Humanitarian visas slashed: What we know so far about Labor's migration reforms

The Albanese government is expected to reduce Australia's humanitarian intake by a third as part of a wider series of reforms aimed at reducing net overseas migration, SBS understands.

First reported in The Australian Financial Review newspaper, Labor looks poised to reduce humanitarian placements from 20,000 to 13,750 at the start of the next financial year and has factored the decrease into migration forecasts.

A spokesman for Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told SBS News that the final decision on the humanitarian intake for next year is not yet settled and it’s likely to be linked to next year’s budget process.

In the wake of multiple international conflicts around the world, Labour made a series of increases to the humanitarian intake, pushing it to its current high.

However, the government said the boost was only for a four-year period.

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

The announcement comes as the government is expected to announce an overhaul to its migration policy.

Labor had been expected to reveal details in a National Press Club address by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke earlier this month, but the speech was cancelled after Burke failed to secure cabinet agreement on the best approach.

Since then, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has refused to give further updates, telling ABC radio on Tuesday that there are a "series of plans in place" but there is still "more work to do" to finalise them. He declined to set a timeframe for immigration announcements, saying only that they would come at "appropriate times".

Migration targets have been the source of recent public debate, with One Nation pushing a tough anti-migration stance and gaining in the polls.

Both major parties have sought to restrict their own immigration policies while denying that this is in response to the minor party's growing popularity.

Opposition leader Angus Taylor has said the Coalition will cap NOM at or below the number of homes built in Australia the previous year. Current building rates suggest their figure would be under 180,000; however, the Coalition is yet to announce where they would restrict immigration to reach that figure.

In 2024-2025, net overseas migration was 306,000. Labor's budgetary forecasts suggest it will decline to 225,000 by 2027-2028, after the party has made concerted efforts to bring it down from a post-pandemic peak of 568,000.

One Nation has stated its preferred migration target is 130,000, although One Nation MP David Farley claimed the party would accept an additional 100,000 essential workers at the weekend. Party leader Pauline Hanson and MP Barnaby Joyce soon corrected him in a public fallout over targets.