The latest ABS net migration figures expose the misuse of Net Permanent and Long-term movement data by media outlets and anti-immigration campaigners seeking to inflate claims about Australia’s migration intake.

The Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) has been leading a 12-month campaign to misuse Net Permanent and Long-term (NPLT) data starting with an article in The Australian in mid-2025 by the IPA’s Chief Economist, Adam Creighton, who said:

“The Government promised to cut net immigration back to sustainable, pre-COVID levels before the Election, which would imply around 250,000 a year, where it had hovered for years. For this calendar year, it’s on track to exceed........

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