Permanent Migrants on the Rise
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THE Government is to step up permanent immigration to a total of 190,300 people in the coming year—the highest level in years—on top of an estimated 100,000 temporary skilled migrants.
The rise in permanent migration largely reflects a significant boost in entry of skilled migrants. An extra 31,000 skilled migrants will be allowed into Australia, a rise of 30 per cent on last year’s intake.
The Minister for Immigration, Chris Evans, said the move represented a “record increase” in the permanent skilled migration program since the introduction of managed migration in 1947.
The scheme “has not been allowed to grow sufficiently in the past to respond to the skills shortages now faced by employers”, Senator Evans said.
The increase is on top of an additional 6000 skilled migration places announced in February.
Research had shown the labour market participation rate for permanent skilled migrants was now more than 90 per cent.
The increase will cost an additional $1.4 billion over four years for such things as settlement, health and education services. But Senator Evans said this would be more than offset by increased revenues generated by the migrants, including taxes estimated at nearly $3 billion in the same period.
The Government has also committed $19.6 million to improving compliance schemes for temporary skilled migrants, including those coming under the uncapped 457 visa scheme.
The controversial scheme, which unions have criticised for threatening to put pressure on wages and conditions, will account for nearly 50,000 foreign worker arrivals in the first half of this year. That compares with 39,500 of the 457 visas granted over a year in 2003-04.
The temporary skilled migration program is expected to exceed 100,000 both this year and next financial year.
Senator Evans said a ministerial working party would develop a longer-term reform package to be considered as part of next year’s budget.
The working party would consult state and territory governments, industry and the unions as well as an industrial relations expert, Barbara Deegan.
The Government will also grant a modest increase in the number of refugees, allowing entry to 13,500.
This will include a one-off rise of 500 places for people affected by the conflict in Iraq.
“We are committed to helping people in vulnerable situations around the world, in particular Iraqi nationals and refugees in Africa who are unable to return to their homes,” Senator Evans said.
(Posted on May 15, 2008)
Comments
Although Australia is an entire continent, most of it is not inhabitable. Most of Australia’s population lives densely along the east coast. Do a search on google images for “Australia population density map” and you’ll see what I mean.
Can Australia’s population sustain such large amounts of immigrants per year? Certainly, there will be overpopulation and environmental consequences. If the Australian government sincerely cares about its environment, let alone its culture, it would be prudent enough to implement a sane immigration policy. Apparently, that’s not the case.
Posted by Tom at 5:57 PM on May 15
What do the PEOPLE of Australia have to say about all this? Aren’t there enough foreigners in Australia already? Will the ‘government’ not be happy until white Australians are a small minority in their own country? Do any of the so called white ‘governments’ in the world really care about white people? It’s just unbelievable, with absolutely no care for the culture and future of the country. Our fathers are turning over in their graves.
Posted by at 9:18 PM on May 15
There is absolutely no economic justification for this massive increase in immigration. As we all know, immigration has little positive effect on GDP per capita. Nor can it address ‘skills shortages’. Immigration only generates more demand for goods and services, thereby creating even more ‘shortages’. In reality, the only people benefiting from these insanely high levels of immigration are greedy big business groups and non-European minorities seeking to swell their own numbers.
White Australians are being turned into a minority in their own country for nothing.
Posted by EB at 10:26 PM on May 15
“What do the PEOPLE of Australia have to say about all this?”
Generally speaking, we are sick of it. We are sick of being told that wave after wave of immigrants from vastly different cultures somehow ‘benefits’ Australians; we are sick of parts of our cities being turned into ethnic ghettoes; we are sick of seeing a sea of Asian faces in every college and university; we are sick of Third World customs like spitting in the street and girls wearing hijabs; we are sick of the rising level of ethnic crime; we are sick of being told we are ‘racist’ if we object to the cultural and racial transformation of our country.
I have never met one single Australian who is happy about the Asianisation of Australia.
Posted by d at 1:20 AM on May 16
Much of Australia has been in the grip of a severe drought for the past decade. Does it make sense to keep increasing the population under these circumstances? How about it environmentalists?
Posted by Sardonicus at 8:03 AM on May 16
Sardonicus, I was just about to mention the water shortage but you bet me to it. I’d also mention the road congestion issues in Sydney (and other major cities), the food supply issues all over Australia, and the power issues which has seen Australia build a new dam just to cover all the new immigrant arrivals which sadly killed off a lot of Australia’s native wildlife, some of which have become extinct now, when the land upriver was flooded.
Posted by A. Windaus at 11:37 AM on May 16
Our Infrastructure can not handle too many more people. Gas, electricity and water (especially) are all at breaking point. There are housing shortages, the roads are heavily congested and our schools are full of the children of these cultural foreigners.
I read recently that sexual assaults at schools in our region have gone up 400% since 2000.
And our hospitals full of non english speakling leechs from all non-white four corners of the globe.
Most immigrants I’ve spoken to are disappointed that when they get here that’s it’s not as easy as they thought it would be and that the majority of the ‘backbone population’ resent them being here, driving down wages, lowering work standards and decreasing opportunities whilst increasing house prices etc.
Hence they resent us back, and want to see our way of life crumble.
If fact the Mufti(spelling) of Australia has publicly stated that Australia will be a Muslim country in twenty years,(And we all do nothing).
And if you happen to live in a neighourhood like mine (North/West Melbourne) all the local parks seem to be full of African refugees playing soccer, there’s graffiti everywhere, pray mats laid out at midday pointing towards Mecca(Broadmeadows a near by suburb to me is 21% Muslim according to 2006 Australian Census)
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http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?
LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME
MAIN RESPONSES IN SELECTED REGION Selected Region % of total persons in Region Australia % of total persons in Australia
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English only spoken at home 26,751 43.4% 15,581,333 78.5%
Turkish 7,729 12.5% 53,858 0.3%
Arabic 6,606 10.7% 243,662 1.2%
Assyrian 3,197 5.2% 23,524 0.1%
Italian 2,753 4.5% 316,890 1.6%
Greek 1,698 2.8% 252,220 1.3%
In the 2006 Census, English was stated as the only language spoken at home by 43.4% of persons usually resident in Hume (C) - Broadmeadows (Statistical Local Area). The most common languages other than English spoken at home were: Turkish 12.5%, Arabic 10.7%, Assyrian 5.2%, Italian 4.5% and Greek 2.8%.
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RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION
MAIN RESPONSES IN SELECTED REGION Selected Region % of total persons in Region Australia
———————————————————
Catholic 20,813 33.7%
Islam 13,448 21.8%
No Religion 5,683 9.2%
Anglican 4,500 7.3%
Eastern Orthodox 3,497 5.7%
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The train line is safe as long as you travel at peak hour.Ethnic youth gangs. I could go on….
Posted by Gen X White Man in Oz at 12:21 AM on May 17