Migration: Restoring Control, Standards and Australian Values

Australia is the greatest country on earth. Not by accident - but because of the values that have shaped it: freedom, democracy, the rule of law, equality, mutual respect, and the belief in a fair go. For generations, migrants have come here, embraced those values, contributed, and made Australia stronger. That is the Australian success story.

But under Anthony Albanese, that success story is being put at risk. Because Labor has made a fundamental mistake: they have stopped treating migration as a privilege and started treating it as an entitlement. The result is exactly what Australians are now living with. Numbers that are too high. Standards that are too low. Enforcement that is too weak. And Australians paying the price.

You see it in the housing crisis - where demand driven by record migration is outpacing supply. You see it in overstretched services and infrastructure. And you see it in growing concern about whether the system is still working in the national interest.

But the deeper problem is this: Labor has allowed a culture to take hold where Australia’s migration system is no longer respected - it is exploited. People arrive on temporary visas and then game the system to stay.

Endless appeals. Legal loopholes. Delays designed to frustrate removal. More than 77,000 people are now in Australia with no legal right to be here. And instead of fixing it, Labor looks the other way.

Because when you lose control of your migration system, you don’t just lose control of numbers - you start to erode confidence, fairness, and ultimately social cohesion. That is the risk Australia now faces. And that is why the Coalition is acting.

We are restoring a simple, non-negotiable principle: Coming to Australia is a privilege - not a right.

If you want to live here, you respect our laws, you share our values, and you contribute to this country. If you do not - you do not come, and you do not stay. That is what sits at the heart of our Australian Values Migration Plan.

A plan built on three clear pillars:

• Putting Australian values first

• Shutting the door on unauthorised migrants

• Putting up a red light to radicals

This is not theory. This is a plan for action.

First - putting Australian values first.

Under Anthony Albanese, the Australian Values Statement has become meaningless. A form you sign. A box you tick. And then it is ignored. That tells you everything about Labor’s priorities. The Coalition will make Australian values real and enforceable. Because these are not abstract ideas. They are the rules that make Australia work: respect for the rule of law, democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, equality between men and women, and a fair go. Under our plan, those values will have consequences.

If you come to Australia and show contempt for our laws or our way of life - there will be consequences. If you lie about your commitment to Australian values - that will have consequences. If you refuse to integrate, refuse to respect our freedoms, or repeatedly break the rules - you should not be granted the privilege of staying. Citizenship will mean something again. Visas will mean something again. Being Australian will mean something again.

And we will make sure taxpayer support reflects that principle. We will extend waiting periods for welfare. We will ban non-citizens from accessing the 5 per cent deposit housing scheme. At a time when Australians are being locked out of home ownership, the system should not be working against them. It should be working for them. Full stop.

Second - shutting the door on unauthorised migrants.

Right now, more than 77,000 people are in Australia with no legal right to remain. That is not a small problem.

That is a collapse in enforcement. And it sends a dangerous message - that the rules don’t really matter.

The Coalition will restore control. We will invest $130 million to boost Border Force and the AFP, and establish a joint taskforce to identify, locate and remove those who have no right to be here. If you are here legally - you are welcome. If you are here illegally - you will be removed. That is what a serious country does.

We will also introduce a Safe Country List to fast-track and deter non-genuine asylum claims. Because the asylum system exists to protect genuine refugees - not to be used as a backdoor migration pathway. We will restore Temporary Protection Visas as the default. And we will end the rort of taxpayer-funded legal aid being used to fund endless migration appeals. Australians expect a system that is fair - but also firm. Right now, they are getting neither.

Third - putting up a red light to radicals.

This goes to the core of national security and social cohesion. And under Labor, we have seen weakness where we need strength. They passed new visa cancellation powers and then failed to properly resource them. That is not leadership. That is a press release.

The Coalition will fix it. We will establish an Enhanced Security Screening Centre, bringing together Home Affairs, ASIO, the AFP and Border Force in a single, intelligence-led framework. Stronger screening. Faster refusals. Quicker cancellations. Real coordination between agencies. Real consequences for those who pose a risk. And a clear message:

If you bring extremism, hatred or support for violence to Australia - you are not welcome.

This is not about targeting communities. It is about protecting Australians. Including the millions of migrants who came here the right way - who embraced our values - and who expect those values to be defended. Because when extremism is allowed to take root, it is those communities who suffer first. Taken together, this first package is a disciplined investment to restore integrity to our migration system. More enforcement. Higher standards. Real consequences. And this is only the beginning.

Further reforms will follow - on housing, on students, and on skills -  all guided by a simple test: Does this strengthen Australia - or strain it?

Because that is what Labor has lost sight of. Australia’s migration system should strengthen the country. Not overwhelm it. Not divide it. And not be exploited. At its core, this is about restoring something fundamental: A country that believes in itself. A country that is confident enough to defend its values. And a government that is prepared to say it clearly. If you want to come to Australia - you add to this country. You respect our laws.

You embrace our values. If you do not - you do not come, and you do not stay.

That is the Coalition’s plan.

To restore control. To restore standards. And to put Australian values back where they belong - at the centre of our migration system.