Immigration Dilemma in Australia - Case Study Example

Australian Immigration Dilemmas Name of Student: Name of Course: Name of Instructor: Date of Submission: Executive Summary Immigration is one of the issues that countries have had to deal with in the wake of increased globalization. With the need for the encouragement of interdependence between nations, government has been left in a dilemma on how to insulate their countries from the negative effects of immigration. Issues such as the upholding of a nations identity and managing it survival have continuously been a major point of consideration in the establishment of immigration policies. The following report will give an insight into the immigration dilemma in Australia. Australia s commonly referred to as the nation of immigrants. It has been considered a safe haven for Asia Pacific refugees and also a greener pasture for employment seeking individuals all over the world. The following report will discuss immigration in the country, the immigration dilemma and legislative polices established by the federal government to govern immigration. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Table of Contents 3 1.0Introduction 4 2.0 Analysis 5 2.1 Immigration in Australia 5 2.2 The Australian Immigration Dilemma 6 2.3 Legislative Policies on Immigration Established by the Australian Government 8 3.0 Conclusion 9 References 10 Australian Immigration Dilemmas 1.0 Introduction Immigration has always been a major problem in Australia. The country is in itself a country of immigrants. Out of its total population, the indigenous peoples who include the Aborigines and the Torres Island people account for just but a minority. Over the years, Australia has been a source of Asylum for Asian refugees, a source of employment for the global world, in addition to other reasons behind the sharp immigration into the country (Hugo 2012, p.10). In the wake of increased security, social, political and economic concerns, Australia has had to find amicable ways of dealing with immigration at the country. On one side, the Australia needs the immigrants; they have shortages in labour and skill which in turn necessitates the need to encourage immigration. On the other hand, the country needs to control the immigration so as to balance between its concerns and its humanitarian role in the global world (Zwi, Herzberg, Dossetor & Field 2003, p.20). This has placed Australia in a dilemma; commonly referred to as the immigration dilemma. The following report will give an in depth discussion about immigration in Australia, the Australian immigration dilemma, and also discuss several policies and case studies associated with the Australian immigration department. 2.0 Analysis 2.1 Immigration in Australia Immigration into Australia started around 1945. By then, Australia was white man’s paradise. European settlers had settled into the country following their initial moves to build prisons in the Far East continent/ country. By then the county had a small population of about 6 million people who were mostly white. The indigenous people of the county including the Torres Island people have been continually oppressed by the white Australians. Specifically put, the indigenous people have suffered historical injustices which have in turn contributed to their general poor welfare. The population of the indigenous people has fallen drastically as a result of this. In 1788, their numbers were about 500,000 but this number fell down to 50, 0000 by the end of the 19th century owing to the dispossession, social marginalization and decimation (Castles & Vasta 2004, p.1). Since Australia was a penal colony, settlement into the country was encouraged so as to exploit the rich agricultural and mineral resources. After the Second World War, there was a concern to increase Australia’s population. The popular slogan ‘populate of perish ’ indicated that Australia was under threat of losing its identity f it did not increase its population. With the eminent threat of communism, commonly referred to as the ‘yellow peril’ in the cold war, Australian government encouraged British nationals to migrate into Australia. This was in a bid to keep Australia British and White. However, the high demand for labor in the country could not be met by the British migrants hence the need to tap into other regions in the world. Currently, the country’s population stands at about 25 million. The national government is now concerned with the rising populations which are due to impact heavily on the political, social and economic sectors of Australia. On this point, the country seeks to ensure that the country’s population stays below 35 million by 2040. This has led to the establishment of various legislative policies to govern the immigration process in the country. This report will analyze some of these policies later. The following table shows the populations growth patterns in Australia. Table 1: Population Growth Patterns in Australia (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2010, p.1) 2.2 The Australian Immigration Dilemma Just like other countries in the world for instance United States, and Canada, Australia has had its fair share of immigration related problems. Key to the immigration dilemma is the perception that the immigrants re a threat to the national identity of Australia as a country and also its survival. Initially, the Australian government indicated that the immigrants would not be given permanent/ skilled job in Australia. This was back then in the cold war when the county wanted to increase its population so as to get access to labor and the security associated with numbers. About 70 years later, immigrants have occupied top positions in the country, about 1 in every 4 Australians is an immigrant; a factor which has threatened the very existence of a pure Australian State. Australia has for a long time been referred to as a safe haven for Asian Pacific immigrants. Asylum seekers have always had a soft spot for Australia; a major reason behind the sharp population increases in the country. In addition to this, the country’s population is also made up of many illegal immigrants who have continuously found their way into the country (Hugo 2012, p.13). This explains the strict measures by the Australian Government to curb illegal immigration into the country. The Australian immigration dilemma is associated with several effects. Firstly, the high population is impacts heavily on the country’s infrastructure. With the rising population, the government has been forced to work with unprecedented numbers of people (Howie 2013, p.97). The pressure on the existing infrastructure is growing with every immigrant in the country. The sharp population increases have also led to an increase in the use of natural resources in the country. As a result of this, it can be acknowledged that the immigrants have contributed to the ecological/ carbon footprint in the country. With eminent issues such as a rise in the use of petroleum products in the country, the associated carbon gas emissions have risen drastically leading to the current environmental degradation and climate change in the country and the world at large (Wolldridge 2011, p.1). Lastly, the immigration dilemma has influenced the country’s politics for a long time. Ideally, the immigrants issue is so contentious that it can be twisted in order to win an election and when it is against a candidate; it is a cause of a lost election (Castles & Vasta 2004, p. 1). The above discussion illustrates the Australian Immigration Dilemma. From the discussions, it can be acknowledged that immigrants are perceived as a threat to identity of the country in addition to offering competition to Australians. The following section will analyze the legislative measures taken by successive governments to curb illegal immigration into the country. 2.3 Legislative Policies on Immigration Established by the Australian Government With the rising number of immigrants into Australia, the country has been forced to come up with amicable immigration policies to try and contain the immigration dilemma in the country. These polices have had to balance between the humanitarian needs in the Asia pacific region for instance giving refuge to Sri Lankans (Howe 2013, p. 97). The earliest of them is the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 which was commonly known as the white Australia Policy or the dictation rule. The act was determined to keep Australia free from non whites and specifically strived to keep Australia a British dominated state. After the Second World War, Australia was faced with a low population problem. Coupled with the need for labor in the country’s extensive industries, the country had to allow immigrants into the county even from non European countries. At this time, the phrase ‘populate of perish’ was in action and served as a wakeup call to the government on the need for allowing immigrants into the country. Next was the migration act of 1958. This migration cat has served as a basis for the revision or addition of other clauses into the delicate immigration acts in the country. Currently, the country is in need of labor just as sit was in the 1940s hence have come up with attractive immigration policies to attract the required skills, experience, knowledge and manpower. 3.0 Conclusion In conclusion, this report has been able to give an insight into the immigration dilemma Australia. From the report, it was seen that an immigration dilemma arises when the natives of a country perceive immigrants as a threat to the nation’s identity and also a threat to it survival. It was identified that Australia is a country of immigrants. From its young years as a penal state then a British state, then a whites state to the modern multi cultural, racial and ethnic nation, Australia has been forced to come up with appropriate legislative policies to harmonize the immigration process in the country. The report has given a lengthy discussion of immigration patterns in Australia where it was identified that immigrants make about 25% of the total populations; which is among the highest rates in the world. An in depth discussion of the immigration dilemma in the country identified that the country is in a dilemma of identity and survival just as other countries which are faced with the immigration problem. lastly, the report gave an insight into the developing immigration legislations in the country; form the whites only policy to the modern all inclusive policy. References Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010. Australian Historical Statistics 2008; Australian Demographic Statistics June 2010. Retrieved on 9th December from http://abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS Castles, S., & Vasta, E., 2004. Australia’s Immigration Dilemma, Introduction in Controlling Immigration, second edition. Stanford CA., Stanford University Press Howie, E.,2013. Sri Lankan Boat Migration to Australia, Economic & Political Weekly EPW,Vol xlviII no 35, pp. 97 - 104 Hugo, G., 2012. Population Distribution, Migration and Climate Change in Australia:  An Exploration , National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, pp. 1- 101 Wolldridge, F., 2011. Australia’s Immigration Dilemma – Too Many, Too Much, Too Scary, Before it’s News, Retrieved on 9th December from http://beforeitsnews.com/immigration/2011/11/australias-immigration-dilemma-too-many-too-much-too-scary-1341582.html Read More