Australia’s Immigration Minister Rejects ‘Assimilation’ Concept in Migration Debate

Australia’s Labor Immigration Minister Tony Burke says he doesn’t accept the term “assimilation” because he doesn’t want migrants to “lose who they are.”

“The concept of immigration, is people when they come to Australia want to be part of Australia,” he told Australia’s multicultural broadcaster SBS.

“That’s what people want and I’ve never accepted the word assimilation—I don’t want people to lose who they are.

“The word ‘integration’ is one that’s being used as part of a multicultural dialogue for a very long time and that’s what it is, we want people for who they are.”

Burke says he has never supported the “melting pot concept” that people’s identities should subsume into the broader local culture.

Burke’s comments come amid debate about immigration and assimilation volumes into Australia.

Last month, the federal opposition released one part of its new migration strategy, which pledged to cut down migrant numbers and those with ill-fitting values.

The Liberals are pledging to remove 65,000 people who have overstayed visas or broken laws, stop those who don’t share Australian values from entering the country, and give authorities more power to scrutinise the social media history of applicants.

The Liberals have also pledged a multi-agency taskforce similar to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and would require migrants to sign a legally binding agreement to be of good character in Australia.

“Australians see the erosion of national culture and the balkanisation of communities that has come from immigration policies that have not prioritised values,” Taylor said.

In response, Minister Burke wrote on X, “Australia is and should always be a country where we judge you by who you are, not where you’re from.”

The Liberal Party’s sudden switch to tougher migration policies comes amid a surge of support in the polls for the conservative-leaning One Nation, which has been vocal about immigration levels for years.

One Nation’s official policy is to deport 75,000 individuals who have overstayed or violated visa conditions, cap visa issuance to 130,000 per year, and prevent any further avenues of appeal for visa applicants via the Administrative Review Tribunal.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), net overseas migration into Australia in the 2024-25 financial year was 306,000, down from 429,000 the year before.

Migration is the biggest contributor to population growth in Australia.