The number of permanent migrants accepted into Australia is set to be cut by 30,000 as part of the government’s broader population policy, according to the federal government’s announcement this week. 

Australia’s annual migration intake will be cut back to 160,000, which is 30,000 fewer than the previous. 

In addition, a regional settlement policy will also be introduced, forcing a portion of skilled migrants to live outside Sydney and Melbourne for at least five years to ease congestion in major cities.  

Further, international students who attend universities in cities away from Sydney and Melbourne will be incentivised, as part of the initiative to reduce congestion. 

“Just because Australians are worried about traffic jams and quality of life especially in a sprawling city like Melbourne, does not mean that they’re anti-migrant or racist,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. 

In the 2017-2018 financial year, 112,000 skilled migrants out of 162,417 migrants entering Australia permanently settled in Sydney or Melbourne. 

Mr Morrison said that he aimed to ease congestion in major cities as he wanted Australians “to spend less time in traffic and more time with their families [and] are being able to get on site or get to work sooner and safer”.

“Meanwhile I know we have rural and regional communities that have plans and opportunities to grow their shires, who are looking for more people to come and settle in their districts, to fill jobs, inject more life into their towns and shore up the important education and health services for the future they rely on,” Mr Morrison said.

“This is not a challenge our government is shying away from. It is our job to have a plan for managing Australia’s future population. And we are getting on with this job,” he added.