A major immigration debate is building in Australia after Opposition leader Angus Taylor announced a tough new plan targeting visa overstayers, including students and asylum seekers. According to Australia Today, while delivering a policy speech, Taylor said up to 65,000 people living in the country without valid visas could be deported if his party comes to power.

He argued that both student visas and asylum routes are being misused by some people to stay in the country for economic reasons rather than genuine need.

“Our immigration system is being exploited by people using the false pretext of needing protection or study to stay here for economic reasons,” he said. “The Coalition will crack down on overstayers.” He warned that the language and framing of such policies could encourage harmful attitudes. “Whenever migrants are singled out, dehumanised or blamed, it gives permission for racism towards those people,” he said.

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Angus Taylor’s migration plan sparks backlash

However, Taylor’s plan did not sit well with Australia’s multicultural communities, who criticised it. Members of Australia’s migrant communities said the debate feels familiar and discouraging. “I feel like nothing has changed since the last election,” said Eric Yan Ma, a committee member of the Chinese Community Council of Australia’s Victorian chapter, speaking to AAP.

He said migrants continue to feel judged and pushed into political arguments rather than being treated as part of everyday Australian society. Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman also raised serious concerns about the impact of the proposal. He added that traits like skin colour, accent, or names often become unfair signals of who is a migrant, which can deepen existing racial bias.

Sivaraman said the issue goes beyond one political party, as both Labor and the Coalition have at times contributed to concerns around immigration debates. The coalition has also faced earlier backlash from parts of the Indian diaspora after Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price suggested Labor was increasing Indian migration for political gain.

65,000 people could be affected

Taylor claimed that around 65,000 people are currently in Australia, even after their visas were cancelled and all appeals were exhausted. To explain the scale, he compared the number to the population of regional cities like Tweed Heads, Rockhampton and Bunbury.

He said a future government under his leadership would “oust the overstayers” and use every available resource to enforce the law. The plan also includes limiting access to taxpayer-funded legal aid for non-citizens who are trying to challenge visa cancellations.

Student visa pressure and Indian students in focus

The plan comes at a time when Australia’s international education sector is already under heavy scrutiny. India is the largest source of international students in Australia, with about 140,000 Indian students among nearly 650,000 total foreign students.

In early 2026, India, along with countries like Nepal and Bangladesh, was placed in a higher-risk category under Australia’s student visa system, meaning stricter checks on funds, English skills, and study intent. Student visa cancellations also rose in 2024–25, making up more than half of all visa cancellations.

The announcement comes amid growing political debate in Australia over migration levels, housing pressure, and the cost of living.

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Will Australia see US-style enforcement?

When asked if enforcement could look like the operations carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the United States, Taylor said Australia’s situation is much smaller. Still, he made it clear that laws must be followed. “If someone has exhausted all legal avenues for protection and is no longer a legal resident in this country, they should go,” he said.

Taylor said his party would bring back Temporary Protection Visas, create a “safe country” list, and ask migrants to sign a legally binding statement agreeing to “Australian values.” The proposed “safe country” system could make it harder for people from certain nations to claim asylum. Applications from countries considered stable could be fast-tracked for rejection. 

While no final list has been announced, similar systems, like those used by the European Union, often include countries such as India, Bangladesh, Morocco and Tunisia. “It’s time to take back control from the technocrats, bureaucrats and activists,” Taylor said, according to Australia Today.

The plan has already sparked criticism from legal experts and refugee advocates, who say large-scale removals could face legal and diplomatic challenges.

Focus on security and stricter checks

Taylor also raised national security concerns and said some groups of refugees would face tighter checks. He specifically mentioned people coming from conflict zones like Gaza, saying they would go through stricter assessment processes under his plan.

Defending his stance, Taylor said the country’s immigration system has changed in recent years and not for the better. “Australia has a proud history of welcoming migrants from across the world,” he said. “But something has changed. Immigration numbers are too high. Immigration standards are too low.”