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Migration statistics published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics last week has revealed that the migration of Fijians into Australia fell by 28.1% to 5,960 in the year to June 2024.

This follows a large rise in 2021-22 of 322.2 percent to 3,420 and a further 144.4 percent in 2022-23 to an all-time high of 8,360.

Long-term departures from Fiji that is arrivals into Australia fell by 23.1 percent over 2023-24 to 7,030, while long-term arrivals into Fiji that is departures from Australia shot up by 37.2% to 1,070 last financial year.

The ANZ Research’s Pacific Insight states that this means that Fiji saw a net outflow of 5,960 people.

ANZ International Economist Kishti Sen says net overseas migration is the net gain or loss of population through immigration to and emigration from a country.

Sen states that a net loss of population has been behind Fiji’s slowing population growth since 1966.

He adds that following the pandemic lockdown years of very little cross-border movement, demand for labour outside Fiji led to a net outflow of almost 20,000 people in the year ending June 2023, from an annual average of 5,000 prior to COVID-19.

Sen adds that Australia and New Zealand have been the favoured destinations, accounting for 90 percent of all of Fiji’s outbound migration.

However, he adds that both countries are now tightening their migration policies.

He states that the spike in overseas migration that followed border reopening was temporary and unlikely to continue, as the ABS’s statistics confirm.

Sen highlights that going forward, they believe that long-term work departures will continue to retreat from recent peaks, but employment schemes, such as the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) program, will maintain some level of steady flow.

Sen adds that student migration, which drove the escalation in long-term departures, will continue to fall.

He highlights that’s students returning from studies will boost Fiji’s long-term arrivals from 2025.

Sen said they will see net overseas migration adding to Fiji’s population from 2026.

He adds that this population growth will lift domestic consumption, housing and infrastructure investment and provide the workforce to facilitate increased output.