Australians are leaving centers such as Sydney and Melbourne for other parts of the country amid a surge in immigration under Labor, official figures show. In 2024-2025, more than 33,000 residents will leave Sydney and 8,600 residents will abandon Melbourne. Additionally, Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin and Canberra are also experiencing net negative internal migration, according to the report. Australian Bureau of Statistics March 2026. However, net overseas migration has risen significantly across the country. Over the same period, there were 78,000 in Sydney, 81,000 in Melbourne and 18,000 in Adelaide. Brisbane’s population increased by 34,000 and 11,000 people due to internal migration, while Perth’s population increased by 37,000 and 8,000 respectively. Immigrants also far outnumber births in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. Rapid population growth has led to rising rents and house prices, as well as increased pressure on infrastructure and services. Negative internal migration is not welcome news to native Australians, as the reason lies in the overpopulation of immigrants in the country’s financial capital. Many netizens took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their disappointment that residents had to move out of their hometowns. “Australians should not be fleeing because of immigration. Demographics are being affected too much,” one user wrote. Another added: “There’s really no escape.” “I took the train from Southern Cross to Bendigo on Saturday. It was literally at 225% capacity. There was barely anywhere to stand, let alone sit. Unfathomable,” one person shared. “Don’t worry, they have started to flock to the bigger rural towns. Buy everything with finance through India!” 1 user added.As of mid-2025, more than 916,000 people of Indian origin lived in Australia. They make up the second largest immigrant group in the country, followed by the British. Recently, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) revised the evidence requirements for Indian student applications under the Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF), raising the evidence level from Level 2 to Level 3. This means that Indian applicants will need to provide more detailed financial records and other documentation to demonstrate that their primary purpose is to study. While the move is aimed at checking immigration compliance, it does raise questions about the focus on Indians only.
