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Explore every episode of the podcast Immigration issues
Dive into the complete episode list for Immigration issues. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One Nation came second in the Hunter electorate last election. What do voters there think now? | 04 Jul 2026 | 00:08:02 | |
Support for One Nation has been on the rise in recent months. But in the electorate of Hunter - a Labor stronghold in New South Wales - the party was the runner up in last year's election, one of only two electorates where that happened. SBS News reporter Kerrin Thomas travelled to Hunter to speak to residents about how they're feeling about the party's latest moves. | |||
| Support for multiculturalism is declining. Why is that so? | 23 Jun 2026 | 00:09:08 | |
A new report by the Lowy Institute reveals support for multiculturalism in Australia has plunged in the past two years. A recent poll has linked a decline in support for both current migration levels and multiculturalism, which coincides with growing fears about economic and social safety. A new report by the Lowy Institute reveals support for multiculturalism in Australia has plunged in the past two years. A recent poll has linked a decline in support for both current migration levels and multiculturalism, which coincides with growing fears about economic and social safety. | |||
| As Australia celebrates one million refugees, some employers are stepping up offering jobs and training | 19 Jun 2026 | 00:07:25 | |
This week, Australia celebrates the one million refugees who’ve made a home here since the end of World War Two. While some employers are offering new jobs and training, there are also calls to cut the refugee intake and some initiatives are at risk. | |||
| NSW’s first Migrant Workers Centre opens in Sydney | 21 May 2026 | 00:04:32 | |
The New South Wales government has unveiled the state's first Migrant Workers Centre to support temporary visa holders. It means migrant workers in Sydney now have a dedicated hub to seek help over work exploitation. It’s backed by $6.5 million in state funding over the next four years to provide workplace, safety and immigration support to vulnerable migrants across the state. | |||
| Strong backlash as Angus Taylor unveils Coalition’s controversial immigration policy | 14 Apr 2026 | 00:07:56 | |
Opposition leader Angus Taylor has outlined the Coalition's new hardline immigration policy. The plan has drawn widespread criticism and strong condemnation from critics, including Labor and human rights groups. | |||
| Darwin multicultural walking group connecting migrants one step at a time | 11 Apr 2026 | 00:03:42 | |
A local program in Darwin is helping refugees and new migrants connect with their community, while building life-long friendships. The walking group may be simple, but organisers say at a time when more people are facing conflict and displacement, the initiative provides a welcome escape. | |||
| New website and app to safeguard international students in Australia | 25 Feb 2026 | 00:04:49 | |
For international students studying in Australia, accessing healthcare is often seen as too expensive - or too confusing to navigate. But a new initiative - designed by international students FOR international students - aims to make services easier to find, while breaking down taboos around sexual and mental health. | |||
| ‘Are our loved ones alive or not?’ A distressing start to the academic year for these international students | 06 Feb 2026 | 00:05:02 | |
University students in Australia, including more than 800,000 from overseas, are preparing for a new academic year. However, many from Iran are facing financial hardship while also grieving lives lost during recent protests. | |||
| Nationwide protests against ICE sweep across United States | 11 Jan 2026 | 00:03:08 | |
At least 29 people have been arrested in Minneapolis during ongoing protests over the fatal shooting of a US citizen by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. The killing of Renee Good has sparked demonstrations across the country, while further confrontations with ICE agents have been filmed. | |||
| Tensions deepen across the US over fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis | 09 Jan 2026 | 00:05:49 | |
Tensions between Minnesota and federal officials have deepened over a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer's fatal shooting of a woman in the city of Minneapolis. Protesters have clashed with law enforcement in the city, the day after the US citizen was killed by ICE agents. | |||
| Venezuelans in Australia respond as events unfold | 05 Jan 2026 | 00:06:25 | |
Events in Venezuela have stirred emotion among the Latin American diaspora in Australia. In Sydney and Melbourne, Venezuelans are gathering in streets and community spaces as developments unfold. | |||
| 'I wish I was a dog in Australia': Muhammad's story as UN probes immigration detention | 02 Dec 2025 | 00:09:33 | |
Australia's immigration detention regime is under United Nations scrutiny this week. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is examining how the country deprives people of their liberty — from prisons to offshore detention facilities. And for people like Muhammad, who spent six years in detention, this review is one that's long overdue. | |||
| INTERVIEW: Associate Professor Bassina Farbenblum | 22 Nov 2025 | 00:09:58 | |
As thousands of international students prepare to take summer holiday jobs, Associate Professor Bassina Farbenblum, an expert on migrants' rights from the University of New South Wales, warns that more is needed to protect students from wage theft and abuse. She says Australia has a ‘pervasive problem’ with workplace exploitation of international students and those on temporary visas. Dr Farbenblum is speaking to SBS’s Sandra Fulloon. | |||
| New names added to migration Welcome Wall at National Maritime Museum | 22 Nov 2025 | 00:04:06 | |
Two panels have been unveiled at Australia's National Maritime Museum to honour a new group of migrant families. Museum Director and CEO Ms Daryl Karp and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke say the Monument is a celebration of the long history of migrants who have shaped modern Australia. | |||
| Calls for a better refugee response as Australia approaches one millionth visa milestone | 08 Nov 2025 | 00:06:20 | |
Australia is set to issue its one millionth permanent humanitarian visa since the end of World War II as early as the end of this year. The milestone has prompted celebration over the immense contribution refugees make to Australia's national story. But refugee rights organisations say it's a pertinent time to consider how Australia can improve its response to mass global displacement. | |||
| A rich cultural heritage celebrated in lights: Diwali | 18 Oct 2025 | 00:03:21 | |
Diwali is the biggest festival in India and many South Asian countries, marking the victory of good over evil and the triumph of light over darkness. It is celebrated by more than a billion people around the world, including diaspora communities in Australia. | |||
| Yazidi refugees in Toowoomba find community through hockey | 04 Oct 2025 | 00:04:08 | |
The Queensland city of Toowoomba has become home to thousands of Yazidi refugees. A local hockey program is aiming to develop confidence and language skills for this community, with the help of retired locals on the field. | |||
| Vital role of translators celebrated amid AI challenge | 29 Sep 2025 | 00:07:38 | |
It's been eight years since the United Nations first recognised International Translation Day. The celebration falls on 30 September and recognises the work of language professionals who foster cultural understanding, connection and social cohesion. But some translators and interpreters in Australia believe more needs to be done to protect the workforce and bridge language barriers. | |||
| Australia's newest citizens welcomed in ceremonies on Australian Citizenship Day | 17 Sep 2025 | 00:06:08 | |
Thousands are celebrating becoming new Australians, as local councils hosted ceremonies around the country for Australian Citizenship Day. SBS spoke to some of the new citizens. | |||
| Hope and hate: how governments around the world are responding to 'illegal' immigration | 06 Sep 2025 | 00:17:52 | |
Recently, local news headlines have been dominated by stories about anti-immigration rallies which were held across Australia on the last day of August. But it's not just in Australia where migration has created such deep feelings - it's also an issue that has been front and centre in the US as Donald Trump fulfils his election campaign promise to carry out mass deportations. There are now at least a million fewer immigrants in the US, raising questions about the impact of their absence on key industries like agriculture and construction. Migration is also a major concern in Europe, which has long grappled with what to do with the scores of people fleeing war and poverty in their home countries. This episode of the TOO HARD BASKET focuses on these complexities. | |||
| How a grandmother's curry tells the story of a family's migration journey | 05 Sep 2025 | 00:04:26 | |
Making a chicken curry on stage is not what you would usually expect when visiting the theatre. But for actor Joshua Jamil Hinton, it's the centrepiece of his show, due to open in Brisbane this month, telling his story of living between different cultures and grappling with his own identity. | |||
| Anti-immigration rallies ignore Australia's economic dependence on migration | 05 Sep 2025 | 00:07:35 | |
Australia in anti-immigration marches.At the heart of what organisers called the 'March for Australia' rallies was a call to end "mass migration", which protesters claimed is to blame for issues like the housing crisis and rise in cost of living. Experts say a paradox exists in the anti-immigration ideas put forward at these rallies: the very people protesters want fewer of are the ones propping up the nation's economy, workforce, and future. | |||
| Thousands rally against immigration with neo-Nazis taking the spotlight | 01 Sep 2025 | 00:08:25 | |
A wave of nation-wide anti-immigration rallies have swept Australia's capital cities, with thousands joining marches and clashing with police and counter-protesters across the country. Organisers say the events were calling for an end to what they consider "mass migration" into Australia, while neo-Nazi groups infiltrated a number of the events to stir up chaos. | |||
| 'An attack on multiculturalism': government's new Nauru deal greeted with alarm | 01 Sep 2025 | 00:06:49 | |
The Federal Government has struck a $400 million deal with Nauru that it says paves the way for deportation of the so-called NZYQ cohort. The announcement has been met with outrage from advocates, human rights lawyers, and the Greens. Critics say the deal threatens fundamental legal rights in ways that could be applied more broadly. | |||
| These Karen women are weaving new lives in Australia but fear for thousands struggling in camps | 15 Aug 2025 | 00:04:18 | |
As international aid dwindles, refugees worldwide face worsening food insecurity. Among thousands displaced by ongoing conflict in Myanmar, experts warn a humanitarian crisis is looming. Those who’ve found refuge in Australia are working to keep culture alive. | |||
| Grants for social enterprises look to break cycles of disadvantage | 13 Aug 2025 | 00:03:45 | |
The federal government has announced there'll be 22 grants made to social enterprises to help support marginalised communities. It's part of an $11 million investment aimed at tackling issues like long-term unemployment and discrimination. | |||
| Refugees in visa limbo for 13 years take their plight to Parliament | 28 Jul 2025 | 00:03:26 | |
A group of refugees who say they've been living in limbo in Australia for 13 years have taken their fight for permanent residency to federal parliament in Canberra.They're part of a group of more than 8,000 people who had their refugee protection claims rejected under a now-abolished visa system. | |||
| 'Bullying, yelling, sexual harassment, underpaid': study finds one in three young workers are ripped off | 15 Jul 2025 | 00:04:03 | |
A third of young workers in Australia are being paid less than $15 an hour - that's almost ten dollars below the minimum hourly wage. It's one of the key findings of a Melbourne University report showing 15 to 30 year olds are experiencing widespread breaches of labour laws. And those from non-English speaking backgrounds were shown to be the worst treated in the workplace. | |||
| 'Save us from this hopeless situation': Afghan refugee calls on Australia to protect his family | 03 Jul 2025 | 00:09:41 | |
Ahmad and his family have spent the past three and a half years living in limbo after fleeing the Taliban for Pakistan. He has now waited more than 42 months to hear a response to his Refugee and Humanitarian visa application from the Australian government. As Pakistani authorities boost efforts to deport migrants like Ahmad's family back to Afghanistan, he is fearing persecution and even death at the hands of the Taliban. | |||
| ‘I didn’t sleep at all’: One mother’s terrifying wait for news from a war zone | 27 Jun 2025 | 00:05:06 | |
It was a tense week for families with loved ones in the Middle East – especially for one Melbourne mother separated from her three sons in Iran. When phone and internet failed, she did not know if they had survived. | |||
| Amy thought she had a secure job as an international student - she was wrong | 21 Jun 2025 | 00:06:53 | |
Since 2024, the federal government has launched several policies to restrict international student numbers, including raising the fees for student visa applications, and slowing down the processing time for visas. The new rules have significantly affected the independent education sectors, which provide English learning and vocational education to international students, leading to closures of some of these institutions. | |||
| "We have to talk about the uncomfortable thing": refugee artists explore issues of identity and home | 20 Jun 2025 | 00:07:41 | |
The Internationally renowned slam poet known as Huda the Goddess has officially claimed the UNHCR-SBS Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition. The honours coincide with World Refugee Day, which celebrates refugees and their contribution to society. | |||
| Migrants reflect on life in Australia, 50 years after fleeing Timor-Leste | 12 Jun 2025 | 00:03:03 | |
This year, SBS marks 50 years of broadcasting, providing an important service to multicultural Australia through promoting inclusion and delivering in-language information. It's also the 50th anniversary of the biggest wave of Timorese migration to Australia. Fleeing conflict, the community has established its roots across the country while maintaining its language and traditions. | |||
| 'We're running out of time': Operation Babylift adoptees return to Vietnam to search for family | 29 Apr 2025 | 00:07:07 | |
As the world marks 50 years since the fall of Saigon and end of the Vietnam War, a group of adoptees who were taken out of the country prior to 1975 are racing against time to find the mothers they were separated from. An event spearheaded by Australian-Vietnamese adoptees saw a group of them embark on a bike ride to raise money for elderly Vietnamese residents and spread awareness of their ongoing search for family. | |||
| Trauma casts a long shadow for immigration detainees | 29 Mar 2025 | 00:07:33 | |
A new report has highlighted alarming mental health outcomes for individuals who have spent time in detention. Refugees and migrants already experience lower rates of mental health literacy - but one initiative is looking to raise awareness and provide easy English resources in culturally and linguistically diverse communities. The initiative has emerged amid debate about controversial laws that would enable the government to deport any individual without a visa to a third country. | |||
| Protests erupt after student arrests in US immigration sweep | 29 Mar 2025 | 00:03:26 | |
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says more than 300 foreign student visas may have been revoked under the Trump Administration's immigration crackdown. But the tactics used by the State Department have come under fire after the street arrest of a 30-year-old PhD student it claims was a Hamas supporter. Protesters say there's no evidence of that, describing her arrest and visa cancellation as an attack on free speech. | |||
| Lives on hold, contributions unrecognised: people awaiting residency petition parliament | 25 Feb 2025 | 00:05:07 | |
Many people waiting for permanent residency on a certain subclass of visa say delays in granting Permanent Residency by the Department of Home Affairs have left them in limbo, and their lives on hold. They don't feel like their contributions to Australia - and particularly the contributions they made through the COVID pandemic - are being adequately repaid. | |||
| 'Huge ambitions' moving forward as refugee resettlement scheme becomes permanent | 20 Feb 2025 | 00:04:40 | |
The federal government has announced that the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot - known as CRISP - will become permanent. The initiative, launched in mid 2022, has helped over 500 refugees to be settled by community groups across Australia. | |||
| Should Australia bring back the Significant Investor Visa? | 11 Feb 2025 | 00:04:37 | |
New Zealand has announced that wealthy investors need only spend 21 days in the country over three years to gain permanent residency under new conditions for so-called "golden ticket" visas. A similar visa scheme in Australia was scrapped by the government last year, but the Federal Opposition has signalled it could be reinstated if elected. | |||
| The Sydney school embracing Mongolian language and culture | 15 Dec 2024 | 00:03:24 | |
There has been an uptick in migration from Mongolia to Australia, As a result, New South Wales Public Schools have experienced a 40 per cent growth in students from Mongolian backgrounds for two years running - encouraging one school to become a hub for the community. And this story has been produced in collaboration with SBS Mongolian. | |||
| SBS language broadcasts added to iconic Sounds of Australia collection | 10 Dec 2024 | 00:07:58 | |
Ten extraordinary audio recordings illustrating Australia’s cultural and political landscape have been added to the National Film & Sound Archive’s Sounds of Australia collection. The 2024 additions include the first Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australian to use recorded sound to document Aboriginal culture, hip hop, speeches, a theme tune, the launch of what is now SBS Audio, an advertising jingle for an iconic Australian beer, and the last known recording of a now-extinct species. | |||
| Refugees are settling well in Australia but programs fail to consider women, report finds | 28 Nov 2024 | 00:04:21 | |
Settling into a new country is a daunting prospect. But a study over 10-years has found there are a variety of positive outcomes that refugees can experience in their first decade of living in Australia. Still, many face challenges with renewed calls for better policies to assist those who are struggling. | |||
| Asylum seeker advocates say the government is abandoning multicultural communities | 27 Nov 2024 | 00:07:04 | |
Labor's package of migration legislation will pass the Senate, with the Coalition agreeing to pass the three bills. The changes to the Migration Act would give the immigration minister powers to impose blanket visa bans on countries, pay third countries to deport non-citizens, and ban items like phones from detention centres. | |||
| 'It broke us, the whole feeling of shame, anger, despair': Modern slavery survivor | 16 Oct 2024 | 00:08:25 | |
Australia is increasingly eager to welcome temporary migrant workers from the Pacific into farm and food processing jobs. But a NSW parliamentary inquiry into modern slavery is set to examine the significant risks these workers can face. | |||
| Asylum seekers call on Labor to end visa uncertainty after Coalition-era rejections | 15 Oct 2024 | 00:04:37 | |
Asylum seekers are still calling on Labor to fulfil its election pledge and end their visa uncertainty, after thousands of refugee claims were rejected under a Coalition-era assessment scheme. They're part of a silent protest at the Home Affairs Minister's office which has now gone on for more than 70 days. | |||
| Universities brace for Labor's planned cap on overseas students | 28 Aug 2024 | 00:06:17 | |
International student commencements will be capped next year as the government tries to limit overseas migration. Education Minister Jason Clare says the caps will make the international education sector fairer, but many universities have opposed the plan. | |||
| The health issues faced by migrant men in Australia | 07 Aug 2024 | 00:04:24 | |
New research has found men from migrant backgrounds experience poorer health outcomes, the longer they live in Australia. It's among a range of findings by the Movember Institute of Men's Health, showing barriers to accessing care are among the biggest challenges they face. | |||
| Refugees, asylum-seekers face escalating struggle for homes in their new home | 21 Jun 2024 | 00:08:03 | |
Refugees and asylum seekers in high-income countries struggle to find stable, affordable housing, which can negatively affect their health. A Flinders University study has identified barriers like language, lack of rental references, and discrimination are affecting migrants seeking homes in their new home. | |||
| If migration is a key election issue, the debate had better be civil | 19 Jun 2024 | 00:06:45 | |
Is Australia's great multicultural experiment over? That's what two experts on immigration and international relations have asked in an address to the National Press Club in Canberra. They're calling for a new understanding of net migration and the role of international students if the project is to be saved. | |||
| Coalition says a person's ties to Australia shouldn't be factored into visa cancellations | 28 May 2024 | 00:03:36 | |
The government is under increasing pressure over immigration after the visa of a New Zealand national guilty of rape was reinstated by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. The Coalition is calling on the federal government to scrap a ministerial direction that requires courts to consider an individual's ties to Australia when reviewing visa cancellations. | |||
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