“Records continue to be smashed with this government’s promise to cut migration in absolute tatters, as half a million would-be migrants arrived on a net basis over the twelve months to January – the highest in recorded history,” said Dr Kevin You, Senior Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs.
Today, the Australian Bureau of Statistics updated its Overseas Arrivals and Departures database, with the reference period January 2026. IPA analysis of the data shows:
- Net permanent and long-term arrivals (i.e., people who have arrived in Australia with a declared intention to stay in the country for 12 months or longer) in January 2026 were 57,270, the highest January net arrivals on record.
- Net permanent and long-term arrivals totalled 494,540 in the twelve months to January 2026, the highest in recorded history.
Look at the state of the ME. It’s become a near-disaster across many countries. Among these countries, most have been taking refugees for decades even though their economies are not necessarily well-off. They are unlikely to be able to take more in high numbers. Here’s a map that shows where ME refugees tend to go (to countries near by): https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/how-many-refugees/2/
Our country has been first off the rank to approve the bombing of Iran by Israel and the US. Iranian voices had already warned before the attack what this would mean to the region. If we are going to support unsanctioned bombing of civilians, their homes, schools, hospitals, we should have the decency to care for some of the survivors who are not to blame for the catastrophe.