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Australia’s opposition to block international student caps
The proposed cap is part of the government’s effort to address a surge in immigration and an unprecedented housing crisis ahead of a federal election due by May.
Stock image. / Pexels
Australia’s plan to cap international student numbers appears likely to be blocked as opposition politicians have decided to vote against the proposed laws, despite their repeated calls to cut migration.
Parliament was expected to debate the legislation, which aims to cap international student commencements at 270,000 for 2025, during the final sitting period of the year over the next two weeks.
The proposed cap is part of the government’s effort to address a surge in immigration and an unprecedented housing crisis ahead of a federal election due by May.
Sarah Henderson, education spokesperson for the centre-right Liberal-National coalition, criticized the plan on Nov. 18, calling it “chaotic and confusing.” She argued that it fails to address “the structural issues” caused by the government.
“We cannot support measures which will only serve to compound this crisis of the government’s making. Based on their record so far, we have absolutely no confidence the government is capable of fixing its immigration mess,” Henderson said in a statement. The Greens Party has also announced its opposition to the proposed legislation.
The government has argued that the proposed law would return the number of new international students in higher education and vocational training to pre-pandemic levels.
“You can’t talk tough on immigration and then vote against putting a limit on the number of people that come to this country every year,” Education Minister Jason Clare told Parliament on Nov. 18 in response to the opposition’s stance.
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