Australian Foreign Identity

Australian Immigration Policies

This is the fourth of four blogs focusing on four topics discussed in my tutorial classes in HT120 (Introduction to Australian History) at Christian Heritage College.

According to a page on the Australian Parliament's website, the first federal immigration portfolio was created in 1945...ironically, right after the end of World War Two. As stated by an Australia-Explained article, more than 3 million people migrated to Australia between the years 1947 and 1970. This meant that a population of 7 million in 1945 became about 12.5 million in 1970, and apparently 'most of that growth was courtesy of the migrants.' Strangely, the 'Convention relating to the Status of Refugees', according to the Australian government, was only formerly put in place in 1951; this was six years after the end of the Second World War. 

migrants travelling to Australia in the late 1940s

Since then, however, there has been no shortage of refugees, and other migrants desiring sanctuary and a new life in Australia. In regard to refugees, the standards for eligible refugee status in Australia are: 

Concerning general visas issued to legal migrants the amounts are staggering. Between 1996-2009 there were a total of 1,355,257; in short, that is on average almost 104,250 visas granted every year. According to the Australian Government, migration is encouraged nowadays mostly for 'meeting the labour market needs of the Australian economy.' 

Despite this though, pure amounts of numbers are not sought after, as this guardian article makes quite clear; many asylum seekers are being denied entry into the country, which begs the question as to whether Australia's foreign policy is not set merely on importing a lot of people to 'help the economy.' The implications of this, I fell, are still being realised; however, there is certainly a degree of unrest in Australia as to how asylum seekers are being treated, as is made clear by SBS News. Only time will tell whether Australia's government is able to balance its desires to maintain a good economy, safety, and the happiness of its citizens.