Labor alarm as migration likely to reach historic high

Labor has brought forward ramped-up integrity checks and tougher visa conditions for foreign students in an attempt to better control the pace of arrivals into Australia, ahead of record overseas migration numbers.

Expected to be higher than 518,000, the previous record, and at risk of even ticking over 600,000, the new numbers are likely to further fuel anxiety about increasing immigration in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.