Senior Labor figures insist there are no Cabinet splits over the Government’s tightening of migration policies as Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke finalises measures aimed at countering growing community concerns on the number of new arrivals to Australia.

A Cabinet meeting on Monday chaired by Richard Marles as acting prime minister is understood to have given broad approval to the policy details but Labor’s leadership group then decided more work was needed before it could be announced.

One senior Albanese Government figure involved in the high-level discussions on the migration policy tells The Nightly that “there are still a few holes in the changes that we need to fix before we announce it”.

“You don’t want to make any mistakes when unveiling something this important, you have to make sure it is ready and designed correctly before it comes into effect,” the senior figure explained, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Facing growing political pressure from One Nation and the Coalition, Labor is working to reduce the net overseas migration rate from the current level of about 300,000 people a year, to the Budget targets of 245,000 this financial year and 225,000 the following year.

Ahead of Parliament’s return there is growing expectation the soon-to-be unveiled measures will include tougher family visa rules, new caps on backpacker numbers as well as limiting asylum seekers’ work and appeal rights.

Asked whether Labor’s Cabinet remained “pretty divided” on how to tackle immigration to bring down the number of arrivals, Mr Marles on Friday insisted the suggestion was “not right”.

“I’ve seen those reports. I don’t know where they come from, but they’re not right,” he told Channel Nine.

“I’m not going to go into Cabinet discussions. Tony will be speaking to the National Press Club at the earliest opportunity. It’s not unusual for dates to be moved around. “We are focused on putting in place measures which bring migration down, but also which focus our migration program on what we need, and that’s skilled migrants having the skills which are critical for our economy.”

“We continue to work through policies in relation to that. And as I say, Tony will be making his speech shortly.”

Victorian Labor Senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah, who this year has been part of a parliamentary inquiry into migration said it was clear changes needed to be made.

“Broadly speaking, I am in favour of reform if it makes our immigration system much more sustainable and makes sure that it better suits the skill needs of our country and the economic needs of our country, and while preserving its integrity. And I think that’s really what Australians want,” she told News24 on Friday.

“We understand that we are a multicultural nation and that migrants have a valuable economic contribution in this country. But we need to ensure that the system is sustainable and retains its integrity.”

During a visit to a housing business in Victoria, Deputy Opposition Leader Jane Hume again seized on the apparent divisions inside Labor over how to tackle the immigration issue.

“It does concern the Coalition that there are so many temporary visa holders in Australia, particularly because there are about 41,000 more temporary visa holders in Australia now than there were at this time last year,” Senator Hume said.

“They have missed their own migration targets every single year, and of course now their Cabinet is divided. Do they want more migrants? Do they want fewer migrants? If they want fewer migrants, how are they going to get there?”