The benefits of immigration are wildly overstated (Leithvo)

This interview with Sean Murphy on ABC Radio Upper Hunter unpacks the claim that the Socceroos' success underpins the case for pursuing a high-immigration policy.



Australia is running a volume-based migration system as opposed to one targeting skills, as has been commonly claimed. What's happened is that per capita living standards in Australia have drastically fallen. Charity, which is what this looks like, should begin at home. The bottom line is that you cannot fix the problems of the world by letting in the rest of the world. It doesn't work.  

The clip has a very good solution to the migration problem by making sure that short term student migrants return, and that those that come to Australia must be employed in jobs earning more that 100,000 dollars, with higher salaries for older migrants. There would probably also be a ban on family reunion migration that ships in the extended family of those coming into Australia. 

Additional thoughts:

Also, when it comes to importing millions of people from overseas; when you import the brightest ones, and ones that can speak two languages, you take this talent away from their home countries. It's a brain drain. You actually help to wreck the economies of other countries.

What should happen is that the poor countries around the world should be pressured to copy the suburban infrastructure and way of life that was built in the West. The economic migrants are escaping from countries that are not very good in terms of their standard of living. A big factor in this is the corruption of their governments. While corruption in the West is a problem, the levels of corruption overseas are much higher and it stops things from happening. Western countries should demand improvements, and reforms.

I also tend to think about how the slave trade was ended. By force. It was thanks to the UK's Royal Navy, and their domination of the world. IF you make a big deal about how poorly another country is run, and shame them, and call out their corrupt Government, programs might actually be set up to change things. Being too polite to point out reality is the road to ruin.

Best comment on You Tube:

@Bruce-gh8gt
An economic unit imported is cheaper than one that is born and raised in Australia they will also vote Labor. No one wants this except politicians and Big Business...

[Posted at the SpookyWeather2 blog, June 19, 2026.]