Imigracja to nie tylko naplyw ludzi z wizami rezydenckim, czyli
pobytu stalego - niemal 4 razy tyle przyjechalo w tym roku
jako "imigranci tymczasowi", na wizy studenckie i "pracujace
wakacje".
Migration rules set for revamp
Mary-Anne Toy
August 31, 2009
AUSTRALIA'S immigration policy is set for an overhaul amid concerns
that it is failing to meet the nation's long-term needs, with a
record influx of more than 600,000 temporary residents adding to the
strain of a growing population.
In a significant shift, Immigration Minister Chris Evans told The
Age that cabinet had approved the development of a five to 10-year
plan that would consider the types of migrants that Australia
needed, where they should settle, and the extra need for housing,
transport, water and other resources to accommodate more people.
New figures to be released today show that Australia's official
migration program recorded an intake of 171,318 permanent migrants
in 2008-09.
When the 13,500 refugees and the 47,780 New Zealanders who settled
permanently in Australia are included, the migration program saw
232,598 people arriving in the past year, a 12.8 per cent leap from
the previous year's record high of 219,098 people.
But according to figures obtained by The Age, a further 657,124
temporary migrants with the right to work arrived in Australia
during the past year. The 11 per cent surge in temporary migrants
was fuelled by big increases in foreign students (up 15 per cent to
320,368) and working holiday visas (up 22 per cent to 154,148).
This compensated for a 9 per cent drop in 457 visas - an employer-
sponsored visa for temporary skilled labour introduced in 1995 - to
101,280.
The surge in temporary migrants with a right to work has created an
unprecedented, unplanned migration wave. Senator Evans said
Australia needed a rational immigration debate, beyond the hysteria
about the few hundred boat people who arrive each year.
''The annual figure this year [for skilled permanent migration] was,
say, 115,000, but more than 500,000 came into the country. They came
in as students, temporary workers, working holidaymakers … but the
public still focuses on the 115,000 as if it's got anything to do
with reality and my attempts to have a more sophisticated debate
about this have totally failed.''
Senator Evans said immigration should be the nation's labour agency,
meaning a continued high intake of migrants, especially younger,
skilled workers.
But the desires of migrants - including overseas students who came
in on temporary visas in order to gain permanent residency - should
not be driving Australia's immigration policy.
Decisions about who came to Australia would be increasingly left to
employers although, conversely, Australia would also be competing
for the most highly skilled migrants. Senator Evans said to do that
successfully the impacts of record high immigration on our
liveability had to be tackled.
''In Australia we've got this sense of, 'Well, we're the lucky
country' and … people will naturally come here, and that's still
true to an extent. But other countries … are increasingly marketing
themselves too.''
He said immigration policy would remain non-discriminatory and that
Australia's Muslim communities posed no fundamental threat - despite
the arrest of five Melbourne men on terrorism charges, three from
Somalia and two from Lebanon.
''I don't want to downplay terrorism … It is a serious public policy
challenge that has to be tackled … But there's also been this
slightly irrational fear and debate about people who arrive
unauthorised as possibly posing some sort of threat.''
Luiza-w-Ogrodzie
Pour vivre heureux vivons cachés - By żyć szczęśliwie, żyjmy w ukryciu.
