How Immigration is Changing Australian Society

Once the only people migrating to Australia were Europeans, but in recent decades, the face of Australian immigration has changed completely. What we today call the ‘Australian Society’ has been really defined by the people who migrated here during 1940s; who were mostly European. Till 1970s, with the White Australia Policy in effect, only Europeans could come as permanent migrants in Australia. However, this policy was abolished by Whit lam Labor Government in 1972, since it wanted to do away with discrimination based on color of a person and other socially dishonorable basis. After that the government introduced several new immigration programs that helped in shaping Australia into a multicultural society. Since then several million people have migrated to Australia from more than 200 countries from across the globe. And till today, about one-fourth of the Australia’s total population is born outside Australia.

As the industrial development sped up in Australia so did the need for skilled workers in many thriving Australian industries. That resulted into a decisive shift of immigration towards South Asia and Asia Pacific countries. And till date, the immigration to Australia is geared to fulfill the skills gap in Australian labor market.

In 2011-12, 68% of the total arrival of immigrants in Australia was through the skilled migrant category under the permanent immigration program. Also, the traditional dominant countries in Australian immigration, the UK and Ireland, are replaced by South Asian and Asian Pacific countries today. Since 1990s India has become the most dominant country in Australian immigration. Over 30,000 Indians migrated to Australia as permanent migrants in 2013. While China is on second spot, the UK has dropped down to the fourth spot. Although, the country with most people migrating to Australia is New Zealand, but its people are not considered as immigrants in Australia due to the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement between these countries.

This shift in the Australian immigration is more than a decade old. While Australia remains a cosmopolitan nation and welcoming to foreign nations, the stats clearly show how the change in ethnic composition in Australian society continues to accelerate with this shift.

However, the major impact comes from various temporary immigration programs, with temporary migrants outnumbering permanent migrants with a ratio of three-to-one. In fact, according to stats, more than 42% of permanent migrants in 2012 were already living in Australia on temporary basis. The government as well appreciates these numbers, since people who have experience of living in Australia have a better chance to get settled here successfully. Most of these temporary migrants include overseas students, people on working holiday visas and temporary work visa holders. Again people from India and China dominate the most in temporary migration programs.

There is a mixed opinion in Australia about how this shift in immigration is changing the face of Australian society but most people are welcoming this change. Also the government continues to strive to make its policies friendlier for those who are eligible to migrate to Australia lawfully.

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Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.

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