Guardian Australia obtained detailed costings from Abul Rizvi, a former deputy secretary of the Department of Immigration, who warned that Pauline Hanson’s proposal to deport overstayers and drive down temporary migration would require “huge funding for enforcement, detention centres and legal appeals”. The One Nation policy – unveiled on 14 September – targets international students and family members of skilled migrants, aiming to cut temporary visa numbers by 750,000 within three years. Rizvi compared the scale of enforcement to US immigration operations, noting that the Trump administration spent the equivalent of AUD 260 billion over four years on removals and border policing. Australia, he argued, would have to expand detention capacity, hire hundreds of compliance officers and fund diplomatic negotiations to accept returnees – costs not acknowledged in One Nation’s policy documents. Business, university and aged-care representatives echoed the concerns, saying sudden visa cancellations would leave hospitals understaffed and regional employers without workers. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry warned that mass removals could damage Australia’s international reputation as a reliable destination for investment and study. Global-mobility teams should monitor the debate closely. Even if the policy is not adopted, it is fuelling bipartisan pressure to tighten post-study work rights and impose higher employer-sponsorship fees. Companies with large cohorts of graduates or bridging-visa holders should review contingency plans, including options for onshore permanent residency or transfers to Asia-Pacific hubs. The government has not released its own migration targets, but insiders expect a moderated reduction that still prioritises defence, construction and care-sector skills. Mobility leaders are advised to map critical roles against the new priority list and prepare evidence to justify business needs under any future quota system.
Source: The Guardian
