One Nation wants to restrict migration. A town in Barnaby Joyce's electorate welcomes it – video
Guardian AU
•Tue, 18 Aug 2026 03:48:33 GMT
📰 What Happened
A Guardian Australia video travels to Armidale in New South Wales, a designated refugee resettlement site since 2018, which sits within the electorate of former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce. Reporter Adeshola Ore speaks with Joyce and community members, including refugees, about how the town squares with One Nation's vision of a 'monocultural' Australia. Joyce was a key supporter of Armidale's resettlement but has since defected from the Nationals to One Nation, a party that wants to ban migrants who don't speak English.
🔍 The Backstory
Armidale has been resettling refugees since it became a designated site in 2018. Joyce once championed this resettlement, but his move to One Nation has created an open tension between his national anti-migration politics and the on-the-ground reality of an electorate that welcomes newcomers.
🎯 Why It Matters
The piece exposes the contradiction between national anti-migration rhetoric and the experience of communities that welcome and benefit from refugee resettlement. It informs the migration debate in Australia at a time when One Nation and others are pushing to restrict immigration.
A Guardian Australia video travels to Armidale in New South Wales, a designated refugee resettlement site since 2018, which sits within the electorate of former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce. Reporter Adeshola Ore speaks with Joyce and community members, including refugees, about how the town squares with One Nation's vision of a 'monocultural' Australia. Joyce was a key supporter of Armidale's resettlement but has since defected from the Nationals to One Nation, a party that wants to ban migrants who don't speak English.
Armidale has been resettling refugees since it became a designated site in 2018. Joyce once championed this resettlement, but his move to One Nation has created an open tension between his national anti-migration politics and the on-the-ground reality of an electorate that welcomes newcomers.
The piece exposes the contradiction between national anti-migration rhetoric and the experience of communities that welcome and benefit from refugee resettlement. It informs the migration debate in Australia at a time when One Nation and others are pushing to restrict immigration.