The Hidden Costs of Illegal Immigration into Australia - Coursework Example

The Hidden Costs of Illegal Immigration into Australia As the incidence of illegal migration into Australia continues to rise, this phenomenon couldbe making a clear impact on the Australian economy. It is when illegal immigration becomes more widespread that the economy of a country is most affected. Consequently it is necessary for Australia to employ strict controls on illegal immigration. This essay will set out the main perceptions among Australians, about illegal immigration and aim to show why strong actions are necessary to control immigration to Australia. While the beliefs of many Australians are not based in fact or reality, but are just perceptions, it is necessary to act decisively in preventing illegal immigration, because of the horrible crimes that can go with this illegal immigration. The actions and policies of the Australian Government will be considered and a PESTEL analysis relating to the problem being discussed will be carried out. Small net gains are made in per capita income in a country receiving immigrants legally and have no discernible historical impact on the employment of indigenous peoples. (Coppel, J., Dumont, J. & Visco, I., 2001, 4) The costs of illegal immigration into Australia, though, exceed $400 million a year, arising from the estimated 80 000 unregistered migrants presently living there. (Butler, 2009) As revealed in the August 28th edition of The Age, by journalist, Bob Bottom, the number of illegal immigrants in the country is beginning to have a serious effect on the national economy. In the available statistics published by the Department of Immigration and Australian Citizenship (DIAC), and reported on by Butler on the website, On Target, about 70% of illegal immigrants are employed within the Australian economy. One area of the Australian economy specifically affected by this statistic is payment of Social Security. Unemployed legal migrants and indigenous Australians, it has been argued, could be seen to be more reliant on Social Security as a result of the employment of illegal immigrants, therefore costing the Australian economy more. (Hodge & O’Carroll, 2006) As far back as 2002, it has been proposed by writers such as Jupp, that social tensions may arise between illegal migrants and groups of local Australians and legitimate migrants. Jupp reports on so-called “job-stealing” and “queue-jumping” among ethnic communities. (Jupp, 2002, 112) Health threats have also been raised, for example, by Raphael Cilento, in claims that unofficial immigration might lead to unmonitored entry of various viruses and illnesses. (Kidd, 2005) Extending on this argument, Butler, again on the On Target website, contentiously, refers to the health risks inherent in the sex-work industry, claiming that Asian women, specifically, may be brought into Australia illegally, without undergoing health checks. Unidentified illnesses could then be passed onto the Australian general population unnecessarily. He goes further to link such human trafficking rackets to the workings of Chinese Triads, widely believed to profit from vice and crime. While there may or may not be some incidence of such criminal links, the monitoring of the health of illegal immigrants does remain an ethical necessity. To some degree, the views of these writers do reflect perceptions among many Australians. Despite claims of such criminality, even the more legitimate avenues of immigration can be misused. Many students enter Australia on student visas. In 2008-9, for example, large numbers of “long term visitors” either did not renew their student or work visas, or return to their countries of origin. (Overseas Arrivals and Departures – Total Movements Tables www.immi.gov.aus/legislation) There may also be numbers of students engaging in this practice who are not included in the national statistics. Another “legitimate” way of gaining citizenship is through marriage. The Australian Government recognises de facto marriage as a recognised basis for the granting of permanent residence. The de facto nature of the relationship is open to interpretation, but the partner in such a relationship has the same status as the traditional spouse. (Department of Immigration and Australian Citizenship, 2009) This system is certainly open to abuse, with allegorical evidence of marriages to Australian citizens taking place after exchanges of large amounts of money. It has also been argued that the interpretations of rules, governing de facto marriage, are too open. Recent Australian history, particularly under Prime Minister John Howard, sheds some light on this debate. During Howard’s tenure – 4 consecutive terms – steady growth in employment levels and economic improvement took place. Inflation rates remained low. These advances took place within the framework of fairly conservative policies: the denial of support for global warming theories; support for the US-Iraqi war and a hard line against illegal immigration. Only humanitarian reasons would justify the entry of illegal immigrants into Australia. Diligent policing at ports of entry and, indeed, anywhere within Australian waters, was commonplace. (Crotty & Roberts, 2009) This approach was widely supported by the Australian electorate – hence Howard’s 4 terms in office. It appears consequently, that the current role of the government – one of oversight and looser controls – should be reviewed. It is, though, a different age and travel, technology and human society have all advanced significantly. And these are purely negative views of Illegal Immigration to Australia – a more factual analysis of what is being done to manage immigration is required. Theorists claim, for instance, that too much focus is placed on the negative impact of immigration – on the labour market where immigrants may displace indigenous people in employment or causing reduced wages. (Friedberg & Hunt, 1995, 23) Arguments can be made that desired immigrants could add to the per-capita income of an economy, or that skills profiles could improve in a country. It is difficult, though, to regulate the “quality” of immigrants into a country. (Coppel, Dumont & Visco, 2001, 4) This is especially true when there is no control over the nature or the number of the immigrants – the case with illegal immigration. From a customs control point of view, illegal immigration is believed to correlate positively with cross border crime. Of note among these crimes are transnational crimes committed beyond the borders of Australia, as well as the movement of goods across the borders of the country. A closer examination and research are necessary to establish the statistics on the frequency and types of illegal activities taking place in Australia. Consideration of the local responses to such activity is also needed. Australia is a signatory of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, established ay the Palermo Convention (December 2008). As a signatory, many aids to controlling local borders are recommended and provided. Local customs offices are sponsored and encouraged to adopt standard codes in response to international organized crime. Several of these codes of practice have been developed in response to the needs of individual group members and suggest appropriate, context-specific solutions. Such initiatives aid in the combat of transnational organized crime. (Edwards & Gill, 2003) key responsibilities of customs offices implementing the Palermo Convention resolutions include: identification of illegally transported firearms, cigarettes, people and illicit drugs. The application of these stringent rules to the movement of immigrants to Australia would have clear benefits. It is evident that international crime syndicates continue to escalate their activity. Commercial fraud, waste disposal, including nuclear waste, stolen vehicles, arms and weaponry, human organs for transplant, pornography, even stolen art and illegal money no longer respect national borders. This has caused the closer monitoring and focus on the “comings and goings” at Australian borders. (Schloenhardt, 2003, 331-378) Every international transaction is monitored closely on two levels: checking for any illegal commodity or goods (in effect, for illegal financial benefit); and ensuring that commodities and goods crossing the borders are accompanied by accurate and legitimate paperwork. The existence of such checks, surely, must make the control of human passage across Australian borders more effective. But, according to Byers, in his work Custom, power and the power of rules: International relations and customary international law, more is still to be done in the fight against international organized crime. Customs officials and administrators across countries should work even more closely together. Information-sharing needs further co-ordination and a clear framework should be established and maintained to ensure effective information sharing globally. Cargoes could be tracked across the world and highlighted cargoes made subject to close physical inspection. Time would be saved if genuinely legitimate cargo could be easily discerned. Intelligence shared across international borders would make it possible to establish which cargo consignments required more attention and, hence, contraband could be tracked and captured. When human beings are transported, effectively as cargo, across international borders, even more care should be taken to in early identification of such vessels or craft. Law enforcement agencies, worldwide, should establish effective communication networks and universal protocols if international crime is to be minimised. Byers also contends that patterns or trade cycles can be seen in the activities of organized crime syndicates. Global networks of criminal activities are well established in many countries and continue to spread. International borders are ignored in an effort to exploit access to trade goods, capital services and resources. Not least among such criminal activities is the trafficking of human beings. Given the sophistication of criminal organizations and the lure of enormous profits, Australia does not escape this ever-increasing trend. And, with the widespread access to communication technology, criminals are able to remain “one-step-ahead” of government agencies, while using high-speed communication technology to both recruit and advertise humans for exploitation. Wherever a country has identifiable administration weaknesses, crime syndicates are able to take advantage of those weaknesses. Less-controlled legal systems, or careless customs offices, are attractions for the international criminal. The banking havens of the Pacific Basin and the Caribbean lend credence to this hypothesis. (Block & Weaver, 2004, 67) There appears to be a supportive and understanding network among international criminals. In Australia, it seems, criminal activities are structured almost like “outsourcing” companies, where control groups “employ” street-level criminals to perform specific criminal activities. The humans “imported” for sweatshops, or in the sex industry, or in unskilled labour, would likely be controlled by a single organization. Monitoring of traffic through customs is essential to prevent this extreme form of illegal immigration. But, the systems used by customs officials – information collected and recorded regarding company names, destinations, origins, transportation modes, recipients – are also used by criminal syndicates to conceal illegal cargo from detection. (Collins, 2001) Even when Australian law enforcement agencies and Australian customs administration co-operate, the elusiveness of the criminals is evident. The mobilization of various agencies is essential. To link and communicate regarding specific cargo consignments and potentially criminal activities, and to have access to the required intelligence to identify suspect cargoes or activities, requires the combined expertise of numerous government agencies. The Australian government has established customs agencies, national crime agencies, state crime agencies, federal police agencies and further sub-agencies to perform within the field of expertise of each. (Schloenhardt, 2003, 331-378) Co-operation and information-sharing among these agencies can facilitate and strengthen the offensive against crime. The access to the resources and intelligence of all these agencies, combined, create more comprehensive data bases and ultimately solutions more appropriate to eradicating such crimes. A macro-environment PESTEL analysis, based on the political, economic, social and technological factors influencing a situation (Swartbrooke&Homer, 2002) can be applied to the illegal immigration situation in Australia. The perceptions that jobs are stolen, that national health is threatened and that crime increases are all associated with illegal immigration. Through PESTEL analysis, these issues and the hurdles to lessening their effects can be measured in the macro-environment. Political decisions are meant to intervene for the improvement of citizen’s lives. They influence the education and skills of the workforce, health and the economic infrastructure of the country. Roads, bridges and rails systems could be evaluated here. (Swartbrooke & Homer, 2002) In the area of illegal immigration to Australia, the policies, laws and enforcement of laws by the government will influence perceptions of the situation. Current Australian Government Policy can be accessed on the Department of Immigration and Australian Citizenship website. (see references) The policy of government is to “facilitate the lawful international movement of people while regulating the entry and presence of non-citizens in Australia.” (Current Government Policy 12. on www.immi.gov.aus/legislation) Further, the awareness within the government of human trafficking and its responses to this issue are clear in the previously mentioned internet publication. Monetary gain is very relevant to illegal immigration. Many immigrants flee their countries because of poverty and new opportunities abroad. The trafficking of humans is also becoming a profitable illegal industry worldwide. For this reason, the law-enforcement agencies in Australia have “...posted officers overseas to investigate and report evidence of people-smuggling operations.” (Current Government Policy 15. on www.immi.gov.aus/legislation) Co-operation agreements are in place to exchange information and work together with other governments, as mentioned earlier in this essay. Industries where labour is vital benefit from the lower wages that can be paid to non-citizen workers. The Australian Government also includes in its definition of illegal immigrants, workers – people who are in Australia legally but are in breach of visa conditions. While some of these workers are just students or young travellers, others are exploited as they have no work rights. Some people deceive foreign nationals into arriving in Australia to find that their work conditions are terrible. Worst among these are women who are imported into the Australian sex industry. These women also often are at higher risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. Criminals also try to get people into Australia after charging them huge amounts of money. (Who are illegal workers? 23., 25., 27. on www.immi.gov.aus/legislation) It can be argued that legal Australians suffer unemployment because all of this. The sex industry, which sometimes relies on the importation of humans, is also not easily monitored by government. In addition, the cost of monitoring, detaining and deporting illegal immigrants on the Australian Government is huge. In 1997-98, $50 million dollars was spent. (Current Government Policy 14. on www.immi.gov.aus/legislation) This ties into the social context in Australia. Demand for certain products within the country, and the willingness and availability of workers in the field (Haderberg & Rieple, 2008), is affected by illegal immigration. If unskilled labourers cost employers less because they are illegal immigrants, the legal Australian workers are affected. It is also proposed that women sex workers who are illegal immigrants are more at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS than Australian women, due to the debt bondage arrangements that they have with traffickers. (Who are illegal workers? 27. on www.immi.gov.aus/legislation) Immigrants may contribute to improve an economy when it has an aging workforce, however. The technology advances available allow the better tracking of people and so illegal immigration should be more efficiently monitored. For example, passports now come equipped with an RFID chip. Technological factors refer to the use of technology to create a new product or develop new processes. Environmental factors refer to climate or weather change. These can affect farming and tourism. (Heideberg & Rieple, 2008) This is a crucial issue in Australia. An increased population will result in increased pollution, whether the population is legal or not. At the same time, those who are illegal are less apt to follow current regulations and environmental laws. The clear conclusion is that illegal immigration into Australia is widespread. The methods for entry into the country range from jumping ship to flying in on light aircraft. In December, 1998, it was estimated that 51 000 illegal immigrants were living in Australia. In 2008-9, 47 030 settlers arrived in New South Wales, alone. Also in New South Wales, 132 268 long term visitors arrived but only 59 705 long term visitors left the country. (Department of Immigration and Australian Citizenship, 2009) These were legally document people. Statistics for illegal immigrants arriving in Australia cannot be easily established but it is safe to assume that their numbers also reflect huge increases. Australia’s government may not be able to stop every illegal immigrant, but economically and socially, it ought to plan for their arrival while simultaneously enforcing immigration laws. . References Block, A. A., & Weaver, C. A. (2004). All Is Clouded by Desire: Global Banking, Money Laundering, and International Organized Crime (W. J. Chambliss, Ed.). Westport, CT: Praeger. Retrieved November 10, 2009, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=106724408 Boucher, G. & Sharpe, M. (2008). Times will suit them: Postmodern conservation in Australia. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin Buttler, E. (2009). On Target. Retrieved November 10, 2009 from http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:fvwlpl5fEwkJ:www.alor.org/Volume25/Vol25No33.htm+%22illegal+immigration+in+australia%22+crime+australia&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us Byers, M. (1999). Custom, power and the power of rules: International relations and customary international law. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press Collins, D. (2001). Cross border crime and solutions. 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Borderwork in Multicultural Australia. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin. Retrieved November 10, 2009, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=113652177 Kidd, R. (2005). The way we civilize: Aboriginal affairs, the untold story. Queensland: University of Queensland Press Jupp, J. (2002). From White Australia to Woomera: The Story of Australian Immigration. New York: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved November 10, 2009, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=107174726 PESTEL analysis of the macro environment (2007). Retrieved November 10, 2009 from http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_12.htm Schloenhardt, A. (2003). Migrant Smuggling: Illegal Migration and Organised Crime in Australia and the Asia Pacific Region in International Journal of the Sociology of Law (Vol. 29, 4) December 2001 Boston: Martinus Nijhoff. 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