Australia inundated with bogus asylum seeker claims

Tuesday 27 May 2025

The latest data from the Department of Home Affairs shows a record 2,541,651 temporary visas on issue in Australia (excluding tourists) in Q1 2025.

This figure was almost 120,000 more than the previous year and approximately 580,000 higher than Q1 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since Q1 2019, the increase in temporary visas has been led by bridging visas (177,900), followed by graduate visas (141,400).

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About the author

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.