Migration Program Influences the Population Increase in Australia:
Australia today is recognized internationally as one of the world’s most culturally diverse nations, with a unique blend of indigenous and non-indigenous Australians, and generations of migrants, all of whom bring a wealth of benefits to the Australian communities. Each year, skilled migrants make up the bulk of the migration program. The intake of skilled workers has steadily increased over the last decade to meet the chronic skills shortages experienced by a range of industries throughout Australia as the economy prospered.
On recent years Australia is undergoing extensive demographic changes as the labor force ages, baby boomers look to retirement and record numbers of Australians emigrate overseas. A robust, well-managed immigration program, with a continued emphasis on skills, is an essential element to address these challenges.
Australian government understands that migration is vital because of the profound effects it has on the composition, culture and evolution of the Australian society. Today, with migrants accounting for almost 60 per cent of the nation’s population growth, the government is assuring that immigration will continue to play a major role in shaping Australian society for many years to come.
Current Population Trends:
- Australia’s population reached 21.4 million (at the end of June 2008).
- Australia’s population growth in 2007-08 was made up of 145,500 people through natural increase (births less deaths) and 213,500 through net overseas migration.
- The United Kingdom (UK) remains the largest overseas born group, but as a proportion of the total overseas born, it is declining. The second largest birthplace group is the New Zealand-born.
- Net long-term temporary movements in 2007-08 were 206,605.
- In 2007-08, 76,923 people left Australia permanently and emigration is now at its highest level ever.
- Australia lost 37,095 skilled people through permanent emigration in 2007-08, but gained 52 705 skilled permanent arrivals (settlers).
- In 2007-08 a total of 107,662 people were approved as Australian citizens.
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New Immigration Package to Ease Shortage of Labor Force in Australia
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, unveiled a package of migration measures designed to address Australia’s skills and labor shortages on 17th February 2008. He explored that the new package had the potentiality to provide thousands of additional workers.
Skills and labor shortages are a major cause of inflationary pressures in the economy of Australia. As an immediate measure, the skilled Migration program will be increased by 6,000 places in 2007-08. The additional 6,000 places will bring to 108,500 the total number of permanent visas granted under the Skill Stream of the migration program in 2007-08. The increase will be made up of permanent employer sponsored visas and General Skilled Migration visas. Concerns had been raised by the states and a number of industries regarding their ability to rapidly start up new and significant projects because of skilled labor shortages.
Negotiations are being underway with other countries to expand the reciprocal Working Holiday visa program for young people. The number of people on Working Holiday visas has grown from 85,200 in 2001-02 to 126,600 in 2006-07. Changes to the Working Holiday visa program will enable people who undertake at least three months work in the construction sector in regional Australia to extend their 12 month working holiday visa by another year. This provisional is already available to people who are working in primary industry in regional Australia, which includes the agriculture, forestry, fishing and mining industries. The number of people who had extended their working holiday visa by another year under the scheme had almost trebled from 2,690 in 2005-06 to 7,990 in 2006-07 and is expected to increase by 51 percent this financial year to more than 10,000.
The Temporary Business (Long Stay) visa allows business to recruit skilled labor from overseas for temporary entry to Australia for between three months and four years.
In addition to the new migration measures, skills Australia will oversee the Rudd Government’s commitment to providing an additional 450,000 training places over the next four years and 820,000 over coming decade. The first 20,000 of the Rudd Government’s additional training places will be available by April, 2008.
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Australia welcomes more than 14,000 new citizens
More than 14,000 people from 114 countries will become Australian citizens at 321 Australia Day events around the nation this year. The new citizens would join more than four million others who had become Australian citizens when Australian Citizenship was introduced in 1949. Last Australia Day, 12 500 people from 111 countries became Australian citizens with a record 169,123 people taking the pledge during the 2006-07 financial year.
This year’s Australia Day Citizenship ceremonies range from small events in remote areas for single conferees to one of the nation’s largest ever citizenship ceremonies to be held in my home state of Western Australia. Australia had been enriched by the cultures and traditions of the people from more than 200 countries who had come to Australia.
The first citizenship ceremony took place in February 1949 at Albert Hall in Canberra, where seven conferees represented the six states and the Australian Capital Territory.
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Skilled workers help migration lead population growth
A new publication shows that record arrivals of skilled workers helped immigration become the leading element in Australian population growth last year.
The 2008 edition of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship publication Population Flows: Immigration Aspects reveals that immigration accounted for 56 per cent of Australia's population growth in 2006-07. Australia's migration program had 148,200 places, the most since the late 1980s, and 3.7 per cent more than in 2005-06. Australia's migration program had 148,200 places, the most since the late 1980s, and 3.7 per cent more than in 2005-06. The program plans up to 158,800 places in 2007-08. The 2006-07 skills stream had 97,920 places, an increase of 0.6 per cent on the previous year, and almost two-thirds of the migration program. A quarter of the skilled migrants that came to Australia were citizens of the United Kingdom, while 16 per cent were Indian, 15 per cent Chinese, 4 per cent were South African and 4 per cent Malaysian. The temporary skilled migration program is playing a vital role in addressing the current skills crisis.
Australia's population reached 21 million at the end of June 2007. Population growth in 2006-07 comprised 138,100 people through natural increase (births less deaths) and 177,600 through net migration. Some 50,080 people were granted family-stream visas in 2006-07. Their main countries of citizenship were the UK, China, India, the Philippines and Vietnam. The proportion of Australia's population born overseas rose from 23.1 per cent in 2001 to 23.9 per cent in 2006. This is greater than the UK (where 8.3 per cent of the population was overseas born in 2001), the USA (11.4), Canada (18.4) and New Zealand (22.9).
In 2006-07, a total of 169,123 people were approved to become Australian citizens by grant, descent and resumption – the highest number since citizenship was introduced in 1949. A record number of 136,256 people from more than 190 countries acquired Australian citizenship by grant in 2006-07, a 31.8 per cent increase on 2005-06.
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Funding for projects to support Muslim communities in Australia
There is a fund available for projects to support Muslim Communities for the year 2008-09 community funding round under the National Action Plan to Build on Social Cohesion, Harmony and Security (NAP). The $500,000 funding program aims to enhance the resilience of Muslim communities and increase their participation and ability to connect to the wider community.
The fund would be available for the following procedures:
- Encourage participation in mainstream sporting, social, arts-based and other activities to lessen feelings of isolation and marginalization in Muslim communities
- Encourage current and emerging community leaders, particularly Muslim women and young people, and
- Provide mentoring and volunteering opportunities to young Muslim people.
The use of art, music, comedy and sport will be encouraged, as well as the identification of private sector support, particularly through partnership arrangements.
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Biometrics to play key role in border security
The increased use of biometrics will play an important role in protecting Australia's borders. Biometrics is a key tool in the fight against identity crime which could lead to unlawful entrants threatening Australia's border and visa processes. Biometrics uses measurable biological characteristics to establish a unique identity for a person. Those characteristics are recorded and referred to for identification purposes. In line with other countries, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) currently uses two biometrics includes facial images and finger scans. These biometrics are being progressively rolled out to various immigration processes, including visa applications.
Biometric equipment is also used to collect facial images and fingerprints from people in immigration detention and illegal foreign fishers. Finger scan identifications at the Northern Immigration Detention Centre in Darwin have uncovered cases of illegal foreign fishers attempting to use multiple identities. And earlier this month, biometrics helped identify a Ukrainian backpacker who appeared in a Brisbane hospital with amnesia.
DIAC has begun work on process to develop an evaluation strategy, assess the costs and benefits of broadening biometric capability, strengthen assurance processes and enhance stakeholder involvement. Better identity management and the use of biometrics are fundamental in the fight against identity crime and to secure Australia's borders. It will also facilitate faster processing for genuine travelers.
DIAC is the first point of contact for people coming to Australia. Biometric technology can permanently link them to a unique identity for all future interactions with the department. Biometrics data would only be shared in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 and the disclosure provisions of the Migration Act 1958.
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