“ Regardless of who the migrants are, just by having more you benefit because you don't need twice the resources to sustain that population. You also have a larger customer base. There's all kinds of benefits that come from size.
"That's why people move from country to city, it's exactly the same argument there as the argument internationally… There's also international evidence that shows migrants add to productivity, because more people means more ideas."
Dr Ryan Edwards, a migration expert at the Australian National University, warned against letting short-term concerns about housing distract from this long-term benefit. "I think it's a risky game for politicians to play."
Similar sentiment is almost universal among migration experts. And politicians on both sides of politics are also happy to agree that migration has long-run benefits.
But as on many issues, the politics can tend to focus on the short-term.