AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION
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Non-British immigration has been an issue in Australia since the 1850s
1850 –1860s: Gold rushes all over Australia; immigration of Chinese as well
as Americans (inc. African Americans), Italians, Germans and Spanish.
There were Italians as well as Americans partaking in the Eureka Stockade
General hostility to Chinese, regular protests against them, beatings and
bashings. Based on assumption that they took employment from Australians,
and would lower living and wage standards.
Queensland had high numbers of South Sea Islanders (“Kanakas”) who would
work in the sugar fields.
Generally it was factory workers from the south of the country who were
vehemently against immigration
Each colony decided its immigration laws
After the beginning of talks for Federation it was decided that something
ought to be done to restrict further immigration and/or remove great numbers
of Asian (“coloured”) immigrants
Kanakas and Chinese were deported in the late 1880s and into the 1890s.
January 1901: Federation
Federation celebrations: Chinese, French, German, Swedish and Spanish
Communities contributed to the celebrations. Felt very proud to be in Australia
and to be there celebrating.
December 1901: Immigration Restriction Act given royal assent
Currently it is thought that it was to restrict all immigration to Australia
In historical context it was the only way to restrict Chinese immigration
without actually specifically naming the Chinese as the people who would be
denied access to Australia
Australian Constitution empowers the Federal Government to decide on the
country’s immigration laws Immigration Restriction Act was just this
It was described as an Act ‘to place certain restrictions on immigration and to
provide for the removal from the Commonwealth of prohibited immigrants’
Also prohibited the immigration of the insane, anyone of bad character (this
was also there in the welfare payments), prostitutes, criminals, or anyone
under a contract to work in Australia.
There was also a dictation test in any language to be administered to potential
immigrants
This in turn was the beginning of the White Australia Policy
In today’s context it is racist; at that time the people of Australia believed that
it was their duty to create a “pure” British outpost. Australians felt that the
Britain would be doomed and was destroying itself and so Australia was the
perfect place to begin afresh. They instated measures that they felt would
contribute to this becoming a reality. Thus the White Australia Policy was
popular with everyone.
WWII: White Australia Policy reinforced due to hostilities with Japanese
(1941 John Curtain). Said: ‘ this country shall remain forever the home of the
descendants of those people who came here in peace in order to establish in
the South Seas an outpost of the British race’.
1949: Immigration Minister Harold Holt (later PM and the man who would
grant Aborigines ‘equal’ rights to Australians) allowed 800 non-European
immigrants and Japanese war brides to remain in Australia.
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1957: non-European immigrants who had lived in Australia for at least 15
years were allowed to become Australian citizens
1958: Dictation test abolished and Migration Act passed to make it easier to
remain or immigrate to Australia
1966: beginning of skilled migrants scheme whereby any person with a good
character, readiness to integrate and a trade or profession that was positively
useful to Australia was accepted
Citizenship laws changed: now required 5 years of residence
March 1966: White Australia Policy abolished
Yearly non-European settler arrivals rose from 746 in 1966 to 2696 in 1971,
while yearly part-European settler arrivals rose from 1498 to 6054.
1973: Whitlam government removed further race barriers
These were to:
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legislate that all migrants, of whatever origin, be eligible to obtain citizenship
after three years of permanent residence
issue policy instructions to overseas posts to totally disregard race as a factor
in the selection of migrants and
ratify all international agreements relating to immigration and race.
But Whitlam government reduced the number of accepted immigrants
Increase in non-European immigrants did not occur until the Fraser
government in 1975
An average net population gain of 70,000 was forecast for the first triennium
1978-81 and it was estimated that the new policy would contribute to raising
Australia's population to about 19 million by 2001.
Almost one in four of Australia's 20 million people was born overseas. In
2001-02 the number of arriving settlers totalled 88 900. They came from more
than 150 countries, including New Zealand (17.6 per cent), the United
Kingdom (9.8 per cent), China (7.5 per cent), South Africa (6.4 per cent),
India (5.7 per cent) and Indonesia (4.7 per cent).
Under Hawke/ Keating government the policy of reuniting families was begun
Government would fund the reuniting of families for people from Asia
However, Hawke said that immigration should be stemmed in the cause of
social cohesion
Following 1996 the emphasis on the Asia-oriented foreign policy (and
subsequent immigration policy) gradually began to recede as a conservative
government came to power.
Almost immediately following Howard’s election win Pauline Hanson made
her maiden speech (10 September 1996)
Hanson claimed that Australia was going to be swamped by Asians
She also wanted the government to bring “preferential treatment” to
Aborigines to an end claiming that it was leading to separatism.
Intensified simmering racial tensions in the community with these comments
Speech came when Australia was trying to integrate with Asia (as per
Keating’s view of Australia’s place in the world).
She gained support from those who believe that Australia’s open economic
policy is making the lives of ‘Australians’ worse
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Aiming to cut Australia's immigration influx from 83,000 in 1995-1996 to
74,000 in 1996-1997, the government proposed a reduction of slots for
applicants applying under the family immigration program.
Howard did nothing to publicly condemn Hanson’s views but cut immigration
numbers substantially
The 2001 federal election was run on the two issues of immigration and
terrorism.
An issue has always been the so-called boat people who are illegal immigrants
entering Australian waters in generally overcrowded and unseaworthy boats
Generally these came via the Christmas Islands from Indonesia
Before 2001 the illegal immigrants would be transported to Australia and
housed in detention centres- the most (in)famous being Baxter in SA, and at
Woomera.
Apparently conditions in these centres defy human rights conventions
Prior to the 2001 elections two incidents occurred- Tampa and the Children
Overboard (Siev X).
Tampa was the name of the Norwegian freighter which picked up asylum
seekers close to Christmas Island in September 2001
Due to international law survivors of a shipwreck must be taken to the nearest
port which in this case was Christmas Island which is Australian territory
However, the Australian government refused to allow ‘Tampa’ to dock and
unload the survivors because they claimed that C.I did not have the facilities
for the ship to dock and because the rescue had taken place in Indonesian
waters they should go there instead
The captain of the ship (after a standoff of 3 days) declared an emergency and
proceeded to enter Australian waters. The SAS (Special Air Service) were sent
in and boarded the ship to prevent it from entering Australian territorial waters
The Australian government was seeking to stop any of the asylum seekers
from applying for asylum, which they could legally do as soon as they stepped
foot on Australian territory.
Australia tried to force it back into international waters but Norway warned
Australia against that action. Indonesia and Norway both refused to accept the
asylum seekers. NZ accepted them.
Aus. Received support from the UK for this move
Up 90% of people agreed with the government
Howard’s slogan: “we decide who comes into this country and the
circumstances in which they come”
After Sept. 11 it was applauded
Children Overboard took place in October 2001
Peer Reith (the then defence minister) claimed that illegal immigrants on the
SIEV (suspected illegal entry vessel) X boat people were throwing their
children overboard in order to stop the boat from sinking. He claimed to have
photographic proof of this
It too was heading for C.I
Senate committee discovered that the claim was untrue and the government
knew of this prior to the fed. Election and had lied to the electorate
Mandatory detention is still a current policy of the government whereby all
asylum seekers and illegal immigrants are detained in centres until their cases
are investigated
Some people are detained for 6-7 years
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Recently changes were demanded by Petro Georgio and introduced by
Howard following the Cornelia Rau affair when an Australian permanent
resident (or citizen?) was detained for 8 months in two of these centres
50 Australian citizens have suffered the same fate
Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Aboriginal Affairs say that
there is nothing wrong with mandatory detention and that it is not their job to
identify people but people’s job to identify themselves.
Vanstone has been pressured to resign but has not.
Palmer Inquiry also delved into the case of Vivian Solon
The Inquiry did not have the power of a Royal Commission and as such
proved ineffective though it did condemn the mand. Detention system
Most children were released from the centres
Children also receiving an education while there
Quicker investigation of cases has been promised
Currently the government is returning to the stance that skilled migrants
should be allowed into the country in high numbers.
New immigration level of 90,000 people per year.