Trends in International Migration
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SOPEMI Trends in International Migration Continuous Reporting System on Migration ANNUAL REPORT 2001 EDITION ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT Part III RECENT CHANGES IN MIGRATION MOVEMENTS AND POLICIES (COUNTRY NOTES) This Section is comprised of detailed notes on the trends in migration flows and policies in each of the countries studied. The characteristics of each country are presented as follows: 1. Trends in migration movements. 2. Structure and changes in the foreign population. 3. Migration and the labour market. 4. Policy developments. Australia AUSTRALIA Introduction Australia’s economic growth averaged over 4% during the second half of the 1990s. Although the rate of growth has been decelerating since 1998, with a pronounced slowdown taking place in the second half of 2000, unemployment has continued to decline; at the end of 2000 it was just over 6.5%. Against a background of con- tinued structural improvement in productivity performance, employment growth is likely to remain robust. The policy initiatives implemented in 1999-2000 have been motivated by four key aims: to improve the alignment between the needs of Australia’s economy and the entry requirements imposed on immigrants; to ensure that the Australian public continues to have confidence in the way that border controls are managed; to maintain the integrity and effectiveness of the country’s humanitarian programme; and, to develop socially and culturally appropriate settlement policies in such a way as to enhance the multicultural nature of Austra- lian society. 1. Trends in migration movements Inflows and outflows of foreign-born persons Permanent and long-term migration Net migration during 1999/2000 was estimated at 107 300: both permanent entries and definitive depar- tures rose by 10 and 17% respectively, to 92 300 and 41 100 respectively; the latter being the highest recorded in the series since 1973/1974. Long-term entries (12 months or more) rose by 13% to 212 900 and long-term departures rose by 12% to 156 800. 119 © OECD 2001 Trends in International Migration As in the previous year and reflecting the relative economic conditions in the two countries, the increase in the number of permanent entries was mainly due to the increase in the number of permanent entries from New Zealand; in 1999/2000 the rate of increase did decelerate however, from 27 to 17%. Permanent departures, though much lower than entries, have been following a rising trend; the proportion of Australian residents among these departures, having risen over the previous few years was unchanged at 51% in 1999/2000. In 1999/2000, net long-term movements (12 months or more) totalled 56 100, a rise of 18% on the previous year (see Chart III.1). (A period of strong economic growth in Australia is generally accompanied by a rise in the number of long-term entries.) In 1999/2000 ten countries (the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, China, India and Korea) each accounted for between 3 and 18% of long-term entrants. For the fourth consecutive year, United Kingdom nationals formed the largest group, with nearly 23 400 entries. Chart III.1. Flows of permanent and long-term residents, Australia Fiscal years 1982/1983-1999/2000 Thousands A. Net migration B. Inflows of permanent residents by entry class Permanent and long-term flows Family Skill1 Permanent flows Long-term flows Humanitarian1 Total2 160 160 140 140 120 120 100 100 80 80 60 60 40 40 20 20 0 0 1983 85 87 89 91 93 9597 99 2000 1983 85 87 89 91 93 9597 99 2000 C. Inflows of permanent residents by country or region of origin New Zealand United Kingdom Asia3 Other % 100 80 Note: The classification into permanent, long and short term is based on the purpose of travel as stated by the traveller on arrival to or depar- 60 ture from Australia. Permanent movement consists of persons arriv- ing with the stated intention to settle permanently in Australia and of Australian residents departing with the stated intention to reside abroad permanently. Long-term movement consists of the arrival 40 and the departure of persons with the stated intention to stay (in Australia or abroad, respectively) for 12 months or more. The net effect of persons whose travel intentions change (category jumping) 20 is not included. 1. Including accompanying dependents. 2. Including non-visaed entry class (mainly New Zealand citizens). 3. China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong (China), India, Philippines, Malaysia 0 and Sri Lanka. 120 1983 85 87 89 91 93 9597 992000 Source: Department of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs. © OECD 2001 Australia Under the Permanent Migration Programme, which systematically targets skilled migrants, just under 70 200 people obtained entry visas in 1999/2000, a rise of almost 3.5% on the previous year (see Table III.1). Just under 6 300 Business Skills visas were granted under the Business Skills Migration Programme, the aim of which is to attract managers, entrepreneurs and investors and to provide assistance for business people who have started up companies in Australia. The criteria for issuing visas to business people were revised in 1998 and 1999 and management of the system was transferred to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs in November 1999. This has made it possible to envisage ways of adjusting policies to improve results. Temporary migration Under Australia’s Temporary Resident Programme (which excludes students), the number of visas granted both offshore and on-shore rose from 136 200 in 1998/99 to 148 600 in 1999/2000, an increase of 9.1% (see Table III.1). Some 74 500 visas were issued under the Working Holiday Maker Programme in 1999/2000, a rise of 15% on the previous year and thus a continuation of the strong upward trend observed over recent years; a more moderate increase is expected in 2000/2001. Of these, 71 500 were issued off-shore. Germany joined the scheme in July 2000; this brought the number of countries with which Australia has arrangements to eight (the others are the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Ireland, Netherlands, Korea and Malta). Table III.1. Permanent and temporary migration programme outcomes, 1997-20001 and planning levels for permanent settlers for 2001, by category, Australia Thousands Planned 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Migration Programme2 (excluding the Humanitarian Programme) 73.9 67.1 67.9 70.2 76.0 Family 44.6 31.3 32.0 32.0 34.4 Preferential family 37.2 31.3 32.0 32.0 34.4 Concessional family 7.3 – – – – Skill 27.5 34.7 35.0 35.3 40.0 Employer nomination/labour agreements 5.6 6.0 5.6 5.4 5.8 Business skills 5.8 5.4 6.1 6.3 6.7 Special talents 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2 Independents 15.0 13.3 13.6 15.6 21.4 Skilled Australian linked3 .. 9.5 9.3 7.9 6.0 Other 1.0 0.4 0.2 0.1 – Special eligibility 1.7 1.1 0.9 2.9 1.6 Humanitarian Programme2 11.9 12.1 11.4 10.0 15.1 Refugees and special humanitarian 5.9 8.6 8.3 6.9 7.1 Special assistance 3.7 1.8 1.1 0.6 0.9 Other 2.3 1.6 2.0 2.5 7.1 Temporary Resident Programme4 118.9 125.7 136.2 148.6 .. Economic programme 31.7 37.3 37.0 39.2 .. Social/cultural programme 16.5 17.2 20.0 23.5 .. International relations programme 70.7 71.2 79.2 86.0 .. Of which: Working Holiday Maker (WHM)5 50.0 55.6 62.6 71.5 .. Student Programme5 68.6 63.6 67.2 74.4 .. 1. Data refers to fiscal years (July to June of the given year). 2. Figures include persons who change status (temporary to permanent). 3. Certain family members (brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces, children and parents of working age) can be sponsored by the Australian relatives or by permanent residents. In order to be eligible, they must meet certain conditions regarding age, professional qualifications and linguistic aptitudes. 4. Including Long Stay Temporary Business Programme. 5. Comprises only those applications made outside Australia. Source: Department of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs. 121 © OECD 2001 Trends in International Migration The Skilled Temporary Resident Programme covers entries of business people (holders of Temporary Busi- ness Entry Long-Stay visas), people in the medical profession and academics. Having fallen by 1% in 1998/1999, the number of Temporary Business Entry Long-Stay visas rose by 5% in 1999/2000 to slightly under 35 000 (including dependants). One quarter were IT workers. A total of 236 100 Business Visitor visas were issued in 1999/2000, an increase of 12% on the previous year; almost 55 000 of these were issued to United States citi- zens, 36 100 to Chinese nationals, over 19 000 to United Kingdom nationals and 17 300 to citizens of Japan. The number of visas issued to students off-shore rose by almost 11% in 1999/2000 to just over 74 400. As in previous years, the principal source countries were, in descending order of importance, the United States, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong (China), Singapore, Japan, India, Thailand and Korea. Visitors Some 3.3 million visitor visas were granted in 1999/2000, 7% more than in 1998/99. The most significant above- general-trend increase was that of Koreans, the number of whom rose by some 68% to 131 300, having declined from 217 000 in 1996/97 to 78 200 in 1998/99 as a result, it can reasonably be assumed of the effects of the financial crisis.