One Nation's migration proposal threatens university funding, campuses and research output

One Nation's migration plan calls for a steep reduction in international student enrolments, dropping the cap from 590,000 to 350,000 and curbing the number of graduates who can stay after study from 270,000 to 40,000. Universities Australia warns that such cuts would force university campuses to shut, leave Australian students without places and threaten thousands of academic jobs. Former Liberal MP Phil Honeywood condemned the proposal as another attack on young people seeking world-class education.

Experts stress that international student fees currently provide over a quarter of university revenue and fund much of the country's research, so the plan could cripple R&D and the broader economy. The sector also fears the move signals a broader shift toward populist immigration restrictions that could erode Australia's soft power in the region.