Is Labor’s migration plan tackling a real problem or a political one?

After a false start and a hell of a lot of political pressure from the right, Labor has finally unveiled its long-awaited immigration plans.

Sep 18, 2026, updated Sep 18, 2026

Backpackers, students and visa overstayers will all be targeted by the measures – designed to bring net overseas migration down from around 300,000 to 225,000 by 2028.

So what impact will the overhaul have on our economy, our communities, and on Labor’s re-election prospects?

Today, journalist Peter Mares – who writes extensively on immigration for Inside Story magazine – on what’s in store, and whether the issue Labor’s addressing is a political problem, or a real one.

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