Migrants, Immigration and Multiculturalism

Questions / Facts
How diverse is the Australian population / Many years of migration from a range of countries has made Australia culturally diverse.
·  In the 2001 Census, about one-fifth of Australia's population stated that they were born overseas. At June 2002, overseas born residents in Australia comprised of 4.6 million people, remaining at approximately 23% of the total population.
·  Within the western world, Australia has a high proportion of overseas-born persons (23.1%). This is higher than New Zealand (18.7%) and Canada (18.4%), and much higher than the United States (11.4%).
·  At the 2001 Census, of the overseas-born population, most came from the United Kingdom (25.4%), New Zealand (8.7%) and Italy (5.4%).
·  Western Australia has the highest proportion of residents born overseas (28.5%). New South Wales and Victoria have almost equal proportions of overseas-born people (24.8% and 24.6% respectively) followed by the ACT (22.6 %) and South Australia (21.2 %), Queensland (18.0 %), NT (15.5 %) and Tasmania (10.5%).
What is the composition of Australia’s migrant population? / Until the 1970s, the 'White Australia' policy restricted immigration from non-European countries. Today’s immigration policies are not racially discriminatory. Anyone can apply for a visa to settle permanently in Australia regardless of their ethnic origin, race, religion or gender.
In 2003-04, the top 10 source countries for permanent settlers were: the United Kingdom (23,958); New Zealand (14,425); China (13,316); India (11,359); South Africa (7,578); Malaysia (5,101); Philippines (4,705); Sudan (4,604); Indonesia (4,393); and Singapore (3,114).
What is multiculturalism? / Multiculturalism is a government policy that recognises and celebrates Australia's cultural diversity and seeks to address the challenges and opportunities arising from it.
What are the current level so immigration? What are the percentages for each state? / In 2003-04, the number of new migrants who settled permanently in Australia was 148,884. This figure included:
·  111,590 people living overseas who applied for and were granted a visa allowing them to enter and stay permanently in Australia
Who is accepted to migrate to Australia? / New Zealanders can enter, live and work in Australia under the terms of the Trans-Tasman Travel Agreement and do not need a visa. All other migrants must apply for a visa to come to Australia. To get a visa, migrants must pass health and character checks and meet certain entrance criteria depending on the category they fit into. These categories include Skill Stream migrants, Family Stream migrants and Humanitarian Program entrants.
What is the Family Stream in the migration program? / Family Stream migrants are chosen according to their relationship with a sponsor who must be a close family member and an Australian resident or citizen. In 2003-04, there were 42,229 Family Stream visas granted. The majority of Family Stream migrants (85.6% in 2003-04) are the spouses or fiancés of Australian citizens or permanent residents. Many visa classes in the Family Stream are strictly limited. The proportion of Family Stream migrants in Australia's overall migration program has fallen from 49% in 1996-97 to 37% in 2003-04.15
How skilled are the people migrating here? / In 2003-04, there were 71,240 places for Skill Stream migrants. The proportion of skilled migrants in Australia's overall migration program has risen from 37.3% in 1996-97 to 62.3% in 2003-04.
How does immigration affect the economy / Immigration increases the rate of economic growth and job creation. By increasing the size of Australia’s population the demand for goods and services is also increased.
This in turn, creates jobs in the industries that supply these goods and services. One of the industries most directly affected by immigration is the housing industry. New immigrants increase the demand for housing. Building these houses then need to be furnished, so furnishing companies also benefit.
Does immigration lead to higher unemployment? Provide examples / Migration raises average incomes and increases the scale of the economy generating wealth and overall more employment for all Australians. Immigration does not cause higher unemployment. In fact, migrants create jobs by increasing demand for goods and services. Research also shows that the ability of migrants to participate in the workforce increases the longer they live in Australia.
Do migrants face barriers in gaining employment, provide examples / Migrants face many barriers in gaining employment. Firstly, unless from New Zealand migrants need a visa. To get a visa, migrants must pass health and character checks and meet certain entrance criteria depending on the category they fit into. They are selected by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. Skill Stream migrants are chosen according to their occupation, age, education, work experience and English language ability.
Family Stream migrants are chosen according to their relationship with a sponsor who must be a close family member and an Australian resident or citizen.
Humanitarian Program entrants are chosen because they are refugees or people in need of humanitarian assistance.
Do many migrants work in lower skilled positions? Why do you think this is so? / While the unemployment rate of new migrants immediately after their arrival is higher than the Australian average, their unemployment rate falls significantly over time. Long-established migrants (23 years residence or more) have lower rates of unemployment than the Australian-born (4.2 % compared with 6%).
Recent research suggests that the success with which new migrants find jobs is also related to their proficiency in English, age, skill level and qualifications and migration category.
More than half (55%) of all migrants arrive in Australia with a post-school qualification. However, less than half (48%) of all migrants who arrive with a skilled or basic vocational qualification have their qualification recognized in Australia. Migrants from Southeast Asia are especially disadvantaged: less than one-third (30%) of migrants with post-school qualifications obtained in the Southeast Asian region had their qualification recognized in Australia.
What conditions must be met for migrants to obtain welfare payments / Migrants must wait two years before they can access most social security payments, including unemployment assistance, sickness benefits or student allowances. This waiting period does not apply to refugees and other humanitarian entrants on Permanent Protection Visas.
Sponsors of some family migrants must lodge a bond ensuring repayment to the government if the migrant claims social security benefits within two years of arrival. This bond is between $1,500 and $3,500 per person.
Most new migrants are not eligible for age or disability pensions until 10 years after their arrival in Australia.
In an effort to reduce health and welfare costs associated with aged migrants, parent migration was dramatically reduced from 8,890 in 1995-96 to a planned intake of 500 in 2001-02. In 2003, a new parent visa category (the Contributory Parent Visa) was introduced for applicants who are able to pay $25,000 for a visa (in addition to a $10,000 bond).
Do people from migrant backgrounds commit more crime? / As a group, immigrants commit fewer criminal offences and are less likely to be in prison than the Australian born population. This can be vindicated by many statistics and can be seen with the high number of Australian born citizens who are part of the Australian prison system and who have past criminal records