Should Australia cap migration intakes by country?

Last year, Canadian analyst Ben Rabidoux tweeted the following graphic on X, questioning whether Canada should set a per-nation cap on its permanent residency intake:

The graphic illustrates how India has dominated Canada’s permanent residency intake, with around 560,000 entries between 2020 and 2024.

Rabidoux stated that Canada received over 400,000 permanent and temporary entrants from India in 2023, which is equivalent to another London, Ontario. Rabidoux suggested that country-level caps would promote integration and maintain the system’s integrity.

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About the author

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.