The recent upsurge in net migration has been attributed to border closures during the pandemic, but Dr Abul Rizvi, former deputy secretary of the Department of Immigration & author of “Population Shock”, explains to Clinton Maynard the real factors contributing to it.

Shane Wright in the Sydney Morning Herald writes that the government argues the increase in net migration is mainly due to catching up after the border closure. 

However, this argument seems more like a media talking point than a policy explanation since net migration in 2022 surpassed all Treasury predictions, says Dr Rizvi.

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