Migration 'splash' easing in Australia: expert

A post-pandemic "migration splash" is easing in Australia, with an expert dismissing claims international students are impacting the national housing market.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released data on international arrivals and departures over the last 12 months, with the country receiving an uptick in travellers.

Australia had an 11.3 per cent increase in total arrivals on the previous year, countered by a 12.1 per cent increase in departures.

Short-term visitor arrivals and resident returns also each increased by more than 10 per cent on the previous year.

"Net overseas migration is declining at a faster rate than it grew after the pandemic," the Australian National University's Professor Alan Gamlen told AAP.

"The initial splash has happened and we're on the way back down to normal."

However, the federal government hopes to slash net migration to 260,000 this financial year.

It also aims to limit the number of foreign students to 270,000 from 2025, with critics claiming they are being made scapegoats for the national housing crisis.

But Prof Gamlen dismissed talk that migration in Australia was out of control, saying decisions were being made based on "fear and prejudice".

"The reality of what's happening here is that we're still in a period of disruption from the biggest disruptive event to human migration (pandemic)," he said.

"But it's simply not the case that we're in an out of control migration situation - that's a false narrative about migration that we see around the world."

The number of student arrivals in October 2024 was 22.2 per cent lower than the pre-COVID levels in October 2019.

International student numbers data showed 39,530 arrivals to Australia in October 2024 - an increase of 740 in the corresponding month of last year.

Prof Gamlen said a political and media debate had emerged that falsely claimed international student migrants had affected the national housing market.

"There are other factors that are driving our housing trends that have nothing to do with migration," he said.

"It's perpetuating this political debate which is going completely off piste, off track, and focusing on issues that don't exist.

"As a result, we're making policies and decisions that affect millions of people's lives, billions of dollars based on basically fear and prejudice rather than the facts."

The highest total overseas arrivals in the last decade sits at 2.26 million in January 2020 compared to 2.12 million in January 2024.

The most departures was 2.19 million in December 2019, with 2.03 million most recently in December 2023.

Short-term resident departures accounted for the highest percentage change in the last 12 months with an increase of 13.9 per cent.

New Zealand accounted for 21 per cent of all visitor arrivals between October 2023 and October 2024, ahead of China and the United Kingdom.

More people arrived in Australia as either a short or long term resident and visitor in the last 12 months than departed the country.