Australians are leaving centers such as Sydney and Melbourne for other parts of the country amid a rise in immigration levels under Labor, according to official figures. In the year 2024–2025, more than 33,000 residents left Sydney while 8,600 left Melbourne. Additionally, Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin and Canberra are also experiencing net negative internal migration, as shown by Australian Bureau of Statistics In March 2026. However, the country as a whole has seen an increase in net foreign migration. During the same period it was 78,000 in Sydney, 81,000 in Melbourne and 18,000 in Adelaide. Internal migration increased Brisbane’s population by 34,000 and 11,000 while Perth’s increased by 37,000 and 8,000 respectively. In Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, births also outnumbered immigrants. This rapid population growth has resulted in increased rents and house prices as well as increased pressure on infrastructure and services. For native Australians, negative internal migration is not welcome news because of the overpopulation of the country’s financial capitals by immigrants. Many netizens on X (formerly Twitter) expressed their dismay at seeing residents move out of their native cities. “Australians should not be fleeing immigration. Demographics are being affected too much,” one user wrote. “There’s really nowhere left to run,” added another. One shared, “I got the train from Southern Cross to Bendigo on Saturday. It was literally at 225% capacity. There was literally no room to stand, let alone sit. Inexplicable.” “Don’t worry they are starting to flood the big country towns. Buying everything with finance through India!” Added a user.By mid-2025, more than 916,000 people of Indian origin were living in Australia. They are the second largest migrant group in the country after the British. Recently, the country’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) revised the evidence requirement for Indian student applications under the Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF), shifting them from Evidence Level 2 to Evidence Level 3. This means that Indian applicants will need to provide more detailed financial records and other documentation to prove that their primary purpose is study. Although the move is aimed at checking immigration compliance, it raises questions about the sole focus on Indians.
