A troubling trend is emerging in Australia.  More than half of the 2000 who participated in Quantum Market Research for AustraliaSCAN want borders closed and immigration ended.  That’s a shocking 10-percent climb since 2005.

The number of Australian who believe the country can sustain more people has tumbled to less than a third - down 42-percent from 2002.

The study also revealed that almost two thirds believe” migrants should adopt Australia’s way of life” and only a third thought newcomers “made life in Australia more interesting and exciting”.

A lack of job security and a ballooning population could well be reasons for the shift, however opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison blames the Federal Government’s border protection policies for the country’s growing hostility.

"So long as Labor continue to crash confidence as a result of their failures on our borders, they will continue to crash community confidence in our immigration program," he said.

"That's why the Coalition will reinstate proven border protection policies to stop the boats, getting our borders back under control and restoring the integrity in our immigration program."

Mary Drost from suburban resident's action group Planning Backlash claims Australia is running the highest per capita migration program in the world.

Drost told Herald Sun reporters, "the roads are getting more congested, the trains are full, the schools and the hospitals are overloaded".

Dr. Bob Birrel, a leading expert in immigration issues at Monash University says Australians may have good reasons for worrying.

"People are concerned that the present rate of population growth is not sustainable and is going to make Australia a poorer place to live rather than a better one." Dr. Birrel said.

"We have record levels of immigration and as a consequence we are allowing 100,000 migrants to enter the workforce at a time when employment growth is at a level lower than that,"

Labor believes its immigration reforms deliver sustainable levels of migration and responds well to Australia’s growing labour market needs.

The government’s immigration and refugee program for 2012-13 is anticipated to peek at 203,000 people – these are record numbers not seen since the mass migration intakes of the 60s.

Mean while in Norther Sumatra, dozens of Tamils demonstrated outside the International Organization for Migration (IOM) office, demanding they be relocated to Australia.

The 250-protesters who fled Sri Lanka 2-year back, told reporters they were on their way to Australia when their boat was intercepted off the west coast of Java.

“We knew from the beginning that Australia would accept us and give us jobs and provide security for us. We can have new lives and a future in that country.”

An IOM representative explained to protestors that his office had no authority in determining legal status, saying requests for asylum must be handled by the UNHCR.