The Albanese government has stated that some of Australia's health services and construction sector would collapse without migrants entering the country. Immigration Minister Tony Burke made this admission during an appearance on The Pawan Luthra Podcast, which covers Indian-Australian issues.
'So effectively we can't run our health system or build the houses we need without immigration,' Burke said. 'Half of our doctors now are born overseas, half of our registered nurses are born overseas, about a quarter of the tradespeople we need to build homes are born overseas.'
He emphasised that a significant portion of Australia's economic strength relies on a well-targeted immigration program. 'And can I say, in the time that that story has happened, that we've needed the best and the brightest and more and more skilled immigrants, has been the exact time that we've seen the growth in the Indian community in Australia.'
Record Overseas-Born Population
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australia's population included 8.8 million people born overseas by June 30 last year. Data published this week revealed that Indian-born residents now constitute the largest proportion of the overseas-born population for the first time in history, surpassing those born in England, China, and New Zealand.
Burke acknowledged the dual nature of immigration: 'Two things are true. The first is that economically we need immigration. We need the skills, we need the people. And culturally we're stronger because of it. But secondly, we also need to make sure that the infrastructure and services are keeping pace as well. So this is where the targeting has to be done really carefully.'
He added that getting the right immigrants is part of the solution, not the problem, but unlimited immigration would create housing and infrastructure issues. 'So we need to make sure that it's managed and it's paced.'
Political Reactions
Burke also responded to criticism from the Liberal Party regarding large citizenship ceremonies held in early 2025, describing them as 'the most patriotic events you can have'. He accused Opposition Leader Angus Taylor of blaming immigrants and using a narrative that singles out the Indian community, calling it 'ugly'.
The Coalition has been vocal about reducing immigration numbers. In April, Taylor launched a plan to overhaul Australia's migration system, declaring immigration 'out of control' under Labor. The plan includes the Australian Values Migration Plan, making compliance with the Australian Values Statement a legally binding condition for all visa holders.
In January, it was revealed that Australia has a larger population share of people born overseas than the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. United Nations data from 2024 shows 304 million people (3.07% of the global population) living outside their country of birth. With 30.1% of its population foreign-born, Australia surpasses other developed nations like Switzerland (28.8%), New Zealand (28.2%), Austria (25.5%), Iceland (25.1%), and Ireland (23.1%), making it one of the most migrant-heavy advanced economies.
