Migration Policy

This excellent report is the culmination of work undertaken by Talia Stump at Multicultural NSW for her Churchill Fellowship this year.

On Friday 4  May 2018, the Settlement Council of Australia added its support to the movement by peak industry and union bodies, together with key community organisations, to reaffirm our unified commitment to Australia's migration program. In a unique and unprecedented development, the National Compact on Permanent Migration represents a strong consensus on the need to maintain Australia's successful nation building program. SCoA Chairperson, Dewani Bakkum said on Friday, "Australia, its economy and its people thrive thanks in part to the maintenance of a well-supported, welcoming and inclusive migration program." SCoA CEO, Nick Tebbey, said "As the peak body for Australia's dynamic settlement sector, SCoA, through its members, sees the true value of the contribution that migrants make, and will continue to make, to our great nation. At the same time, we see the challenges that migrants face when settling here, and the need to properly support them through well calibrated, flexible settlement services, that empower migrants to reach their potential." SCoA members across the nation are in the strongest position to assist migrants in achieving effective settlement outcomes and, together with appropriate government support, play a pivotal role in enhancing and ensuring the contributions that migrants make to Australia. "SCoA welcomes the opportunity to join the call for a renewed commitment to our migration program and is confident this is the best way to ensure Australia's continued economic success, and to cement our place as one of the world's leading multicultural nations" Ms Bakkum said. Read the National Compact here For more information, contact our national office on 02 6282 8515 or info@scoa.org.au.

The first issue of Australian Population Studies contains an insightful article examining the impact of migration on employment growth in Australia over the five year period: 2011-16. The article is available for free on the journal's website. Click here to view.

In September 2017, SCOA CEO, Nick Tebbey, was consulted by global news company Devex in relation to research it was conducting following the release of the Australian Census. The research looked at the location of refugees across Australia, their nationalities and the lessons that could be drawn from this information about Australia's response to the global refugee crisis. The article discusses the settlement experiences of refugees in Australia, and provides a useful interactive tool for exploring this issue. View the article here.

In April 2017 the Federal Government proposed to make changes to citizenship requirements in Australia. The details of the proposal are contained in the Strengthening the Test for Australian Citizenship discussion paper. Australia is a nation built on immigration. It is repeatedly celebrated for its ability to include people from diverse backgrounds, skills and experience, and for the diversity and prosperity that this brings. It is widely accepted that Australia’s citizenship laws have played a crucial role in fostering inclusion and enabling the country to welcome migrants and encourage them to become part of the Australian community. This submission was released in June 2017.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released a number of interesting data sets arising from the 2016 Census.

Data describing Australia's rich cultural diversity has been compiled into a useful report which can be accessed here.

Australia’s migration program provides a crucial opportunity to achieve mutual long‐term benefits for Australia as well as the migrants whose entry it facilitates. For this to succeed, however, services must be adequate to support new arrivals as they settle in to their new homes. Migrants in Australia, including those from a refugee background, are well known for their tenacity, resourcefulness and commitment to Australia. However it is accepted that they face challenges in their relocation to Australia and, as a result, require specific services to ensure they are able to participate actively in the economy and in society more generally. Naturally, the level of services required differs greatly between different classes of migrant and, indeed, between individual migrants. Australia has a long and proud history of delivering services that are tailored to meet the needs of new arrivals in a way that is effective, efficient and achieves the best possible settlement outcomes. Submission released January 2017.

This paper aims to reach a deeper understanding of the role that migrants and humanitarian entrants play in the broader Australian community in order to develop a proper understanding of Migration in Australia. This briefing paper was released in November 2016.

Following announcements by the Australian Government on 20 April 2017, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection released a discussion paper, seeking input into proposed changes that are intended to strengthen Australian citizenship. The discussion paper can be accessed here.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has released its discussion paper, launching its annual consultation on the composition of the 2017-18 Humanitarian Programme.

The Australian Human Rights Commission looks at alternatives to Australia's response to unauthorised and irregular migration.