Canberra
Australia experienced an unprecedented surge in overseas migration during the 2022-23 fiscal year, reaching a record high, as revealed by official data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Friday. The net overseas migration for the 12 months ending in June stood at 518,000, marking the highest figure ever recorded. This calculation is derived by subtracting migrant departures from migrant arrivals. In the specified period, a record-breaking 737,000 migrants arrived in Australia, a substantial increase from the previous 12 months, where the number was 427,000. In contrast, departures were at 219,000, the lowest figure since 2006-07. Jenny Dobak, the head of migration statistics at the ABS, attributed the decrease in departures to the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. She noted that temporary migrants currently residing in Australia, having arrived recently, were not yet required to leave due to ongoing travel restrictions. This has led to a smaller number of migrant departures in the 2022-23 period. Dobak explained, Before the pandemic, there was a constant flow of temporary migrants arriving and departing. This cycle hasn’t returned to a regular pattern and has had an upward impact on net overseas migration in 2022-23. Of the migrant arrivals in the mentioned period, 554,000, or 75 percent, held temporary visas, including 283,000 international students. India dominated as the primary country of birth for arrivals, accounting for 14.3 percent of the total, followed by China, the Philippines, Australia, and the UK. The median age of migrant arrivals was 27 years, while for departures, it was 33. The data portrays the unique migration landscape influenced by the evolving circumstances of the global pandemic.
