Pauline Hanson has unveiled a new immigration policy that includes three years of net negative overseas migration, a 750,000 reduction in temporary visa holders, and the expulsion of illegal immigrants.
The One Nation leader said on Monday her party would reset Australia’s immigration system by returning the temporary migrant population to 2017 levels, the international student population to 2015 levels, pausing immigration from “do not travel” countries, and giving illegals three months to leave.
Ms Hanson revealed the policy would result in net negative migration for three years, followed by a ceiling of 130,000, which she said would “restore living standards”, and ease pressure on housing and essential services.
I know Australians are doing it tough. Families are competing with hundreds of people for rental accommodation. Patients are stuck in ambulances because there are not enough hospital beds. Young Australians are being locked out of home ownership while wages and infrastructure… pic.twitter.com/wkrEfnCBbc
— Pauline Hanson 🇦🇺 (@PaulineHansonOz) September 13, 2026
“I know Australians are doing it tough. Families are competing with hundreds of people for rental accommodation. Patients are stuck in ambulances because there are not enough hospital beds. Young Australians are being locked out of home ownership while wages and infrastructure fail to keep up,” Ms Hanson said.
“The Labor-Liberal political cartel has sacrificed Australian living standards to serve vested interests demanding continued mass migration. Under Labor, the number of temporary visa holders has surged from 2 million in 2022 to roughly 3 million in 2026.
“A larger economy on paper means nothing if Australians are poorer per person and cannot afford a home, find a hospital bed or get ahead. A larger economic pie doesn’t mean anything if individual Australians’ slice of it is getting smaller.”
Ms Hanson said One Nation would require illegal immigrants to leave within three months, and allow those who do to reapply for a visa, who those who do not leave will be deported and banned for life, and also promised to end the use of taxpayer-funded visa appeals.
The Queensland senator acknowledged the plan would be criticised by the uniparty and pro-mass immigration lobby groups.
“Vested interests and elite economists will shriek at the prospect of these cuts. But Canada has shown you can cut migrant numbers, take pressure off rents and still grow the economy,” she said.
“We will take back control of who comes here and how many we accept, train more Australians, restore living standards and put the safety and security of Australians first.”
Last month Ms Hanson she would halt immigration from 26 countries on Australia’s “do not travel” list, and highlighted Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
Brian Marlow, director of campaign group Revive Australia, said One Nation’s renewed commitment to net negative migration was the result of pressure placed on the party after it said last month that net overseas migration target might not be too different from Labor’s.
“Net-negative migration is the bare minimum required to begin easing the pressure on Australian families. It means fewer people competing for homes, rental properties, hospital beds, schools and infrastructure that is already stretched beyond capacity,” he said.
“Countless Australians used our portal [to contact the party] because they wanted One Nation to restore the policy that had won their support. They made their view clear, and they were heard. This outcome belongs to every person who took the time to act.
“Pauline Hanson and One Nation have done the right thing by restoring net-negative migration. They deserve praise and support for listening, responding and putting forward a serious plan to reduce the temporary visa population.”
The decision came after Ms Hanson was booed for her immigration backflip at pro-free speech rallies on August 30, and a day after thousands of Aussies marched through Brisbane demanding a five-year immigration halt.
Labor responded to the policy on Monday by claiming it would cripple sectors of the economy that depended on immigrant labour, while powerful farming and business groups also said they wanted mass immigration to keep flowing in order to keep wages low.
Liberal MP Andrew Hastie, who last week lashed out at Ms Hanson over a cartoon calling him a traitor, also criticised the policy, but admitted immigration was too high.
“What we don’t know about Pauline Hanson’s policy is the economic, the fiscal, and the human impact it will have,” Mr Hastie told the Today show.
“She posted on Facebook, in the last hour, her policy, but we don’t know what the modelling or the costing is, and it’s up to her to come out and explain that to the Australian people.
“We’ve said that we’re going to cut net overseas migration below the amount of houses that are built every year because housing is a massive issue.”
Header image: Left, Ms Hanson announcing the policy. Right, with actress Holly Valance (One Nation).
