SSI Media Release
National refugee resettlement provider SSI has condemned reports that the Albanese Government will reduce Australia’s annual humanitarian intake from 20,000 places to 13,750, describing the move as a backwards step that betrays both Labor’s longstanding commitments and Australia’s humanitarian responsibilities.
SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said the reported decision comes as record numbers of people around the world are displaced by conflict, persecution and humanitarian crises, while settlement places globally are drastically shrinking.
“At a time when the world faces one of the largest displacement crises in human history, Australia should be stepping up, not stepping back,” she said
“Labor has repeatedly articulated an aspiration to increase Australia’s humanitarian intake to 27,000 places a year. Instead, we are seeing a reduction of more than 30 per cent. This is not simply a failure to meet an aspiration. It is a backflip whose impact will fall on the world’s most vulnerable.”
The Australian Labor Party’s platform taken to the 2025 national conference sets out an aspiration to progressively increasing Australia’s government-funded humanitarian intake to 27,000 places annually.
“Australians were promised a stronger humanitarian response. What has been proposed is the exact opposite,” said Ms Roumeliotis.
“The consequence of this decision is not abstract. It means thousands of refugees fleeing persecution will not have access to one of the few durable solutions available through refugee resettlement.
“These changes are being made under the guise of reducing overseas net migration, but the actual impact on migration numbers is marginal at best. This decision is shutting out people who most need to come to Australia.”
The reported reduction follows growing international pressure on refugee resettlement pathways given the United States withdrawing from longstanding refugee settlement commitments, which has already drastically reduced the number of places available globally.
“We should not be taking cues from governments that are retreating from their humanitarian obligations,” she said.
“Australia has a proud history of providing protection to people fleeing conflict and persecution, and a refugee settlement program that has long been regarded as among the best in the world.”
According to the latest data from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), approximately 117.8 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced by the end of 2025, including more than 41 million refugees and people in need of international protection. Despite this unprecedented level of global need, the number of refugees resettled through official pathways has fallen sharply.
“These figures should be a call to action. Instead, Australia is choosing to shirk its responsibility.”
SSI has consistently called for Australia to increase its humanitarian intake to 27,000 places and to maintain a strong, predictable and generous refugee resettlement program that reflects both community expectations and Australia’s international responsibilities.
“Australia is a stronger, more prosperous and more cohesive nation because generations of refugees have been welcomed here. Now is not the time to close the door to safety.”
Ms Roumeliotis said Australia’s refugee resettlement sector has shown time and again a willingness and capacity to do its part to help the world’s most vulnerable.
“We demonstrated this in 2016 with the successful resettlement of the one-off intake of an additional 12,000 refugees from Iraq and Syria, and then again in 2021, when we had less than 72 hours to prepare for refugees fleeing the Taliban’s rapid takeover of Afghanistan.
“We are agile, resourceful, and ready to do our part to support both people fleeing war and persecution and our government as it works to resettle this cohort. All we’re asking the government to do is open the door.”
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I know you need funds to continue. But that gross banner Ad for Grow is a bridge too far. Totally destroys the reading as it takes up far too much space. I am considering unsubscribing because of this thing.
A conspiracy takes off in our media before the truth has time to get its pants on.
It is being suggested that the Albanese government is about to announce a reduction in refugee intake from the present 20,000 to somewhere around 13750: it’s not true !
The 20,000 to 13,750 reduction was in 2013: The Gillard Labor government raised the intake to 20,000 in 2012. When the Abbott Coalition government took office in September 2013, they officially reduced the planned baseline cap back to 13,750.The Albanese government increased it back to 20,000 when it took office.
Albanese had to step in today to quash the rumour of a reduction in the intake after Newscorp, News24, the ABC and the FinReview misreported the reduction in the supposed refugee intake – all adopting that old red-herring a reliable source.
There has been talk of an increase in the intake but for the immediate future it remains at 20,000.
In the meantime from the One Nation bunker, leader Pauline Hanson has said her party’s net migration policy remains at 130,000 but would include Pacific labour workers on top in comments that seemingly confirm those made by David Farley earlier this week.
So if there has been a backflip it has come from One Nation.
David, I’m not aware of that ad. (We are currently ad free, although one may show up in our sidebar as a trial). Could you kindly send us a screenshot so i can see what you see, and get it looked into.
Re Immigration policy comments from the New England Times 280826:
https://www.netimes.com.au/2026/08/28/nsw-growth-to-ride-almost-entirely-on-migration/
In short:
”NSW is set to become almost totally dependent on overseas migration for its population growth over the next 40 years, according to a new state government report that predicts the population will reach 12 million people by 2065-66.
The Minns Labor Government has released the 2026-27 NSW Intergenerational Report, published every five years to examine how demographic, economic and fiscal trends could shape the state over the next four decades.
Net overseas migration is projected to add 3.6 million people to NSW by 2065-66, more than the entire 3.4 million net population increase the report forecasts, offsetting a projected net loss of 1,000,000 people to interstate migration and a fast-slowing rate of natural increase.
[More]
RE: Advertising on AIMN:
Uhm ….. How do I prevent the ”grow” ad for ”Want fewer ads?” to disappear form the bottom of my screen?
@ David Stakes: Unsubscribing to AIMN would be shooting yourself in both feet. Perhaps there is a better alternative, like making a subscription.
Uhm ….. Ads again: Horrors of reader inconvenience!!
The offending bottom crawling ”Want fewer ads” ad has covered over the quick return to the Home page arrow usually in the bottom left hand screen corner.
Guys
When I was being inundated with these unwanted and frequently offensive ads they were coming from an external source and not AIMN : I tried adblocker (see also adremover) which was initially free and it worked – later they tried to get me to pay for subscription which I did not do. There has been no repeat of the problem since.
NSW Population Report Predictions, SMH (paywall).
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/bigger-richer-greyer-what-nsw-will-look-like-in-2066-20260827-p60s6e.html
In brief:
”Long-range forecasts by the NSW government show the state’s population will rise by 3.4 million between now and 2066, economic output per person will increase by 35 per cent over that period and residents will live longer, healthier lives.
The five-yearly NSW Intergenerational Report, which gauges how demographic change will affect the state over the next 40 years, says population growth will slow from its current rate of 1.1 per cent a year on average to 0.8 per cent. That will result in NSW reaching 12 million people by 2066, up from 8.6 million.
The NSW population is forecast to reach 12 million by 2066.
The NSW population is forecast to reach 12 million by 2066.Louie Douvis
Overseas migration will be the main driver of population growth. But the contribution of natural increase (births minus deaths) will decline – it will account for 10 per cent of annual population growth in 2065-66, compared with 26 per cent in 2024-25. [MORE}
“Overseas migration will be the main driver of population growth. But the contribution of natural increase (births minus deaths) will decline”
Seems accurate, cant afford children.
NEC, I had a look into the banner. I wrote some CSS code to remove it (it’s one of those things we can’t fix with a simple flick of a switch) but that didn’t work: which tells me instantly that The AIMN didn’t put it there.
I dug a bit deeper. It does serve a purpose but I was able to determine that it’s there temporarily. At a guess, I reckon it will be gone within a week.
Does no-one else use an ad-blocker?
Half your opinions would vanish.
@ Roswell; Thank you for your efforts.
Contrary to the above suggestion that this was all a right wing media conspiracy theory, the Saturday Paper quotes the ABC and The Guardian as having Tony Burke announcing the cut to 13,750 only for he who hasn’t even had the decency to surruptitiously have himself sworn in to each and every ministry, Anthony Albanese, apparently overrule Burke.
“Labor’s wires cross over immigration
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has intervened following backlash to Home Affairs announcing cuts to Australia’s refugee intake, guaranteeing Australia’s annual intake will not be reduced next financial year.
What we know:
Following a Labor backbench revolt after Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed Australia would only take 13,750 refugees annually from next year, the prime minister insisted the intake would remain at 20,000 (ABC).
“This intake number remains government policy and will be continued in future years, consistent with Australia’s humanitarian commitments, and sits beside our strong border security measures,” Albanese said (ABC).
Burke’s proposed cuts were condemned by both humanitarian groups. Paul Power, of the Refugee Council of Australia, said the proposed cut “would make little difference to Australia’s net overseas migration but be devastating for people seeking a path to safety” (The Guardian).
Albanese’s decision not only overrides Burke but affects the target set in the May budget to reduce net overseas migration to 225,000 by 2027-28, as this factored in a reduction in the refugee intake (AFR).
Immigration numbers have been a point of tension within Labor over at least the past month. Burke cancelled his National Press Club Speech earlier this month after he failed to secure cabinet’s confidence (The Saturday Paper).”
Labor shills are quick to point out the inconsistencies of One Nation’s machinations on immigration, deservedly so, but where are they when it comes to commenting on Labor’s schmozzle? Oh, nothing to see here, it’s a right wing conspiracy theory; yeah, right.
While we’re at it, that stinking, rotting carcass of a party, Labor, just voted against a Green’s motion to ban the receipt of gifts from gambling companies. Why aren’t the Labor shills out explaining why accepting gifts from gambling companies is apparently good for the country? to busy covering up Labor’s schmozzle of an approach to immigration with tales of conspiracy theories?