Migration rose by one-third last year to lift Australia’s population by a record 659,000

The federal government has announced migration-cutting policies including English language requirements and a ‘genuine student’ test. Photograph: Roni Bintang/Getty Images

Australia welcomed more than 2,000 migrants a day in the year to September, helping to swell the country’s population by a record 659,800, reigniting political debate about measures to reduce arrivals.

Migration arrivals rose by a third compared with the previous year to hit 765,900, driven by international students and workers on temporary visas, while departures slipped to 217,100.