Migration snapshot debunks myths

Immigration data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics appears to vindicate the way this country has managed its migrant intake since the turn of the century. It also serves as a reality check for the populists who try to achieve electoral success on the back of absurd claims that migrants are stealing jobs off true-blue Australians, while living high on the hog thanks to our allegedly generous welfare system .

Unfortunately the people who would benefit most from a healthy dose of facts are the least likely to make the effort to get across the latest data, which was released on Wednesday, just days after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull likened running a successful migration intake to a corporate ‘‘recruiting exercise’’.

Australia accepted about 162,000 permanent migrants in 2017-18, down from 183,000 in 2016-17 and well under the 190,000-a-year-ceiling.

The ABS figures demonstrated that more and more of our skilled migrants are professionals and semi-professionals who come from Asian countries, where English is often widely spoken as a second language. The immigration snapshot also provided evidence migration has been a shot in the arm for the economy.

By all means let’s have a national debate about population growth and immigration. But let’s base it on facts, not outdated prejudices that don’t stand up to scrutiny.