Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has guaranteed Australia’s refugee intake will not go backwards, hours after a cabinet minister confirmed plans to slash the humanitarian program by almost a third from next year. Source: ABC News.
In a dramatic intervention following a Labor backbench revolt over reports Australia would only take 13,750 refugees annually from next year, Mr Albanese told the ABC the intake would remain at 20,000.
“The refugee intake needs to be renewed in the coming budget as the 20,000 places was available for four years,” Mr Albanese said.
“This intake number remains government policy and will be continued in future years, consistent with Australia’s humanitarian commitments and sits beside our strong border security measures.”
Earlier, a spokesperson for Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed Labor plans to reduce the humanitarian intake next financial year by 6250, as reported in the Australian Financial Review.
Mr Burke’s office said Labor’s decision to lift the intake in 2023 was always temporary and was only funded for four years.
But four Labor MPs, speaking on the condition of anonymity, have disputed this characterisation, telling the ABC they believed the higher intake was “enduring” and “not time-limited”.
Last month at the ALP National Conference there was unanimous agreement on a resolution committing Labor to maintaining the intake at 20,000 per year “in the short-term” while continuing “to aspire to achieving” 27,000 places.
The issue has been described as “sacred” to party members, who have reluctantly accepted hardline border protection policies in exchange for the promise of Labor lifting Australia’s refugee intake.
Speaking at the Daily Telegraph’s Bush Summit in Dubbo yesterday, Mr Albanese suggested the government was still finalising its policy
Australia has historically resettled a baseline of 13,750 refugees each year.
In 2022, the Morrison government temporarily boosted the intake to 17,875, for Afghan nationals, before then-immigration minister Andrew Giles announced a further increase to 20,000 per year in 2023.
At the time, Mr Albanese said “the government will be tough on borders without being weak on humanity”.
FULL STORY
Prime Minister dramatically intervenes, confirms no change to Labor’s refugee intake (By Jane Norman, ABC News)
