CANBERRA, Feb 23 (Reuters) – Australian Immigration will be cut for the first time in eight years due to its slowing economy and abruptly fall down of its labor demand, Chris Evans, Australian Immigration Minister said on Monday.

“I expect the numbers of our programme to drop next year … as a reaction to the economic circumstances,” Evans told reporters.

“It is fair to say that we expect the demand in the economy for labour to reduce. As it is a programme very much linked to the demand for labour, we expect to run a smaller programme.”

Australia has been accepting immigrants in record numbers in recent years and set a target for 190,300 immigrants this year, up 20 percent on the 2007-08 financial year and higher than the post world war II record of 185,099 in 1969-70.

About one in four of Australia’s 21 million people were born overseas, and Australia has been actively trying to attract skilled workers, with immigration fairs targetting university graduates and people with trades in Europe, Britain and India.

At the same time, Australia has begun a trial programme to bring in thousands of seasonal workers from Pacific islands nations to help farmers pick fruit crops in country areas that have suffered acute labour shortages.

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