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A migration ‘breather’ might sound appealing. But economically, it’s a shocker

Shane Wright Senior economics correspondent September 4, 2025 — 5.00am

As people filled the streets across major cities at the weekend’s March for Australia protests, a couple of common themes and demands were raised when it came to national migration levels.

Many protesters said it’s time to “send them back”, which was jarring to hear in a nation that is literally built on migration, while others promoted a five-year pause on immigration.

It’s unclear whether any of those parroting these lines actually put their mind to the economic implications of their calls, or bothered to look at the numbers underlying our population growth. It was more Dennis “the vibe”

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