The Guardian
· collected 2026-10-05 · by Tom McIlroy Political editor
The Coalition government is set to announce significant reductions in overseas migration as part of a strategy to counter rising support for One Nation, which calls for much stricter limits on migration. Expected cuts will initially drop net overseas migration (Nom) to around 100,000 after the election before gradually increasing it to between 130,000 and 225,000 annually. This policy aims to prioritize skills-based immigration while addressing concerns over housing shortages and competition from One Nation’s more restrictive approach.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Angus Taylor, leader of the Coalition in Australia, plans to unveil a migration policy on Tuesday that aims to slash net overseas migration to about 100,000 people annually for the first year after an election. This strategy is intended to challenge the rise of One Nation, whose leader, Pauline Hanson, proposes a target of 130,000 migrants per year. The Coalition's policy will also focus on cracking down on overstayers and temporary non-essential workers while maintaining working holidaymaker places and prioritizing highly skilled migrants. This move comes after Labor announced reforms that faced criticism from economists over their potential impact on the economy. Taylor's decision to sharply reduce migration numbers is seen as a direct response to One Nation's growing political momentum, aiming to differentiate the Coalition’s stance while addressing voter concerns about cultural and economic impacts of high immigration rates.
Written for “Coalition Migration Plan Announced” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 4 other(s) covering the same event.
The Coalition is expected to reveal deep cuts to immigration today which the party says would maintain working holidaymaker places and prioritise skills as part of attempts to dent growing support for One Nation.
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party → expect → Nation
The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, is expected to unveil the Coalition’s policy on Tuesday, after signoff from Liberal and National MPs in a special party room meeting due to convene this morning.
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leader → expect → meeting
Liberal sources told Guardian Australia the Coalition’s target for net overseas migration (Nom) would be significantly below Labor’s new target, but not cut as much as One Nation, which wants to limit net arrivals to 130,000 people annually, after a brief initial period of net negative migration.
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which → tell → migration
The Nine newspapers reported the Coalition would initially drop net migration to around 100,000 in the first year after the election before it rose again to a figure between One Nation’s 130,000 and Labor’s target of 225,000.
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it → report → 225,000
As previously announced by Taylor, the number of new arrivals will be linked to housing completions in Australia.
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number → announce → Australia
One Nation announced last month it would cut the number of temporary migrants in Australia by more than 750,000 over three years, targeting international students and family members of skilled migrants.
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it → announce → migrants
The Coalition’s plan is likely to contain the largest cuts in the first year, in an effort to make an immediate impact on Nom.
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plan → contain → Nom
Foreign students and people overstaying their visas will be part of the Coalition’s crackdown, as well as measures to remove individuals in the country without a legal pathway to stay.
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students → overstay → pathway
Last year Australia issued more than 337,000 international student visas, of which about 45,000 went to dependants or family members of the primary applicant.
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45,000 → issue → applicant
Labor’s plan, outlined by the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, will see a series of policy changes to bring Nom down to 245,000 this financial year, and 225,000 in 2027-28.
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plan → outline → 2027
Most students will not be allowed to bring family members, and so-called visa hopping would be banned, limiting the changes students can make to their enrolment.
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students → allow → enrolment
Nationals MPs have warned Labor’s plans to limit the number of working holidaymakers staying a second and third year in Australia would badly hurt regional industries including fruit picking, and have pushed for carve outs.
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plans → warn → outs
Labor plans a ballot for backpackers wanting to stay beyond the initial first year, a measure designed to cut the number of temporary workers in the country.
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Labor → plan → country
But regional hospitality and agriculture businesses have lobbied the Coalition to avoid cuts to its workforce.
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businesses → lobby → workforce
Taylor is under pressure to stop and reverse an exodus of support to One Nation, as the party surpasses the Coalition and Labor in some opinion polls and its leader Pauline Hanson increasingly sets the terms for political and policy debate on immigration.
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leader → stop → immigration
Liberal MP Andrew Wallace confirmed the plan had been modelled to test its effect on the Australian economy.
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plan → confirm → economy
“You can’t just slash immigration altogether,” he told Channel Nine.
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he → slash → Nine
“The Coalition’s plan on migration will be very, very carefully targeted towards ensuring that we have the right number of people coming into the country, but also the right skills.
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we → target → country
“We’ve got to ensure that our farmers and our key industries have the right skills to be able to keep the country moving, and that’s what we’ll be focused on.”
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we → get → what
One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce, who defected from the Nationals last year, claimed credit for the Coalition plan on Tuesday.
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who → defect → Tuesday
“I congratulate the Coalition for basically coming up with our policy.
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I → congratulate → policy
There’s a bit of a nuance in there, but you know what?
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you → ’ → what
It shows an endorsement of where One Nation is off to,” he said.
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he → show → where
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