Why did Anthony Albanese keep Australia's annual refugee intake at 20,000 places?

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese maintained the annual humanitarian intake at 20,000 places to uphold existing policy commitments and balance Australia's international obligations alongside border security measures.

What are the current net overseas migration figures for Australia?

The Australian Government currently reports net overseas migration at 306,000 people. This figure remains significantly above the government's official target to lower net overseas migration to 225,000 by 2027–28.

How is the government adjusting its policy to meet overall immigration targets?

The Australian Government stated it will focus on reducing non-humanitarian migration streams to meet its overall population targets. This strategy includes reviewing visa settings for approximately three million temporary residents currently living in the country.

What does the refugee decision mean for the government's migration timeline?

The decision by Anthony Albanese to preserve the 20,000 refugee quota adds pressure to the government's timeline for reducing net overseas migration to 225,000 by 2027–28. Because refugee numbers will not be cut, larger reductions must be achieved across other visa categories.

What is the long-term refugee intake target for the Labor Party?

The Australian Labor Party maintains an ongoing policy aspiration to progressively increase Australia's humanitarian intake to 27,000 places per year. However, the government confirmed that the immediate intake remains capped at 20,000 places annually for future years.

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Albanese retains Australia's refugee intake target

Written by Heidi Cuthbert Published Aug 27, 2026, 11:30 PM

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the annual humanitarian intake will remain at 20,000 places.
The decision overrides a planned reduction to 13,750, complicating net overseas migration targets of 225,000 by 2027-28.
Government policy aims to balance humanitarian commitments alongside existing border security measures.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has maintained Australia's annual humanitarian visa intake at 20,000 places, overturning a planned reduction to 13,750.

The decision reverses a Home Affairs Department proposal to lower the quota to long-run base levels to help manage net overseas migration, which currently stands at 306,000.

"This intake number remains government policy and will be continued in future years, consistent with Australia’s humanitarian commitments, and sits besides our strong border security measures," said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The maintaining of the 20,000 quota puts pressure on the government's target to reduce net overseas migration to 225,000 by 2027-28.

Federal measures will now focus on reducing other migration streams to meet overall population targets.

Labor's broader policy platform continues an aspiration to progressively increase Australia's humanitarian intake to 27,000 places annually.

The government is also reviewing visa settings for three million temporary residents to manage migration levels.