A claim by Opposition leader Angus Taylor that more than 65,000 people are overstaying their visas and should be deported from Australia has ignited a sharp political clash, with Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Tony Burke accusing the Opposition of oversimplifying a complex immigration system for political gain.
Speaking in Sydney, Burke dismissed the figure as headline-driven rhetoric, arguing it fails to reflect the reality behind visa overstayers and the challenges of managing migration in a post-pandemic environment.
“There are many different people within that cohort,” Burke said, referring to the roughly 77,000 individuals believed to be living in Australia without valid visas.
“Some have accidentally overstayed. Some are in the system waiting for decisions. And some have deliberately played the system.”
Taylor’s call to deport tens of thousands comes amid rising public concern over housing affordability, infrastructure strain and migration levels. But Burke warned that reducing the issue to a single number risks misleading the public.
“We inherited a ridiculous backlog,” he said, pointing to unresolved visa applications and protection claims left from previous years.
“Some of these were in the order of 100,000. We’ve been working through it, and we are getting the numbers down.”
At the heart of the dispute is a broader ideological divide over migration policy. The Coalition has pushed for stricter controls, including tougher character tests and a stronger focus on migrants from “liberal democracies” — a position Burke described as both vague and troubling.
“I still can’t work out what extra powers they think they need,” he said.
“They’ve been asked for examples and haven’t provided any. What they’ve announced is not policy — it’s a discussion and a meme.”
Burke took particular aim at suggestions that migrants from certain political systems integrate better into Australian society, calling it a dangerous shift in tone.
“We have proud Australians from Chinese, Vietnamese and Eastern European backgrounds — many of whom came from non-democracies,” he said. “What matters is who you are, not where you’re from.”
The minister framed migration as essential to Australia’s economic and social fabric, highlighting the reliance on overseas-born workers across critical sectors. Nearly half of Australia’s doctors and more than 40 per cent of nurses were born overseas, he noted, alongside 28 per cent of building and plumbing trades.
“Without migration, we wouldn’t have the workforce to build homes, staff hospitals or support aged care.”
The government, he argued, has been recalibrating migration levels after a post-COVID surge that saw net overseas migration spike due to an unusual imbalance — arrivals rebounding quickly while departures lagged.
“It wasn’t just arrivals; it was that people weren’t leaving,” he explained. “That normal churn didn’t happen.”
Since then, the government has tightened settings, particularly around international students, while increasing targeted skilled migration in sectors like construction to address housing supply constraints.
Still, the pressure remains visible. Long rental queues and rising property prices have fuelled public frustration, creating fertile ground for tougher migration rhetoric.
Burke acknowledged those concerns but warned against turning them into division.
“Australians want more housing — that’s fair,” he said. “But you don’t build more homes by cutting the very workforce needed to build them.”
On enforcement, Burke reiterated a firm stance: those without valid visas should leave. However, he emphasised that deportation is not always straightforward, involving legal challenges, court processes and humanitarian considerations.
“There are people who’ve genuinely made mistakes, and there are others gaming the system,” he said.
“We need different responses for different cases.”
He also flagged upcoming measures targeting individuals who cycle through temporary visas without intention to leave — a practice he described as exploiting loopholes.
The political backdrop to the debate remains tense, with migration once again emerging as a defining issue ahead of future electoral contests. Burke accused the Opposition of shaping its messaging to appeal to One Nation voters rather than offering workable solutions.
“Their announcement is focused on the votes they think they need,” he said. “Ours is focused on the skills the country needs.”
As Australia continues to navigate economic pressures, housing shortages and global uncertainty, the migration debate is unlikely to ease. For now, both sides appear set on sharpening their positions — one emphasising control and restriction, the other balance and economic necessity.
But beneath the political exchanges lies a more enduring question about national identity — one Burke sought to underscore.
“Modern Australia is multicultural Australia,” he said. “And that’s something we should be proud of — not walk away from.”
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