Australia unveils plan to cut immigrant numbers

SYDNEY

Australia on Monday unveiled plans to slash the number of migrants arriving in the country, hoping to curb a post-pandemic surge and address voter anger at the rising cost of living.

The country's centre-left Labor government announced a raft of measures making it harder for everyone from foreign students to low-skilled workers to enter — including tougher English-language requirements and higher wage thresholds.

Roughly half a million temporary migrants entered the country in the last year, a post-pandemic boom after years of closed borders.

The government believes its reforms — along with short-term trends — will bring the number closer to 250,000 in 2024-2025.

"We are going to make sure that we bring numbers back under control," said Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil, sketching parts of a 100-page strategy seen by AFP.

Despite near-record employment rates, Australians are increasingly frustrated at soaring prices and an eye-watering real estate market.

On Sunday, her government said it would impose a dramatic increase in fees on foreigners who buy homes and leave them empty.

Rental prices in some areas of Sydney and Melbourne have risen about 25 percent in the last year.