Australia appears to be heading into the choppy seas of another divisive debate about migration.

And if you look at the global conflation of issues around migration, cost of living and rising conflicts against the backdrop of rising nationalist populism, there is a possibility that Australia’s hard-won and much cherished brand of multiculturalism may founder in this maelstrom of misinformation.

Here in Australia migration has again been weaponised politically.

But a calm, evidence-based look at the actual data on migration and an analysis of the benefits migration brings to Australia, delivers a completely different perspective.

Recently released figures have revealed the critical role migrants play in keeping Australia running.

According to Department of Home Affairs data, a significant proportion of workers in essential industries were born overseas.

That includes 57 per cent of GPs, 47 per cent of surgeons, 43 per cent of nurses, 40 per cent of aged and disability carers, 37 per cent of child carers, 37 per cent of plasterers, 28 per cent of building labourers and 52 per cent of farm workers.

My organisation supports migrants and refugees settle in Australia. Part of this work is helping people find employment – a critical factor in starting a new life in a new country.

We often see migrants willing to take jobs that most Australians don’t want as a first step in building a new life.

And we continue to advocate that the skills of migrants be recognised and used to their greatest effect for the benefit of Australia.

Shift work in airport services, food processing, retail, hospitality and transport is demanding and onerous for the individual worker. But it is also vital to the functioning of our economy.

A seminal example of this can be found in the town of Nhill, in western Victoria. Nhill is home to poultry processing plant that was at risk closure because of a lack of labour.

When a  group of Karen refugees took up jobs at the plant in 2011, it was saved – along with the future prosperity of the town.

The influx of the Karen gave Nhill a population threshold that kept the local hospital and schools viable and added $105 million to the local economy over a decade.

Economist Dr Ian Pringle has said that without migration the Australian economy would have been in recession over the past two years.

He said that with current low birth rates, migration is vital for the economy wellbeing of the nation.

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show migration growth is above pre-pandemic levels but tracking steadily down.

Despite the increase in net overseas migration over the past few years – a result of the COVID-19 border closures – Australia’s population in mid-2025 was still about 350,000 less than Treasury predicted in the December 2019 midyear budget.

Australia Institute economist Matt Grundoff says that there is nothing to suggest that the Australian population is now growing at a much faster rate or that things have drastically changed.

While negative rhetoric about migration and population growth has been on an upward trajectory, population growth has not.

The statistics show the pandemic having a significant impact on population, but the numbers of people coming to Australia have returned to what they were before COVID.

There has also been misinformation circulating is that migrants have been fuelling rising house prices.

According to the Australia Institute, over the past ten years, housing supply has actually grown faster than the population. The number of dwellings has increased by 19 per cent, while the population has grown by just 16 per cent.

What’s at risk here is social cohesion and Australia’s vibrant multicultural society.

Australia is among the most successful multicultural nations in the world and the envy of many.

Multiculturalism is not just a policy or an idea. With one third  of us born oversea and half of us with at least one parent born overseas, it is who we are.

Multiculturalism is part of everyday Australian life. We see it in our schools, workplaces, businesses, communities and sporting clubs – and even among the Socceroo squad currently representing Australia at the World Cup.

In the dangerous waters of an increasingly uncertain geopolitics, the global connections and knowledge of our multicultural communities are also an asset that can help us navigate an unpredictable world.

Opinion – Melinda Collinson, CEO AMES Australia