European deportation of Syrian refugees - a sign of the timesXiaochen Su
10 Dec 2024Offshore people dumping by a spooked governmentFrank Brennan
8 Dec 2024“Barn of Broken Doors”: Nauru poet deplores offshore detentionMohammed Salamat
5 Dec 2024“The elephant in the room”: the refugee status determination processGraeme Swincer
3 Dec 2024‘Dark day for humanity’ as Australia chooses cruelty in Migration Bill changesSandy Watson
26 Nov 2024Why oppose the latest deportation and surveillance Bill proposalJane Salmon
14 Nov 2024Addressing harms caused by Australia’s response to ‘Slavery’Elena Jeffreys
12 Nov 2024Dutton's failure on border protectionAbul Rizvi
3 Nov 2024The politics of appeal and the asymmetrical valuing of livesAngela Smith
30 Oct 2024Jason Clare is wrong on net migration and student capsAbul Rizvi
7 Oct 2024Australia's unfinished multiculturalismAllan Patience
8 Sep 2024Not all deaths at sea are equalDave Kellaway
7 Sep 2024Unsuccessful asylum seekers now exceed those at primary and AAT stagesAbul Rizvi
4 Sep 2024Record numbers of temporary graduates in immigration limboAbul Rizvi
31 Aug 2024Dutton’s Trumpian certainties are swamping Albanese’s ditheringPaul Begley

See the complete index — all 1067 articles in Immigration