Tribune’s note

Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration Tony Burke released Net Overseas Migration data on 18 June showing NOM has fallen to 301,000 — a decline of more than 45% from the post-COVID peak in 2023 [TA-260618-home-363b4f3d5d90]. The annual figure to December 2025 was down 9% on the previous year. The most striking near-term indicator is the first-half 2025–26 result: NOM of 145,000 against a budget forecast of 295,000 for the full year, meaning arrivals are running at roughly half the projected pace [TA-260618-home-363b4f3d5d90].

The decline is broad-based across temporary cohorts. NOM from temporary visa holders fell 10% over the year and now sits at less than half the 2023 peak [TA-260618-home-363b4f3d5d90]. International student NOM also fell 10%, returning to pre-COVID levels — a data point the minister linked explicitly to integrity settings in the international education sector.

Visitor NOM continues to fall, which the minister's office attributed to policy changes targeting visa hopping. Departures of Working Holiday Makers are increasing as cohorts who arrived after the border reopening cycle out.

Burke framed the figures as validation of a deliberate policy stance, quoting directly: "As today's data shows, we are bringing migration down with a sensible, measured approach to provide the skilled workers Australia needs, while addressing exploitation and rorts" [TA-260618-home-363b4f3d5d90]. He connected the declines in temporary visa holders and international students to the government's stated priority of directing skills pathways toward health care and housing.

The messaging combines two distinct signals: first, a quantitative story of migration normalisation after an exceptional post-pandemic surge; second, a qualitative framing that positions the reduction as the product of managed policy rather than external cyclical forces. The explicit reference to exploitation and rorts alongside skilled-worker demand suggests the minister is anchoring the migration reduction in an integrity and labour-market narrative rather than a population-pressure one alone.

No parliamentary debate is on record for this date; the comms release is the sole source stream.

Primary records (1)

The official records this note draws on — the raw primary documents themselves, as published.

MediaThe Hon Tony Burke MPTony BurkeThursday 18 June 2026