Australia eyes visa rewrite as British backpackers flood Bondi

Australia's prime minister is looking to tear up part of the visa deal that lets British backpackers skip rural work, after their numbers in the country more than doubled. Anthony Albanese told reporters he wants to discuss changing the agreement with UK mayor Andy Burnham, who he met on Monday evening at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in the Caribbean. The rule at issue is a slice of the free trade agreement signed under Boris Johnson. It spares Britons the roughly three months of regional work that other nationalities must do to help fill job shortages in parts of Australia, and it stretched the working holiday visa out to three years while lifting the age limit to 35. Australia says the numbers tell the story. British arrivals jumped from 40,000 two years ago, hitting 87,000 last year, with most of them piling into Sydney and beachside suburbs. The same relaxed terms apply to Australians heading to the UK, but fewer than 10,000 made that trip last year, according to the Australian government. Albanese took the complaint straight to his own parliament, arguing the arrivals are squeezing local workers in a handful of hotspots. "They are staying at Bondi Beach or Coogee or around particularly the capital cities and working in hospitality there. That's placing enormous pressure because it's distorting the labour market in these areas as well," he said. Burnham confirmed the meeting with Albanese but would not be drawn on whether the visa rules would get rewritten, saying "we'll see" when asked if it was on the agenda. A Downing Street spokesperson said the two leaders had discussed visas during a bilateral in Antigua, but made no commitments, describing talks that touched on migration, illegal migration and opportunities for young people. The readout said both looked forward to continuing discussions during Chogm and staying in close contact.

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