Australian immigration is a hot topic in the press at the moment, but with so many reports of who said what, it can be difficult to get a grasp on the whole situation. So here’s a summary to what is happening in the world of immigration and politics.
Kevin Rudd’s Immigration Policy
Before Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s resignation, Australia was giving out quite a mixed message on immigration. On the one hand Kevin Rudd stated publicity that a ‘big Australia’ was in everyone’s best interests, but on the other hand a review of immigration policies had led to a shake-up of the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), with rules being made tighter and the focus shifting from general skilled migration to highly skilled migrants filling in specific workforce shortages.
Population growth has been a hot political topic in recent months.
In fact it has been clear for some time that the DIAC have wanted to stem the flow of general migration into Australia. The MODL was revoked and the CSL phased out, replaced by a much shorter Skilled Occupation Lists. Some general skilled visa applications were put on hold and there was the controversial Capping and Ceasing Bill passed through Parliament that gave the Minister for Immigration more powers to suspend and even cancel some Australian visa applications.
Julia Gillard’s Immigration Policy
Now Ms Julia Gillard has stepped into Mr Rudd’s shoes but it’s quite clear that the size doesn’t quite fit. She does not support the idea of a ‘big Australia’ and has clearly stated in press interviews and speeches this last week that she feels some areas, such as Western Sydney, are full to overflowing and that the emphasis should be on a sustainable Australia. She has not announced any plans concerning skilled immigration yet, but she has stated that skilled migration should be directed to the workforce shortages that some states in Australia are experiencing.
The Business Argument for Immigration
Some large businesses, who rely on a migrant workforce, such as the mining industry, have criticised this saying that skilled migration is vital for the Australian economy and for filling critical labour shortages. A sentiment voiced by the chief executive of Fortescue Metals, Andrew Forrest, who says: “If you stop Australia growing then you stop the economy growing and you stop the aspirations of every single Australian growing.”
Large businesses employ overseas migrants to fill labour shortages.
So why can’t the shortages be filled by Australian workers? Ah, now that’s a good point. The argument is that if there is a shortage in say, Queensland, workers from the Northern Territories may migrate over to Queensland to work – leaving the Northern Territories with labour shortages. However we’ve heard from some Australians that getting work with these companies who complain of labour shortages is impossible: “As a skilled caucasian, Australian born engineer, I have been applying for employment with Woodside for 17 years. Most of my applications do not even get a reply. On finally managing to track down one of the extremely aloof human resource personnel….she politely indicate that she did not bother to consider my application because the remuneration and position conditions were not very good. She thought I would not be interested…” – The Swinging Voter. The implications in that post are clear for all to see.
Asylum Seekers in Australia
Further exacerbating the situation is the tendency by some media outlets to lump asylum seekers and immigration all together, often talking about immigration levels and asylum seekers in the same breath. Asylum seekers in fact, make up a tiny minority of immigration levels in Australia – just 1.6%. Yet the way some press report the facts, you’d think that thousands of immigrants are arriving by boat every day. In fact the reality is that those desperate enough to risk their lives by undertaking the dangerous crossing by boat are often those in genuine need of asylum, yet these people are processed in detention centres away from the mainland – some of them are children without any adult guardians. Those clever enough to smuggle themselves into Australia by other means, if caught, are processed on the mainland. Human rights charities have called for an end to this prejudice against so called ‘boat people’, yet neither political party is relenting.
Immigrants like these risk their lives crossing to Australia.
Tony Abbott’s Liberal Party have said that they will turn back the boats arriving into Australian territory. He planned to do this using the Navy to intercept boats and accompany them back to their country of origin. Those who do get through will be processed in offshore detention centres. Meanwhile there are rumours about Julia Gillard’s talks with East Timor and the possibility of a detention centre being built there to house asylum seekers. She too, takes a hardlined approach to refugees arriving in Australian territory, promising that Labour will strengthen Australia’s borders.
But is this not all a bit hysterical? After all, if asylum seekers only make up 1.6% of immigration levels in Australia they are hardly contributing much to the population problem are they? Some charities would argue that refugees are an easy target. Whip the media up into a bit of a frenzy on asylum seekers then come out pledging to get tough and crack down on the problem – a sure fire vote winner as one political media site, The Nationalist Alternative, puts it: “Hyperbolic headlines with barely a scratch of truth about how refugees are arriving in vast numbers of boats and given luxury accommodation fuel the sentiment, and direct attention. The attention is taken away from the vast number of people who use student visas as a back door, away from the large number of ‘economic’ migrants, and towards a relatively small, insignificant numbers of refugees.”
“The government then sees asylum seekers as THE pressing immigration issue, and will act on that, rather than on population growth in general…It has been effectively neutered. The papers sell. The Australian population think their concerns about growth are being attended to. Growth continues unabated.” Quite.
The Immigration Situation Today
And whilst all of this is going on, those who want to emigrate to Australia are left feeling rather bewildered and confused by changes happening in the DIAC. The updated situation is that if you have employer sponsorship under the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) and Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) then you are top of the DIAC priority processing list. Next in line are those applicants who have an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List and after that come all other applications in order of when they are received.
Many people still apply for Australian visas.
Migration to Australia is still very much open to skilled employers and Ms Gillard has stated that she wants Australia to remain welcoming to newcomers. The only people who may be affected by recent changes are international students and those who do not have occupations on the SOL or employer sponsorship. They can still apply for Australian visas but they may have a long wait.
Whichever party gets in at the next elections, one thing is for sure and that is that migration to Australia is changing. For some it is for the better, for others it’s worse. But then no one government policy is going to please everyone, is it?
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