(Photo Credits: www.facsia.gov.au)The Australian Census for 2006 has revealed that 44 per cent of Australians were either born overseas or have at least one parent born in a country other than Australia. It also revealed that the number of Asian immigrants is rapidly increasing, and is quickly catching up to European levels.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, almost one quarter of Australia’s 20 million-plus population was born overseas, and four-fifths of these people lived in Australia’s capital cities.
The news comes in the wake of the 60th year of Australia’s Nationality and Citizenship Act. As part of the celebrations, approximately 13,000 people from 120 countries became Australian Citizens. There has been huge debate about the Australian visa system in recent months, with the government promising that the number of visas granted would continue to grow, rather than be cut back, as some critics have demanded.
Questions have been raised as to whether the government should reduce its skilled migration programme in line with the current economic climate. However, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Evans, has said he will wait for the 2009-10 Budget before any amendments will be made.
Read the full news at Migration News Section, Embraceaustralia.com
By: Leaonne Hall
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