World News
Albanese rejects proposed cuts to Australia's refugee intake
The prime minister intervened after reports that Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke planned to reduce the annual humanitarian quota by nearly a third.
The short version
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese guaranteed that Australia's annual refugee intake will remain at 20,000 places next financial year.
- The decision blocks a reported plan by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to cut the intake to 13,750 arrivals in 2027-28.
- The proposed reduction had sparked swift backlash from Labor MPs and refugee advocacy organizations.
Key facts
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that the annual refugee intake of 20,000 places remains government policy and will continue in future years.[The Guardian]
- Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke had reportedly planned to cut the arrivals quota to 13,750, a level last set by the previous Coalition government.[The Guardian]
- The Labor government is facing internal debate and external political pressure to reduce net overseas migration to 225,000 next financial year.[The Guardian]
- The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and the Refugee Council of Australia strongly criticized the initially proposed cut, arguing it would harm vulnerable people and violate the Labor Party's recent policy platform.[The Guardian]