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BBC Pidgin of Monday, 11 December 2023

Source: BBC

Why Australia wan reduce dia immigration intake by half and wetin e mean for pipo wey wan japa

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Australian government tok say dem go reduce di number of pipo wey dey come dia kontri by half within two years, for inside one new plan to fix di kontri "broken" immigration system.

Di government say dem go cut di yearly intake to 250,000 – e go dey roughly in line wit pre-pandemic levels - by June 2025.

Dem go also tighten visa rules for international students and low-skilled workers under di new plan.

Migration don climb to record levels for Australia, and e don add pressure to housing and infrastructure wahala.

But shortage of skilled workers still dey, and di kontri dey struggle to attract dem.

Di Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil as e dey unveil di new 10-year immigration strategy for one media briefing on Monday, tok say di previous government no try for di migration system as den leave am "in shambles."

One review dem carry out earlier dis year show say di system dey "badly broken" - unnecessarily complex, slow and inefficient - and e dey in need of "major reform".

A record 510,000 pipo enta Australia within January to June 2023, but di minister tok say her government go "bring numbers back under control" and reduce di annual migration intake by around 50%.

Wetin be di new measures

Among di new measures na tougher minimum English-language requirements for international students.

Plus more scrutiny for pipo wey dey apply for a second visa - dem must prove say any further study go advance dia academic aspirations or dia careers.

About 650,000 foreign students dey for Australia, many of dem dey on dia second visa, according to official data.

Dem don also improve di visa pathways for migrants wit "specialist" or "essential" skills - like highly-skilled tech workers or care workers – to offer better prospects of permanent residency.

Di new policies go attract more of di workers Australia need and help reduce di risk of exploitation for those wey dey live, work and study for di kontri, Ms O'Neil tok.

Opposition migration tok-tok pesin Dan Tehan tok say di government bin dey too slow to adjust migration policies wey dey designed to help Australia recover from di pandemic.

Di horse don escape wen e come to migration mata and di government no say dem no fit catch am only but dem no fit find am," e tok for weekend.

Di Labor government popularity don go down since dia election last year, and in recent weeks, dem don dey under pressure from some quarters to temporarily reduce migration to help relax Australia housing crisis.

However odas like di Business Council of Australia, tok say dem dey use migrants as scapegoat for lack of investment in affordable housing and many years of poor housing policy.