Hanson Campaigns for Managed Immigration and Major Cuts to Australia’s Intake

Pauline Hanson has stepped up her 2025 push for what she calls managed immigration, urging a major cut to immigration and a hard line on unlawful residents. The One Nation leader argues Australia’s annual intake—described in her materials as over 500,000 arrivals—should drop to between 130,000 and 160,000 per year, a shift she frames as necessary to ease pressure on housing, hospitals, and jobs.

Hanson’s proposals are not government policy. As of August 29, 2025, the Labor government’s official migration settings remain above her target, with the government pointing to skills gaps and an ageing population, though no exact cap figure is cited in the material One Nation criticizes.

In August 2025 One Nation launched a fresh public campaign repeating calls first set out earlier in the year and refined in late August. In a February 11 press release, the party proposed the immediate deportation of 75,000 people they say are living unlawfully in Australia, including visa overstayers, illegal workers, and people with criminal convictions. The plan would deny access to the Administrative Review Tribunal for these cases, closing off appeals that many migrants now rely on to correct errors, raise protection concerns, or present new evidence.

The party’s platform also seeks to end what it calls “skilled visa rorting,” close student visa “loopholes,” reintroduce Temporary Protection Visas, impose an 8-year waiting period for citizenship and welfare, and refuse entry to people from countries the party describes as fostering extremist ideologies. One Nation says it would withdraw Australia from the UN Refugee Convention and reject the UN Global Compact on Migration. None of these measures has government backing, and the party does not have the numbers in Parliament to pass them on its own.

Policy Changes Overview

Hanson’s managed immigration blueprint centers on maximum control over who enters, how long they stay, and what rights they can access. Key elements include:

• Annual migration cap: Reduce to 130,000–160,000 per year from claimed current levels above 500,000.
• Deportations: Remove 75,000 unlawful residents, visa overstayers, illegal workers, and offenders, with no appeal to the Administrative Review Tribunal.
• Visa system changes: End perceived abuse in skilled and student pathways; reintroduce Temporary Protection Visas.
• Legal process limits: Stop appeals that the party describes as “weaponised.”
• Citizenship and welfare: Require 8 years before eligibility.
• Country-based entry bans: Exclude people from places the party associates with extremist ideologies.
• International stance: Leave the UN Refugee Convention and reject the UN Global Compact on Migration.

Hanson says these steps would make room in the housing market, reduce hospital wait times, protect wages, and help local job seekers. Critics, including migrant advocates and some policy experts, warn the plan would spark fear in communities, undermine due process, and risk skills gaps businesses are still trying to fill after the pandemic.

Rationale and Counterarguments

Supporters’ arguments:
– Fewer arrivals would ease pressure on housing, hospitals, and local jobs.
– A reduced intake would let builders and state governments catch up with demand.
– Managed immigration, supporters say, links migrant intake to regional capacity and services.

Critics’ counterpoints:
– Many sectors—construction, health, aged care, teaching, engineering, IT—rely on migrant workers.
– Rapid cuts could slow home-building and reduce key services.
– Economists and some academics warn of bottlenecks: sudden cuts create shortages; sudden increases create backlogs.
– Legal scholars say removing appeal rights and applying country-based bans risk undermining due process and breaching non-discrimination obligations.
– Quitting the UN Refugee Convention would be a major break from decades of bipartisan policy and likely provoke international criticism.

Major parties often adopt stricter screening or tougher compliance measures in response to voter pressure. Hardline proposals can shift debate even if they do not pass Parliament.

Impact on Applicants and Communities

Immediate concerns center on the deportation push and the removal of appeal rights.

• Community legal centers note many visa overstayers are in that position due to:
  • Family violence
  • Illness
  • Employer exploitation
  • Incorrect legal advice
• Removing appeal rights would:
  • Leave many without a fair chance to present their case
  • Risk separating families—especially mixed-status households where children are citizens or permanent residents
  • Capture people who made honest mistakes or were victims of employer breaches

Students and skilled workers report that uncertainty harms planning:
– Students may avoid extending studies or applying for post-study work permission.
– Skilled workers in critical fields—nurses, aged care workers, engineers, construction trades—say policy signals affect whether they move to or remain in Australia.

Employers and business groups argue:
– Skills shortages remain in health, care, teaching, engineering, and IT.
– Cutting intake to 130,000–160,000 quickly could leave hospitals short-staffed and building projects stalled.
– Selection should focus on skills and demand, not cultural labels.

Legal experts warn:
– Blanket bans based on a country’s ideology would be difficult to defend in court.
– Proposals to leave the UN Refugee Convention could complicate regional cooperation on resettlement and border control.

Social and Economic Effects

• Community leaders report distress among Pacific and Southeast Asian families worried about sudden removals and long waits for citizenship and welfare under the proposed 8-year rule.
• Regional employers say they rely on migrant nurses, carers, and seasonal workers to keep services running.
• Universities warn that talk of student visa “loopholes” may deter high-achieving international students, who could instead choose Canada, the U.S., or other destinations—reducing fee income and slowing sector recovery.

Some experts caution that rhetoric alone can affect behavior:
– If prospective students or skilled migrants believe Australia will slash places or remove rights, they may opt for other countries even if the policy never passes.

Political Context and Outlook

• The Labor government currently defends a larger intake to meet skills needs and demographic trends; the exact cap it sets is not specified in One Nation’s materials.
• The opposition has not adopted One Nation’s figures or deportation model.
• Both major parties face questions about linking migration planning to housing supply, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare access.

Key dynamics to watch:
1. Progress on housing supply, construction, and medical services—if slow, pressure for lower intake may grow.
2. Speed and effectiveness of training and planning reforms—if fast, arguments for deep cuts may weaken.
3. Whether major parties adopt elements of stricter screening or compliance in response to voter concerns.

The central questions moving forward are practical: How many new arrivals can Australia support each year? Which regions have capacity and jobs? How should review rights function so the system remains fair but not clogged?

Practical Guidance for Migrants, Employers and Students

• One Nation’s proposals are not law; current rules remain in place.
• Practical steps to take now:
  • Keep visas valid and records up to date.
  • Respond quickly to any official notices.
  • Seek advice from a registered migration agent or community legal center for complex cases.

For authoritative information on visas, compliance, and review processes, visit the Australian Department of Home Affairs: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au

International and Legal Implications

• Giving preference to “culturally cohesive” countries in a reduced annual cap is proposed but undefined; lawyers warn it would be hard to apply fairly and could trigger discrimination claims.
• Quitting the UN Refugee Convention and rejecting the UN Global Compact on Migration would:
  • Put Australia at odds with long-standing partners.
  • Raise questions in multilateral forums.
  • Potentially hinder cooperation on regional resettlement and border control.
  • Affect the speed and mechanisms for returning people with no right to stay or resettling refugees through safe, legal pathways.

Bottom Line

• Hanson’s push has reshaped political conversation about migration but does not change law. Only Parliament can enact these proposals.
• For now, migrants, employers, and students should watch government statements rather than party platforms, and seek registered advice if their status is complex or at risk.
• Current rules, including access to independent review, remain in force unless and until Parliament changes them.