The Australian government announced it will increase its permanent immigration intake by 35,000 to 195,000 in the current fiscal year as the nation grapples with skills and labour shortages.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil announced the increase for the year ending June 30, 2023, during a two-day summit of 140 representatives of governments, trade unions, businesses and industry to address skills shortages exacerbated by the pandemic.
O'Neil said Australian nurses have been working double and triple shifts for the past two years, flights were being cancelled because of a lack of ground staff and fruit was being left to rot on trees because there was no one to pick it.
