MIGRATION ACTION

LIBRARY ECUMENICAL MIGRA15* N BROTHERHOOD OF S I LAURENCE CENTRE INC. 67 BRUNSWICK STREET 125 LEICESTER STREET Vol. XII, Number 1, FITZROY FITZROY, VIC. 3065 AUS THAI March 1990 VICTORIA 3085 TEL: 416 0044

Federal Election '90

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MIGRATION ACTION Contents

VOL XII NUMBER 1, MARCH 1990 ISSN: 0311-3760 Editorial Immigration no longer divides...... 2 Migration Action is published by the Ecumenical Election 1990 ■= The policies Migration Centre, 3 1 25 Leicester Street, Fitzroy, Labor......

Victoria, Australia, 3065. C oalition...... 7 Tel: (03)416 00 44 .

EMC is a non-government agency which, Democrats...... 10 through its welfare, educational, project and community work fosters the development o f Australia as a multicultural society. The Immigration and Multiculturalism: Perspectives centre has been working with migrants since for the 1990s, Stephen Castles...... 15 1962. Its work is diversified, from community service and development to social action and Letters ...... 14 community education. Within a framework o f ensuring equal access and rights for all in Australian society, EMC Response to Robert Birrell: provides counselling services and Here we go again ...... 19 community development activities to a number o f ethnic communities, both established and newly arrived. News from O M A ...... 23 EMC also initiates research towards an understanding o f a range o f issues, and promotes change where necessary. Media W atch...... 25 EMC operates the Clearing House on Migration Issues (CHOMI), which is a unique information centre on migrant, refugee and Book Reviews ethnic issues. The CHOMI library holds over 40,000 documents and 250 periodicals which are used by students, teachers, government Refuge Denied...... 26 departments, community organisations and others seeking up-to- date information or undertaking research. Displaced Persons, Colwell's New Australians ...27

Editorial Committee: Tony Pensabene, Tonina Gucciardo, Eve Recht, Vivian Papaleo and Nicki Marshall

Editorial manager: Eve Recht. Editing, design and production: Shane Scanlan Mediation

It is not the intention of this journal to reflect the opinion of either the staff or the committee of EMC. In many matters this would be difficult to ascertain, nor do the editors think it desirable. The aim of the journal is to be informative and stimulat­ ing through its various articles, suggestions and comments.

EMC gratefully acknowledges the contributions of Sourceware and Banksia Data Systems in the production of this journal.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: (per volume of 3 issues) As from January 1990 — $ 25.00 (individuals) — $ 3 0 .0 0 (institutions) — $ 35.00 (abroad) — Single issue: $8.50.

MARCH 1990 Editorial g rati on A ction

Immigration no longer

divides the A common Australian laundry soap label, 1924 parties he 1990 federal election provides an opportunity of a just and tolerant society”. It is therefore to assess the performance o f Labor over the last unfortunate that Ray’s article offers little by way of Tthree years and to consider the alternative option future directions. under a Liberal-National Government. While Ruddock’s article covers immigration, it does at This issue of Migration Action is devoted to the 1990 least acknowledge support for the national agenda, a election and is being released in the last fortnight of commitment to post-arrival programs and services, the election campaign to help readers to make their particularly in regard to the aged, grant-in-aid (under choice as to who can best direct Australia’s threat in recent years) and women. immigration and ethnic affairs programs through this Ruddock questions the value o f a community decade. relations program and the need for an act of Thanks to the co-operation of the three parliament on multiculturalism. Ruddock also sees a spokespersons on immigration and ethnic affairs — need to enhance the Minister’s capacity to deal with the Minister, Senator Robert Ray; Liberal significant cases of hardship, inhumanity and legal spokesperson, Philip Ruddock; and Democrat rigidity in regard to immigration. spokesperson, Jean Jenkins — we are able to publish Similarly, the Democrats have not exclusively focused the policies and programs o f the three main parties. on immigration, but on future directions in regard to As well, Professor Stephen Castles provides an post-arrival programs and services. Jean Jenkins assessment of Labor’s record over the last three years. documents the record o f the Democrats in Parliament Robert Ray has proved himself to be a competent as an effective and active voice in ethnic affairs. She Minister in charting a new course for Australia’s presents a sound case for a third force in shaping the immigration program and in creating a number of political agenda. new initiatives under the National Agenda for a Some 12 months ago immigration was high on the Multicultural Australia. Senator Ray has repaired election agenda. Today, the restored bipartisan much of the damage of his Labor predecessors.. approach of the parties has pushed it off the agenda. Yet Ray’s policy statement published in this issue of Regrettably ethnic affairsis also not a major election Migration Action strangely ignores Labor’s issue. achievements, seeking to focus attention on Let us hope that the next three years does not see immigration. Clearly, the Government sees ethnic affairs put on the back-burner. Whoever wins, immigration as a winner, believing that the opposition Migration Action sees a need for vision, lacking in the is vulnerable. policy statements, to be restored into ethnic affairs. As a strategy it fails. Under the Peacock leadership, Tony Pensabene Philip Ruddock has restored a bipartisan approach to immigration. As his article states, the Liberal Party is “totally committed to equal treatment and equal opportunity for all Australians regardless of race, color, creed or country of origin within the framework

2 MARCH 1990 /

LABOR POLICY STATEMENT

Labor's policy

By the Minister for Immigration, Ethnic Affairs and Local Government Senator Robert Ray The Labor way for immigration uccessive waves of immigrants who have made Australia has ever seen. The result o f all of this has their home in Australia have all contributed to a been to create one and a half million new jobs, and Ssociety that draws its strength from diversity. put Australia in a position to take advantage of our From the ancestors o f Aborigines who arrived in economically strategic position on the Pacific Rim. prehistoric times, to the migrants today who come The changes to the administration o f immigration that from every country on the globe, all are part of our have been put in place over the past year allow multicultural society. adjustments in the balance o f the family, humanitarian One of the great myths surrounding immigration is and economic streams should our circumstances that Australia is doing migrants a great favor by change. allowing them to settle here. The facts are, and the The system is tailored to meet our present needs, but research proves, that the Australian economy benefits it is flexible and can accommodate changing enormously as a result of our immigration program. circumstances, social or economic, to produce the However, our interests are not always measured in best result for Australia. dollars and cents but often have to do with justice, I should add that even during periods of economic equality and the sort o f Australia w e want to hand to downturn w e will maintain our commitment to family our children. For this reason, it is important to and humanitarian immigration. understand some of the recent far reaching reforms of the Hawke Government — and look at what is Families form the basis of Australia planned for the future. The Government recognises that families form the The new approach to immigration basis of our nation. When we came to formulating a new approach to Over the past seven and a half years, the Hawke immigration, I wanted to place immigration within a Government has helped low and middle income broader national strategy for the economic families through a range of measures implemented by development of Australia. my colleague the Minister for Social Security, Brian I was also committed to maintaining the program’s Howe. hallmark humanitarian and family components. The The policies pursued by the Government will ensure humanitarian, family and economic streams of that the family unit maintains its pre-eminent place in immigration are not in conflict. It is not one or the Australian culture. other. It is a question of balance, and that balance Critics of family migration fail to understand that must enhance the social and economic goals of the migrants will develop a commitment to Australia more program. easily, and take the overall interests o f their new The Hawke Labor Government has presided over the country to heart more quickly, if their family members biggest shake-out of economic fundamentals that are able to join them here.

MARCH 1990 3 LABOR POLICY STATEMENT

Last year the family component of the immigration color, national or ethnic origin, sex or religion. program, including immediate family and The Labor Government put great energy into concessional migrants, made up about 40 per cent of overcoming the divisions caused by the recent Asian the intake. migration debate and encouraging the Opposition to That level of family intake is maintained under the return to a bipartisan approach to immigration policy. new immigration procedures that came into force late A major problem is that the proponents of a last year. discriminatory immigration policy ignore Australian Australians value compassion history, geography and economics — and the capacity of the Australian people to welcome those and fair play from different cultures to our nation. A society cannot sustain a sense of compassion and The implications for the Australian economy if there fair play if it does not display these characteristics in were to be another debate over race-based its domestic policies. immigration are immense. Anyone thinking about To be consistent, those characteristics must also be igniting the debate again should consider the long­ evident when the nation operates on the world stage. term health of the nation’s economy. They should Australians pride themselves on their humanitarian also consider these facts: values, and Governments must recognise this when □ Five of Australia’s top 10 export markets are in formulating domestic policies, and policies that relate Asia. to other nations. □ Asia buys $A17 billion worth of Australia’s annual The Hawke Government recognises Australia’s exports, representing half our total exports. humanitarian responsibilities in our region of the □ Asia is Australia’s fastest-growing destination for world. In recent years, the Government has increased exports. Australia’s refugee intake to a point where we take in more refugees per head of population than any other □ Asian investment in Australia amounts to almost country in the western world. $A35 billion. This year our refugee intake will be 12,500 with a □ The Pacific rim, the fastest growing economic reserve of 1500. region in the world, is the core of Australia’s Australia is also a leader in attempting to resolve fastest-growing industry, tourism. problems leading to refugee outflows from countries □ Asia is the largest source o f migrants under our in the region, and we have endorsed the refugee Business Migration Program. priorities outlined by the United Nations High The Hawke years of achievement Commissioner for Refugees. About two and a half years ago, the Hawke Labor Progressive immigration policy Government began a complete overhaul of from Labor immigration laws and practices. Immigration was no The Labor Government of Gough Whitlam formally longer to be what the chairman of the Committee to dismantled the “White Australia” policy in 1973. On Advise on Australia’s Immigration Policies (CAAIP), current trends, it is estimated that by 2025, Asian-born Dr Stephen FitzGerald, called “a grab bag o f favors”. migrants will represent about 7 per cent o f the The system is now infinitely more just because all Australian population. people who come before immigration officials can be confident that their case will be dealt with on an The Whitlam Government also developed a pioneer equal basis with all others. For the first time, decision multicultural policy which had two basic aims: making criteria have been codified and are subject to □ The acceptance of cultural differences, within parliamentary and public scrutiny. democratic limits set by the community; and People appealing against decisions made by □ The promotion of equality of opportunity for all immigration officers can now have confidence that Australians, regardless of ethnic or cultural their case will be dealt with according to formalised background. procedures, not on some arbitrary basis. The Hawke Government has added a third element to The number o f people enquiring about immigration this: at our overseas posts last year exceeded 1.4 million. □ The recognition of the need to make effective use Just over 135,000 of these people were approved for of Australia’s varied and rich human resources, entry. for our common economic future. It is clear that not all o f those who want to come to The Government retains the right to decide who Australia can be accommodated and this occasionally crosses Australia’s borders, but it assesses all prompts members of some communities to call for migration applicants without reference to their race, special treatment.

4 MARCH 1990 LABOR POLICY STATEMENT

While the Government runs a globally non- apply to stay after being here for a couple of weeks. discriminatory policy no nationality can expect Other people would attempt to jump the queue by special treatment. To bow to such pressure would arranging bogus marriages with Australian citizens. destroy the principle which has guided immigration With the limit on our immigration intake, these queue to this country for the past 20 years. The destruction jumpers took up places allocated to bona fide of that principle would cost all Australians very dearly immigrants and the total number o f places available in the long run. for the people waiting patiently in the queue overseas Nevertheless, the Hawke Government’s achievements decreased accordingly. No longer will the orderly in immigration are eloquently stated by reference to immigrant be disadvantaged by the queue jumper. raw immigration statistics. I make no apology for the fact that illegal immigrants Since 1984/85: will find these new laws tough. They are tough, but □ Family migration has increased by 55 percent; they will be of enormous benefit to the people who have done the right thing and applied and waited for □ There has been a six-fold increase in skilled their turn to enter Australia as immigrants. immigration; □ There has been a ten fold increase in business Ongoing research and development migration; Discussion of immigration policy often takes place in □ The number o f settlers with professional, a vacuum. People espouse positions based on the technical or trade qualifications has increased by perceived interest o f their own ethnic community, 75 per cent; and their own experience and the anecdotal evidence of others. What research there has been has often been □ The funds transferred to Australia by migrants has poorly based and inconclusive. increased from $0.8 billion to $4.3 billion. It was to that end that the Government established the The Government’s commitment to assisting Bureau of Immigration Research. The BIR has already immigrants is illustrated by the fact that it spent established a reputation for integrity and $127.5 million on settlement services last year and, independence. Partly guided by the National unlike other areas of government spending, there has Population Council, the BIR is charged with the been real growth in spending on settlement services, responsibility of producing soundly based research including the Adult Migrant Education Program of $62 million. papers, based on solid empirical evidence and representative input, upon which future governments While there has been some criticism of the new may establish policy. system, particularly from those having a vested The BIR will convene broadly-based Immigration interest in the old “migration industry”, no-one Outlook consultative conferences, once every two seriously argues for a return to the old days of years, to assist it to plan future areas o f research. absolute ministerial discretion. Such a system was open to abuse and political The future of immigration assured interference whereby a person’s acceptance as a under Labor migrant to this country could be based on their At the beginning of the 1990s, Australia’s future hangs sponsor’s access to a parliamentarian rather than on in the balance. It is a matter o f taking the hard options an objective assessment of their suitability made now and securing a good outcome for ourselves, and against clearly defined requirements. a worthwhile legacy for the next generation. Throughout, it must be remembered that for every Our other option is to squander our chances and individual able to gain access through unfair or consign our country to ignominy in the new century. improper means, one legitimate applicant misses out. That is the choice electors will make at the next No amount of opportunistic political grandstanding election. will persuade Labor to abandon a system of migration which is based on fairness, equity and accountability. Immigration has been a vital force in the life of Australia. W e have benefitted from the successive N ew im m igration law benefits bon a fide waves of immigrants who have brought their cultures, immigrants talents, and aspirations to this country. The net effect of the new immigration package which Immigration offers Australia a process of constant began operating last December will be to protect the renewal. The Government has worked hard on the rights of those thousands o f people who queue mechanisms necessary to take advantage o f this patiently overseas waiting to migrate to Australia. inflow of human riches. The day of the queue jumper is over. For instance, in We have in place the essential settlement services to the past, people who entered Australia on a tourist maximise the ease with which migrants enter into visa could use the imprecision of the old system to Australian society. Most important is that non-English

MARCH 1990 5 LABOR POLICY STATEMENT 0

speaking migrants learn English, and the Government computerisation of our visa and entry arrangements has regularly increased resources devoted to this area. and further investigation of ways of facilitating the The ability of migrants to have their skills recognised permanent entry of those relatives who for reasons of in Australia is crucial to their settlement prospects. health and financial support are currently prevented The Government has moved to streamline this from migrating here. process by setting up an Office of Overseas Skills in As we approach the 1990 election, voters with an the Department o f Education Employment and interest in immigration have a stark choice. On the Training. one hand the Hawke Government has a clear record The alternative of a program based on fairness, equity and accountability and which is properly integrated into Little is known about what the Opposition plans for the nation’s overall objectives. immigration. Recently, apart from engaging in On the other side there is a history of divisiveness, opportunistic and usually factually incorrect criticisms contradiction and confusion and a grab-bag of hastily of the introduction of the migration regulations, they devised promises designed solely to attract votes. ■ have been remarkably quiet about the area. We do know however that they propose to penalise recently-arrived settlers by doubling to four years the qualifying period for citizenship. They have also promised that they will cut off access to social security benefits for those who have been in Australia for less than a year. Without wishing to dwell on it, we must also remember that it was the Opposition who — for the basest of political reasons — triggered off the divisive Asian migration debate. While being pleased that the weight of community opinion has forced them to abandon that tack, I am also proud to have been part o f a government whose leader unequivocally stated that we would be prepared to lose office rather than to compromise on that fundamental issue of a non-racially discriminative immigration policy. As for the “alternative alternative”, the Democrats are past masters at being all things to all people. While their spokesperson on immigration makes all sorts of rash and unachievable promises to the migration lobby, their leader is busily offering comfort and support to those elements who would shut down Australia’s immigration program. New initiatives For those o f us involved in the immigration field, one o f the greatest future challenges will be to address the emerging debate on the impact of immigration on our lifestyle and our environment. Increasingly there are well meaning and articulate groups within our community who argue that, because of our fragile ecology and the pressures on our urban infrastructures, immigration to this country should be drastically curtailed. While I take issue with the logic of such sentiments, I also believe that it is important to produce the hard evidence. A priority for the re-elected Hawke government will be to obtain that information, through the BIR and elsewhere. Other initiatives I intend to develop will include a National Bureau of Language Services, upgrading and

6 MARCH 1990 /

COALITION POLICY STATEMENT

Coalition policy

By the Coalition's spokeperson on Immigration and Ethnic Affairs Mr Philip Ruddock Bipartisan immigration principles ipartisanship on immigration principles is are based upon respect of the value o f each contained in the policy of the Coalition Parties. individual. We are totally committed to equal BThis was affirmed by Opposition Leader Andrew treatment and equal opportunity for all Australians Peacock on his election. regardless of race, color, creed or country o f origin Since that time, with the launch of the National within the framework of a just and tolerant society. Agenda on Multiculturalism, the Government’s Community acceptance of Australia’s immigration definition affirms principles long accepted by the policies has been seriously undermined by past Opposition and outlined in our policy document. failures of administration and explanation o f Labor At the time of the launch, both Andrew Peacock and I Governments. made this affirmation in our public comments that all The next Liberal/National Party government will initiatives were reflected in our policy and as further restore direction and public confidence in Australia’s confirmation our “Economic Action Plan” left intact all immigration program by ensuring that it reflects new expenditure initiatives in this area. Australia’s national interest. This does not mean, however, on particular issues The Liberal and National Parties assert, without there are not differences o f view. qualification, that it must be the role o f the elected One such area is the implementation of the recent government, acting on behalf of and with the support Migration Amendment Act and associated migration of the whole community, to make the final and regulations. absolute decisions on who will or will not be granted The Government has been so preoccupied with entry to Australia on a temporary or permanent basis. certainty and legality, that compassion and humanity The established principles of immigration enunciated have been all but eliminated. This is an area in which in our policy establish the framework in which these the Opposition in Government would quickly move objectives are pursued. to enhance the capacity to effectively use ministerial The next Liberal/National government will: discretion to remedy significant cases of hardship, inhumanity and legal rigidity. □ Select people for immigration to Australia as individuals, regardless o f race, religion or origin; By way of summary I address these areas of concern by outlining our policy approach. □ Assess the individual’s suitability as a migrant according to the contribution that person can Immigration principles: make to the current and future needs o f Australia; All of the policies of the Liberal and National Parties □ Increase Australia’s migrant intake by approving

MARCH 1990 7 COALITION POLICY STATEMENT 0

migrants who are younger and who are skilled, education system, the workplace and at the home to knowledgeable, educated and employable; them. □ Continue a program of family reunion and We also recognise the aspirations of migrant families refugee settlement (and make provision for to participate fully in Australian society. W e will people with the need for special assistance); provide incentives and support for them through our □ Introduce a five-year rolling immigration program social welfare, health, legal and educational systems. commencing in our first year o f office; However we see the $5.7 million three-year □ Strengthen citizenship provisions and strongly community relations campaign to combat prejudice as encourage new residents to acquire Australian being of doubtful advantage. citizenship; We have reservations about an Act of Parliament on □ Remove access of illegal immigrants to welfare, multiculturalism and would need to see the legislation health and legal benefits; proposed (before granting any formal endorsement). Equality before the law is of importance to all □ Review and strengthen provisions guiding Australians, and any shortcomings should be criminal deportations; and addressed. Any proposals from the reviews initiated □ Maintain objection in principle to any amnesty to will be judged against this principle. illegal immigrants to ensure efficacy of the A Liberal/National government will: immigration program is retained. □ Ensure that multicultural policies are based on all One Australia and multiculturalism Australians having an overriding and unifying Labor’s acceptance that multicultural policies are commitment to Australia, its interests and future, based upon the premise that all Australians should first and foremost; have an overriding and unifying commitment to □ Require all Australians to accept the basic Australia, its interests and future, first and foremost, is structures and principles o f our society and in fact an acceptance of the ideal of one Australia, Constitutions; where loyalty to Australia, our institutions and values, □ Tolerantly accept the right of individuals to prevents loyalty to any other set of values elsewhere express their own culture and beliefs in in the world. anticipation that the right o f others to express All initiatives contained in Labor’s statement are an their views and values will also be respected; endorsement o f our policy. These include: □ Make access to English language courses our first □ Our strong commitment to enhancing access to priority in settlement programs; English in courses to both adults and students; □ Place greater emphasis on the recognition of □ Recognition that diversity in foreign languages is skills and qualifications of settlers; and an invaluable resource in the Australian □ Ensure that migrant women, migrant families and community for enhancing commercial and aged migrants are given a greater equality of diplomatic opportunities, and thus our opportunity. commitment to the teaching of community Migration Act and regulations languages, particularly in schools. The Opposition supported codification of the existing □ Our anxiety to ensure that overseas qualifications policy in law. which equate with Australian standards must be promptly recognised, together with our We sought and achieved amendments to reinstate the commitment to additional bridging courses of Minister as principle decision maker. study to up-grade skills and qualifications where A Parliamentary Committee to vet regulations was appropriate. proposed by us, assuming sufficient time would be Unlike the Government’s agenda, our policy includes given for proper consultation and amendment. This programs to assist the ethnic aged to ensure dignity test was failed by the Government. and security in their retirement. Hurried introduction led to flawed regulations which neither reflect existing policy and unreasonably We are also committed to grant-in-aid schemes to narrowed existing discretion to consider humanitarian community-based groups offering services in welfare and compassionate concerns, particularly where grant education and family support, with emphasis given to of residence status is sought in Australia. those groups demonstrating the greatest need and servicing the most recently arrived settlers. Two year sunset clauses were included in legislation for regulations to ensure the Government of the day In relation to women, w e recognised the problems maintained control of policy. faced by many, especially those of non-English- speaking background. We understand those needs A review of the new appeals regime after two years and are committed to giving attention in the was agreed.

8 MARCH 1990 /

COALITION POLICY STATEMENT

Nevertheless, after this willing co-operation with the At this late stage, little more is possible than to quickly Government to achieve reasonable reform, the move to repair the damage. Government bungled the opportunity. A Liberal/National government will: It did so in the following ways: □ Consult widely with all community advisory and □ It spurned the Opposition’s offer to postpone the representative organisations on urgent amend­ implementation of the new law until full and ments to migration regulations. open consultation took place. □ Act upon recommendations of the Parliamentary □ Introduced the law over Christmas when Committee on Migration Regulations. inadequate training and preparation of □ Reinstate the capacity for responsible Ministerial departmental staff led to confusion and ignorance intervention in compassionate and humanitarian of the new rules and chaos in departmental cases, either by use o f existing provisions or offices. seeking further amendment to the law if □ Procedure and Advice Manual (PAM) instructions necessary. ■ did not reflect the new law. □ Legal drafting led to unduly complex and wordy documentation almost incapable of being understood by laymen let alone non-English speaking migrants. □ By changing the law at the same time as codification, additional confusion resulted without people understanding the issues involved were separate. □ Transitional arrangements were largely absent. Thus some appeals were terminated while others were allowed. □ Extensions to visas and re-entry arrangements proved impossible to accommodate and even in the most compassionate circumstances assistance is not possible. □ People’s rights have been altered and terminated in many cases without adequate public notice. □ Spouses of Australian citizens or residents have been denied facility to change status even though they sought entry knowing at that time under existing law it was possible. Attempts to cure the defect are still unresolved to date. □ Humanitarian claims are in total confusion because countries and events need to be proclaimed before any application can succeed. The possible foreign affairs implications have either been utterly ignored or were foreseen. Either way, the Government was incompetent. □ For instance in the case of Chinese students to whom it was suggested humanitarian applications should be postponed, their right to lodge a claim could be lost if no proclamation is made. In foreign affairs terms, who would want to see published in the Government Gazette that events in China now, at this late stage, warrant consideration of student claims based upon possible human rights violations? The list of defects is legion and the Government’s approach pursuing a “trial and error” scheme is, and will, undoubtedly cause enormous unfairness and hardship.

MARCH 1990 9 DEMOCRAT POLICY STATEMENT

Democrat policy

By the Australian Democrats' spokesperson on Immigration and Ethnic Affairs Senator Jean Jenkins It's the record that counts “And then there are the Australian Democrats. At olicy statements can easily be little more than bait present, at least in terms o f policy development, they to attract votes. They may bear limited look like being streets ahead. To begin with, the resemblance to the record o f positions supported Democrats are moving towards a separate policy on byP a party in the Parliament, or the measures multicultural affairs and another one on implemented by a government in office. immigration. They are the first major political party It is therefore wise, before assessing the commitments to break the policy nexus between multiculturalism, a party makes by way of its declared policies, to study on one hand, and service fo r migrants and the record of the positions it has taken in the immigration on the other. parliament and the voting record of its members. “Further, the Democrats’ proposed policy is permeated The Australian Democrats invite readers o f Migration by a sense o f caring fo r Australia’s cultural diversity. Action to study first the following record of our Yet it doesn ’t try to gloss over real issues in parliamentary activity and then to read the following multicultural affairs. summary of our declared policies. “And how can it be disputed that the ‘greatest single We believe you will find that w e have been, in the area o f weakness is in the area o f the delivery o f past, consistent with the policies w e currently services. Services to migrants are often controlled by advocate. monolingual, monocultural Australians who have no competence in the area o f cross-cultural This is the vital test o f our integrity. We recommend communication and who, all too often, exhibit you subject competing parties to the same test. outdated views and absolutely inappropriate prejudices towards sections o f their clientele both in The record Australia and overseas. [The following record outlines the positions taken by “ ... the Democrats and their policy on multicultural the Australian Democrat senators on the immigration affairs are just about state o f the art. It remains to be and multicultural affairs issues which have come seen how and when the other political parties catch before the Senate in the last three years or so. up.” Portfolio holder for the Democrats during this period [ From: editorial, “Ethnic Spotlight”, Newsletter has been WA Democrat Senator Jean Jenkins. o f the Federation o f Ethnic Communities Councils o f Australia, No 17 A u g ’89-] Herself a former migrant, who came to Australia in 1969, Senator Jenkins is a linguist and was head of Perth Technical College Language Department before her election to the Senate. She had close personal and professional involvement with non-English-speaking migrants and set up the

10 MARCH 1990 /

DEMOCRAT POLICY STATEMENT first professional courses for the training of businesses in Australia. W e are also concerned about interpreters in WA. reported exploitation of some business and general She also had considerable input into the National migrants by bogus Australian ‘business advisers’. We Language Policy at state and federal levels. believe that the rich should not have privileged access to Australian residence and citizenship. Senator Jenkins shocked the Senate when in 1987 she made part of her maiden speech to the Senate in Closure of migrant hostels Italian, to bring home to Senators the difficulties Senator Jenkins questioned the decision to close experienced in Australia by new migrants who are not migrant hostels in Perth and Brisbane, asking how fluent in English.] services would be delivered to newly-arrived migrants $5 A rrival Fee and refugees scattered across distant suburbs. The Minister’s reply was perfunctory and unconvincing. Senator Jenkins led Democrat opposition to this fee when, in 1987, it was imposed on every airline Defence forces passenger arriving in Australia. Senator Jenkins has questioned discrimination against The Democrats also sought to delay the introduction Australians o f non-Anglo-Celtic origin in recruitment of the fee until arrangements for its collection could to Australia’s defence forces. be sorted out. The Labor Government, the Liberal and National East Tim or parties voted for the immediate introduction of the The Democrats have repeatedly condemned the fee. As predicted by Senator Jenkins, chaos ensued as Australian Government’s recognition o f East Timor as thousands of travellers simply refused to pay. a part of Indonesia. Some months later the Government was forced to Environm ent and population abandon the $5 fee. We have raised the important question of the $240 fee fo r review o f migration relationship between the environmental constraints decisions on population growth and Australia’s immigration This fee was also introduced in the 1987 budget. The policy. Democrats objected to it on the grounds that the then We have pointed out, and the Minister has conceded, operating Immigration Review Panels were highly that Australia does not have any properly debated and unsatisfactory and that it was manifestly unfair to formulated population policy. charge such a high fee for such an abysmally poor In the past, it has been accepted without question that review process. continuing large-scale immigration is by definition a The Government started to charge this fee even “good thing”. before the enabling legislation had come before the Ours is essentially a desert environment and, despite Parliament. The Democrats ensured the defeat of the the physical size o f the country, w e are with our $240 fee in the Senate. present economy and lifestyle making demands on The Government continued to collect it but, after that environment which it cannot sustain without further pressure from Senator Jenkins, accepted enormous, perhaps irreparable damage. advice that the fee was illegal and dropped it. The Liberal and Labor Parties do not acknowledge Some of the fees illegally collected from thousands of these factors. With their ideological commitment to a migrant families were repaid but the Government growth economy, both are committed — for retained most of the money it had collected. misguided economic rather than humanitarian Senator Jenkins called for the repayment of all fees reasons — to continued high annual migration illegally collected by the Government and intakes. condemned the Minister when the Government ESL Program refused to do so. Senator Jenkins criticised the dismantling of the Australian Institute of Multicultural Commonwealth funded schools ESL program as Affairs “senselessly cruel and a false economy”. The Democrats opposed the abolition of AIMA. She has pressed for its restoration and has sought by parliamentary questions to monitor the extent to Business Migration Program which the states have taken over responsibility for this The Democrats have trenchantly criticised the program. Business Migration Program and reported abuses of Exploitation of migrant workers that program, including the failure of many business migrants to implement their commitment to establish Senator Jenkins brought to the attention of the Senate

MARCH 1990 11 DEMOCRAT POLICY STATEMENT 0

the tragic saga of the many migrant workers who are reflects the racist attitudes of the time when it was afflicted by asbestosis as a result o f the mining o f blue first passed. asbestos at Wittenoom in WA in the 1950s. We condemned the Government’s decision to retain She has raised this issue in the Senate several times the old Act and to add some 93 pages o f convoluted and is regularly in contact with the Asbestosis amendments to it. Diseases Society. We further criticised the thrust of the Government’s She has pressed for early settlement of compensation amendments which are based on flawed economic claims and for urgent funding for mesothelioma rationalism rather than on humanitarian and research program. compassionate considerations. Family reunion We opposed many aspects of the Government’s We attempted to extend the approved family reunion amendments — particularly the draconian provisions categories so that they would include brothers or covering illegals. sisters o f Australian citizens or holders o f valid entry Senator Jenkins, on behalf of the Democrats, moved permits. This was opposed by all National, Labor and no less than 43 amendments to the Government’s Bill Liberal Senators. to make it more consistent and more humane but the Immigration policy Opposition parties combined with the Labor Government to defeat every one of them. The Democrats have strongly supported immigration policies which are non-discriminatory in respect of Ministerial responsibility national or ethnic origin, race, sex or religion. We successfully opposed, together with the We have supported continuation o f and priority for Opposition, attempts to place virtually all migration refugee and humanitarian categories in the migration decisions in the hands o f the secretary o f the intake. Department of Immigration, Local Government and We have sought a migration program based primarily Ethnic Affairs and to relieve the Minister of almost all on family reunion. We believe that skills needs should responsibility for the administration of the Migration be met by improving our education and training Act. programs, not by raiding other countries’ work forces for their skilled labor. NAATT We have supported the FitzGerald CAAIP We welcomed the formation of the National recommendations for public funds to be devoted to Association o f Translators and Interpreters and sought four key areas: English language; skills recognition, assurances that adequate funding would be available. bridging and upgrading; support for women immigrants; and interpreter and translator services. Overseas professional qualifications Immigration Review Tribunals We have highlighted, at every opportunity, this running sore in Australia’s treatment of her migrants. We pressed for a strong, independent system of We have pressed on a number of occasions for a reviews of migration decisions and criticised the more efficient set of procedures for the recognition of Government’s failure to copy the very effective Social overseas professional and occupational qualifications. Security Appeals Tribunal model. W e further criticised the very secretive treatment of refugee applications Weaknesses in the present system result in many and the very harsh new position on illegals. skilled migrants being unable to gain work in Australia, with great personal frustration and suffering Languages in schools the result, as well as great economic loss to Australia. W e have supported the implementation of the We have supported the provision of bridging courses National Language Policy provisions for the teaching for overseas qualified professionals. of foreign and community languages in the primary schools. We have drawn attention to the high number of permanent departures of skilled and professional Mature aged unemployment migrants and the indubitable relationship between Senator Jenkins asked a parliamentary question on this and problems over the recognition of the impact of mature aged unemployment on qualifications and consequent unemployment or migrants. under-employment in Australia. Migration Act Amendments Pensions and benefits We have supported the CAAIP Report’s contention We have supported reciprocity with migrant countries that Australia needs a completely new Migration Act, of origin, just provisions, equity in the delivery of since the old 1958 Act is hopelessly out o f date and services to Australians of migrant origin.

12 MARCH 1990 /

DEMOCRAT POLICY STATEMENT

Points system The policies W e have criticised changes made to the points system for migration selection without warning and without Immigration any consideration by the Parliament. The Australian Democrat approach to immigration We have also objected to the recently-introduced policy is based on people, their rights and ‘floating’ points system and have pressed for family entitlements, and not on the harsh economic reunion considerations to be given much greater rationalism o f the parties which have dominated weight. Australian federal politics for the past 50 years. Refugees Sample proposed specific detailed policies include: We attempted to give greatly increased protection to □ Immigration selection system to be free of genuine refugees. discriminatory mechanisms and anomalies. We sought to include in domestic legislation the □ Full, accurate and up-to-date information about definitions of refugees contained in the international conditions in Australia to be available to conventions on the treatment of refugees to which prospective migrants in their countries o f origin, Australia is a signatory. and in their own languages. The Liberal, Labor and National Party Senators voted □ A strong emphasis on family reunion with most to defeat this proposal. places reserved for migrants in this category. We sought to open up to public scrutiny the very secretive treatment of refugee applications. □ Major down-grading of the skills category; Democrats believe we must ensure our own Search warrants education and training systems are upgraded, so New migrations amendments gave the secretary of the that they can produce the skills our country DILGEA the power to issue search warrants to enable needs. officers to enter homes to search for and to seek to □ A fair system o f assessment and recognition of apprehend illegal immigrants. overseas qualifications; opportunities for new We sought an amendment to provide that only a arrivals to further their qualifications, gain local magistrate could sign such a search warrant after experience and retrain as necessary. being persuaded that there were adequate grounds for it — as is the case generally in law in respect of □ High-quality post-arrival services are needed to search warrants. ensure a more successful settlement rate of newcomers and to reduce the impact o f culture This amendment was defeated by the combined vote shock. o f the Liberal, Labor and National Senators. □ A program to fully educate the general Australian “The Satanic Verses” population as to the reasons for the migration In relation to the controversy over the sale in Australia program and the contribution made by migrants of this book, we supported the crucial principle of from all backgrounds to Australia. freedom of speech, upheld the concept of freedom of □ Annual migration quotas to be kept separate and religion, deplored threats of violence against distinct from refugee quotas. booksellers and others, proposed that booksellers should avoid undue and unnecessary provocation of □ Termination of the business migration scheme the sensibilities of Muslims in their display and which is open to abuse; wealthy applicants to promotion of “The Satanic Verses” and commended receive the same treatment as all others. the moderate and responsible stance adopted by □ Decisions on applications to be made within a Islamic leaders and their communities in Australia. prescribed time frame, which will not vary with South Africa the part of the world involved. We have continued to object to human rights abuses □ Application forms to be so structured as to enable in South Africa and other countries. prospective migrants to carry out an initial Senator Jenkins and Queensland Democrat Senator assessment of their own prospects of acceptance. Michael Macklin are both members of the executive □ Sympathetic consideration for ‘change of status’ of the Federal Parliamentary Group of Amnesty applications. International. □ An independent system for the review of W ar Crimes B ill migration decisions, based on the merits of the We supported this legislation, subject to certain applicant’s case and modelled on the Social crucial amendments. Security Appeals Tribunals.

MARCH 1990 13 DEMOCRAT POLICY STATEMENT

Post-arrival services wealth, educational background and age. □ Highest possible priority for provision o f courses □ Employment of bilingual and bicultural personnel in English for non-English-speaking migrants. in all areas which bring government and its instrumentalities into contact with the ethnic □ Greatly expanded provision of courses at communities and ethnic clients. intermediate to advanced levels to enable highly skilled migrants to reach the level of fluency □ Encouragement and incentives for public sector needed to operate in this society at professional personnel to acquire community languages and levels, so that Australia can benefit from their transcultural skills. skills and experience and to reduce their own □ Improvements to interpreting and translating frustration. services. □ Bridging courses to enable skilled and □ Promotion of recruitment of school leavers and professional migrants to gain access to tertiary tertiary graduates from the ethnic communities courses to enable them to retrain, update their into the police forces, defence services and skills and to gain qualifications recognised in prisons services. Australia. □ Improved services for migrant pensioners. Multicultural Issues □ Bilateral agreements to be concluded wherever □ Acceptance that government must accept fully possible with home country governments of and provide for the right of any individual living migrant communities to ensure reciprocity of in Australia to enjoy the same social, educational, pensions and social security services. job and career opportunities and to receive all □ Strong promotion of the SBS and the media in services which are provided by governments and languages other than English. ■ public instrumentalities with the same standards [The fu ll Democrat policy and discussion paper are of delivery, independent of the individual’s available from Senator Jenkins, P O Box 883, WEST language, country of origin, social class, sex, PERTH WA 6005J E T T E R S

entitled “Monitoring the Monitors: — Comment on the Monitoring group is Ethnic Aged Monitoring Group’s Report” which appeared in the Australian Journal on Ageing, Vol.8, No. 3, August 1989. up and running I have recently written to the chairperson o f the I am writing to correct information contained in Vol EAMG requesting a progress report on the current XI, No. 3, December 1989. rate o f implementation of “Strategies for Change” In an article entitled “Access & Equity for the Ethnic recommendations. Aged” pp 14 -17, written by Niki Dollis, reference It is difficult to accurately assess the current situation was made, and I quote, to “the still to be convened with respect to access and equity implementation for Ethnic Aged Monitoring Group, which was to follow­ the ethnic aged as departmental initiatives appear to up on the recommendations of the Ethnic Aged differ in each state. It was sobering to note that the Working Party which completed its work in 1986”. EAMG membership did not extend to direct (Page 17, Para 15). representation from ethnic community aged persons The EAMG referred to was, in fact, established by the but elected to receive information only from FECCA. Ministers for Community Services & Health and However, it is important to acknowledge that the Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs for EAMG does exist, has produced a report, and to urge the purpose of reporting on progress in implementing the continuation of their work as it currently the recommendations from the report o f the Ethnic constitutes the only unified focus on ethnic aged Aged Working Party, Strategies for Change. policy and service issues in Australia. The group produced its first report in November 1988 Anna Williams B.A. (Hons) Psych. and in April 1989, Ms Margaretha Hanen, ethnic consultant to the South Australian Commissioner for Ethnic Project Officer (Grant in Aid) the Ageing, and myself collaborated to evaluate the W A Council on the Ageing Inc EAMG Report and to subsequently publish an article

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Immigration and multiculturalism: Perspectives for the 1990s

Im m igration policy In the last few years, there has been a shift in the ALP’s philosophy on migration. Although it was Labor Minister Calwell who started the postwar immigration program, Labor has traditionally been suspicious of immigration, fearing a negative effect on the jobs and conditions of Australian workers at times o f recession. Both the Whitlam and Hawke Governments started off by severely cutting entry levels. The CEDA Report of 1985 and the CAAIP Report of 1988 discussed the economic benefits of immigration, and both ended up sitting on the fence, concluding that the effects were too complex to say unequivocally whether it was advantageous or not. Yet both reports have been publicly received as arguments for an economically- focussed immigration policy. The changes in the immigration categories and the By Stephen Castles points system in 1989 were designed to achieve this. Centre for Multicultural Studies The result is a larger intake (140,000 per year) and an increase in skilled and business migration. University of Wollongong The ALP has thus been converted to a neo-liberal view on the benefits of an expanded labor supply oes it matter for multicultural Australia who wins through immigration, and there is now little difference the election on 24 March? One might be between the parties. Dforgiven for thinking that it does not. After all, However, the limitations o f an economically- since the Coalition returned to a bipartisan motivated immigration policy have also become clear. immigration policy after Mr Howard’s inept adventure During the CAAIP Inquiry, the idea o f vastly increased of 1988, there has been little obvious difference in the intakes was mooted, and even ‘guestworker’ schemes declared policies o f the ALP and the Liberal/Nationals. were considered. Both are committed to a policy of multiculturalism, It soon became clear that such options were not based on the right to cultural diversity and equal socially viable, in view of the established principles of opportunities for all; both support a moderately permanent settlement and family reunion. So none of expansionist immigration policy, based on non-racial the major parties seriously questions the importance selection criteria; both regard immigration as of family immigration, nor the need to maintain a economically valuable, but also wish to maintain the refugee and humanitarian program. family reunion and refugee components. Despite this, there is growing temporary migration: Yet the words of politicians are not necessarily a good large companies (particularly transnationals) have no guide to their future actions. Nor is their difficulty in bringing in key personnel as temporary understanding of the complex realities of the entrants, and ‘working holidaymakers’ provide a pool migration process always adequate for successful of transient labor. These trends, about which we long-term planning. know very little, may have important social and If we wish to understand the likely effects of the economic effects in future. alternative governments on our multicultural society, Immigration policy is still an area where politicians then we need to review their past record, and to look can burn their fingers. The CAAIP Inquiry — at some o f the more fundamental factors likely to originally designed as a legitimation exercise for ALP affect international migrations and ethnic relations in policies — backfired badly, leading to an acrimonious the 1990s. debate.

MARCH 1990 15 0

Minister Holding performed badly, and was quickly TIME FOR A CHANGE replaced. Opposition Leader Howard pursued an IN MIGRATION POLICY opportunistic course, stirring up racist feelings in the PO LIT IC IA N S ARE LAGGING behind public opinion. Gallup Polls indicate that a majority of Australians hope of electoral advantage. believe that chosen Asians could be successfully ab­ sorbed into our community. The Herald (4/11/61) reported a Gallup Poll showing 5 7 % in favour of He got it badly wrong: first he seemed to think that permitting migration of skilled Asians. Numbers suggested were 100 to 1000 per annum. emphasis on economically useful migrants would cut PRESENT POLICY RACIALIST: The White Australia Policy excludes persons on the basis of their skin Asian immigration, which is the opposite o f the truth. colour. It is racialist. CH ANG E NEEDED: Colour discrimination is universally Secondly, he underestimated support for a non-racial regarded as evil. Most churches have denounced it as un-Christian. It threatens our national security by alienating our neighbours. It is insulting to us immigration policy, both in the public at large and in Australians. It falsely suggests we harbour illusions of racial superiority. The defence of the White his own party. The current Opposition spokesperson Australia Policy has forced Australian delegates in the U.N. to overlook the racialist policies of other on immigration, Philip Ruddock, demonstrated countries, e.g.: Apartheid in South Africa, and Por­ tuguese repression in Angola. backbone in opposing his then leader. CONTROLS M U ST REM A IN: We advocate a migration policy based solely on standards of education, skills and health, not colour. The new legislation Limited numbers only should be admitted, no more than could be readily assimilated. Many Asians would make fine citizens and would CAAIP recommended an overhaul of the Migration be welcomed by the Australian community. Educa­ tion, culture, high living standards— the things we look for in migrants — are no longer the mon­ Act of 1958, because it gave too much discretion to opoly of Europeans. Progressive the authorities, did not provide sufficient THIS CHANGE IS PROPOSED FOR THE SAKE OF OUR COUNTRY: The small scale immigration we envi­ thought, circa accountability and did not provide adequate review sage obviously would not help Asia's population problems; but it would show the world that we do 1 9 6 1 . mechanisms. The new Act, passed in July 1989, was not judge people by. their colour. We must MAINTAIN CONTROL but BAR COLOUR F.J. Riley designed to remedy this by codifying migration policy BAR: W e urge you to consider this matter and the attitude of the various candidates to immigration Collection and administrative arrangements, reducing the discretionary powers of the Minister and immigration LaTrobe Library officers and providing a two-tier review mechanism. Overseas qualifications These principles are excellent ones, but the legislation has been badly mishandled, both in content and the One area where the ALP Government has tried to act way it has been presented to the community. decisively is that perennial problem for overseas- At the Ethnic Communities Council of NSW trained professionals and tradespeople — recognition Conference on CAAIP in 1988, many speakers warned of overseas qualifications. of the dangers o f putting the real decision into When migrants were seen as ‘factory fodder’, administrative regulations rather than the law itself. protectionist practices designed to keep them out of skilled jobs were tacitly accepted. An economic focus Such voices went sadly unheard. The result was a set in immigration policy, on the other hand, has to mean of rules that has had quite unpredicted results: using people’s skills efficiently. confusion and fear o f deportation among immigrants, an escalation in refugee applications from people A series of inquiries, starting with the Fry Report of already in the country, an avalanche of appeals, and 1982, has shown the wastage and frustration, and the profiteering by unscrupulous lawyers. entrenched resistance to change in established and often archaic procedures. When queues at immigration offices stretch out into the street, specialised law firms send in bundles of The area is too complex for easy solutions, with applications, and DILGEA has to proclaim one new hundreds of federal, state, professional, employer and amnesty deadline after another — then some basic union bodies involved. The shift of responsibility changes are clearly needed, and quickly. from DILGEA to DEET through the establishment of the National Office for Overseas Skills Recognition So immigration is a messy area for politicians: it is (NOOSR), and the new priority given to the area hard to please anyone and it is easy to become through the National Agenda for a Multicultural unpopular. Australia are a good start. No wonder Labor has got through five ministers in the Whichever party gets in is going to need a lot of area since 1983- Senator Ray is not expected to stay in persistence and endurance to push so many unwilling the portfolio after the election, and his replacement players into change. has not been announced. Multicultural affairs The debates of the last few years have been heated, and often unpleasant. Interestingly though, as Murray As I pointed out in Migration Action in 1987 (Vol. IX, Goot’s analysis of opinion polls for the CAAIP Inquiry No. 3), the new priority given to multicultural policies showed, public opinion on immigration has not by the Hawke Government from that year was the changed dramatically. More importantly, most people result of an electoral backlash against major cuts to do not see it as a very important issue, compared with programs for migrant settlement, ESL teaching and the economy, unemployment, housing and other multicultural education. matters that have a big impact on daily life. For most In 1986, the parties learned to fear the ‘ethnic vote’. people, immigration is simply not an election issue. Yet after the Blainey debate o f 1984, the ALP was also

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worried about Anglo working-class antipathy to immigration. The solution was to move away from a concept of ethnic pluralism, which was seen as divisive, and to Keep Australia White emphasise multiculturalism, which could be portrayed as a new form o f national identity, to The Menace of an Empty Continent. include ‘all Australians’.

The main instrument for implementing the new policy COMPARISON WITH OTHER COUNTRIES. has been the Office of Multicultural Affairs in the Area. Population. (Sq. Miles) Prime Minister’s Department. Apart from the National Great B r ita in ...... 88,745 .. 43,318,500 Agenda itself, OMA has carried out an extensive V ic to r ia ...... 87,884 1,639,704 United S ta te s ...... 2,973,774 107,833,284 research program on many aspects o f our A u s tra lia ...... 2,974,581 5,803,590 multicultural society, commissioned a large-scale survey on attitudes and experiences of multiculturalism, set up a network of facilitators for community consultation, and done much to raise public perceptions of the advantages of a culturally diverse society. OMA has also been responsible for supervising the introduction of access and equity policies within Federal Government departments, designed to make their services appropriate for the various groups which make up the Australian population. OMA has been criticised for having its finger in too many pies and for starting projects which it did not 5,800,000 W h it e A u s t r a l ia n s En c ir c l e d by 1,100,000,000 have the capacity to carry through. But it must be Co lo r e d Pe o p le . remembered that OMA’s task was rapid innovation, in NEW POPULATION, JULY, 1923, TO JUNE, 1924. Victoria. Australia. an area where there were few precedents. Excess of Births over D e a th s ...... 18,811 .. 76,814 On the whole it must be seen as a success. Moreover, Excess of Immigration over Emigration 13,507 .. 38,684 it has set up structures and created expectations Total Increased P o p u la tio n ...... 32,318 .. 115,498 which cannot easily be eliminated. The Coalition A t the present rate o f increase, Australia’s population will reach twenty millions in 62 years, while it will take 145 years to equal parties have not made it clear whether they will America’s 1921 figures. maintain OMA and the policies which it has IN THE INTERESTS OF DEFENCE AND THE MAINTENANCE developed. If not, it is hard to see how they can avoid OF A WHITE AUSTRALIA, CAN WE AFFORD TO WAIT SIXTY-TWO YEARS TO REACH TWENTY MILLIONS, a major set back to multiculturalism and community WHICH IS THE BAREST MARGIN OF SAFETY? relations. Restructuring and multiculturalism Yet it is important to realise that multiculturalism is a Paranoia, circa 1924. set of principles for organising an ethnically diverse F.J. Riley collection LaTrobe Library society, which has remained very much on the refugees, newly-arrived migrants, older workers periphery of our institutions. It is rhetoric rather than affected by restructuring, unqualified workers, structure. That makes it precarious. migrant women. Differing political forces can all support We can expect a Federal Coalition Government to multiculturalism just because it is not seen as a inscribe multiculturalism on its banners, just as Fraser determinant of basic economic or social policies. In a did, while dismantling the services which are essential period of severe financial constraint, it is not the to any policy of social justice. millions spent on multicultural programs which So if we want to know how a change of government determine the life chances o f minorities, it is the would affect minorities, we must not look just at billions which go into the mainstream services: health, policies on immigration, but also at what is going to education, social security, housing and transport. happen to welfare expenditure, youth employment This has been very obvious in New South Wales. programs, health care and education. Greiner had the sense not to back Howard’s attack on multiculturalism in 1988. His Government has Social change and racism maintained the rhetoric and institutions of The bicentenary of 1988 was an exercise in defining multiculturalism, while chopping away at the services national identity, which went badly wrong. Two needed above all by the disadvantaged and things gave it a nasty taste. One was the debate on marginalised sections of our society — Aborigines, Asian migration and social cohesion after the release

MARCH 1990 17 0

of the CAAIP Report. The other was the continuing markets has long been apparent. The migrations of oppression and social marginalisation of Aborigines. the 1990s are likely to be large in volume and Both show that multiculturalism is still a hollow shell migrants will be varied in national origin, skill levels, for many people, and that the racist definition of motivations and intentions. The major changes in Australian identity, which was official policy until the Eastern Europe and Southern Africa are likely to affect end of the White Australia Policy in the late 1960s, is population movements in, as yet, unpredictable ways. still powerful. Rapid social and economic change in Asia will have a big impact on migration within the region. Is national identity a matter of government policy? Yes, because identity is partly constituted by the Due to its geographic isolation, Australia has been statements and actions of those who hold power. The able to keep control of migration and settlement in a varying attempts to define identity in multicultural way that has become impossible for European and terms by the Whitlam, Fraser and Hawke North American countries. Governments illustrate this. It is unlikely that this will remain the case. But what became evident in 1988 is that an identity Improvements in transport and communication, and that embraces all Australians cannot be developed the growing interdependence of our economy with unless policy-makers are prepared to grasp the nettle Asia are likely to make our borders far more of racism and root it out. permeable. Like the USA, w e are finding that a non­ racist immigration policy, family reunion and refugee The record of both major parties in uneven in this resettlement lead to self-generating settlement and area. The Liberals and Nationals have flirted with community development processes. racist ideas on immigration policy, when it seemed opportune. To their credit, they have returned to This means that Australia is going to continue to bipartisanship in the long run. become more cosmopolitan and open to the world. Some of us see this as beneficial, while others do not. The Greiner Government has taken the lead in legislative action against racial incitement. But it is In future, we may no longer be able to afford the doubtful whether the Coalition will be prepared to luxury of ad hoc policies, which merely respond to take action if they gain power. Indeed there is a real short-term requirements on economic and social fear that the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities policy. Commission will be abolished. Moreover, the rural Yet none of the political parties have long-term influence in the National Party is likely to block any policies on immigration, population and community progress on Aboriginal rights. development, which would make it possible to plan Labor has put its shirt on diversity and non-racism and for these trends. has got to run with it, but that does not mean that Whichever party gets elected on March 24 would be they are good finishers. The Royal Commission on well advised to take a thorough look at world Aboriginal Deaths in Custody has dragged on for economic and demographic trends, and what they are years, and the Government has not acted decisively to likely to mean for Australia. At the moment, it seems deal with bureaucratic obstructionism, particularly optimistic to hope that this will happen. We are more from the police. likely to muddle on as before, whoever gets in. Provocative raids on the Aboriginal population Immigration and multiculturalism are areas where all continue, and the Government does nothing to stop parties are stronger on rhetoric than on action, but the them. The Human Rights and Equal Opportunities election is not unimportant. Commission’s National Inquiry into Racist Violence is The current Government has got some runs on the near completion, but there is a real danger that both board, although it still has a long way to go if it is to Federal and State Governments will play down and combat structural inequalities and eliminate ignore its findings. The community relations strategy institutional racism. announced in the National Agenda on a Multicultural Australia has yet to materialise. The Coalition may maintain the language of pluralism, but its economic and social policies are likely to be It seems that racism is so entrenched in Australia that disadvantageous for many minority groups — politicians fear the electoral consequences of decisive particularly those least able to compete in a dog-eat- action against it. Because of our history, it is policies dog society. towards Aborigines which remain the touchstone in this area. There can be no identity based on inclusion Whoever is elected, migrant and Aboriginal of migrants, until the injustice against Aborigines is communities need to maintain vigilance and to go on redressed. pressing for active participation in policy making. Global restructuring, migration and This is the only way of ensuring that economic efficiency is not a euphemism for greater inequality, minority labor and showing that a multicultural Australia can only be The trend towards internationalisation of world labor built on social justice. ■

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A WHITE AUSTRALIA IMPOSSIBLE, Robert Birrell: and for Very Important Reasons — -_. UNDESIRABLE#----- 4 Here we go _ (* (im i i9( Synopsis of Contents The first two pages of this pamphlet again contain arguments against the possibility and the desirability of “ A White Australia.” By Nicki Marshall The next three pages give an account of the EMC Community Development Worker amazing progress, the great and growing power, and Robert Mister EMC director and the increasing population of Japan,— our possible enemy. The last three pages show the ne could be forgiven for believing that Robert enormous and overflowing populations of our Birrell’s research paper The Chains that bind other near neighbours, Java, China, and India. — Family Reunion Migration to Australia in O The object of the whole argument is to the 1980s was commissioned and paid for by the Federal Government as a means o f endorsing the demonstrate that these countries, containing progressive introduction of an increasingly stringent about half the human race, all coloured, are family reunion policy into its immigration program. increasing their population very fast; that, as Birrell’s paper devotes a chapter each to sibling, they lie very near to us, a large portion of their spouse/fiancee and parent migration. In addition to excess must overflow Australia-wards; and that drawing many parallels between US and Australian it is safest, most humane, and best for the interest migration experience, he devotes a chapter to of Australia and mankind at large, that, under developing a rationale for further reducing the future just and proper restrictions and regulations we size and composition of family reunion categories, and puts forward his personal point of view on the should receive, and even invite and assist them economic and social implications of so called chain to settle, as friends, instead of attempting to migration. repel them as undesirables or as enemies. Opening the “floodgate”?

Birrell’s major contention is that unless significant Some arguments don't change! changes to Australia’s immigration policy are 1901 pamphlet. introduced, by way of increasing the restrictions on F.J. Riley Collection LaTrobe Library family reunion, Australia will be opening the “floodgate” to “Third World” migration (a gate which assumptions are pervasive throughout the 57 page has, in reality, already been closed by the document. Whilst research is never an entirely implementation of the Migration Legislation objective activity, his selection and presentation of Amendment Act, 1989). statistical data is extremely blinkered and one-sided. He asserts that because these migrants are largely Nor is there any consistency, or rationale for the lack unskilled and have links to even less skilled and of consistency, in the inclusion or exclusion of the poorer extended family or community members in range of so called “third world” countries presented in their country of origin, they will be a drain on the the statistical tables. On what basis, for example, are Australian economy. some countries included in Table 12, Occupations of Not only does the research paper lack any proof of employed persons bom overseas 1986, namely UK this hypothesis, but the contention would appear to and Ireland, Yugoslavia, India and Malaysia, and be grounded in a prejudice that members of other countries excluded? developing countries are less skilled than Particularly when Birrell goes on to “suggest that for “Westerners”. Further, it is also alarming that the the Third World source countries the chain migration advocates for restrictions to immigration policy are process does penetrate quickly to lower skilled kin”. arguing from such a limited economic rationalist point Can we therefore infer that Birrell has selected and of view. presented data to support his own theses? Biased presentation The text of the final two chapters of Birrell’s research: Birrell’s personal points of view and biased “The Future Size and Composition of Family Reunion

MARCH 1990 19 0 Categories”, and “The Economic and Social US comparisons? Implications of Chain Migration” has a heavy Birrell expresses concern that beneficiaries of the undertone of the author’s personal and “freeing up” of family reunion programs in America, unsubstantiated views and comments as well as lobbied for by European migrants in the 1960s, have subjective and emotional language. It is worth citing a been “Third World” migrants. few examples: Although he draws parallels between the American □ In discussing the number of parent sponsorships, and the Australian experience, he presents no clear Birrell states that the “future level is uncertain because evidence to show that the US experience is relevant to of the Vietnamese wildcard” (italics added). In reality, Australia. however, the number of Vietnamese parents able to be sponsored to live in Australia with their children is He also fails to recognise that migration flows will, severely limited, both by the new balance of family and do, change in keeping with changing political regulations and by recent changes to the point system and economic conditions around the globe, and with which, on the whole, advantage the young, well the conditions migrants experience in their process of educated and fluent English speakers. settlement in Australia. □ Birrell believes that, whereas economic It is important to bear in mind that people are, and integration for “recognised” Asian professionals is have been in the past, only interested in migrating to possible, “social integration is somewhat more Australia if it is to their advantage. problematic”, because “they are less likely to be On the whole, Europeans are no longer interested in ‘independent’ migrants unconcerned with cutting off Australia as their permanent place of residence. When previous ties”. the Philippines, for example, becomes more equitably The report not only fails to substantiate this developed, then migration from there is likely to hypothesis but also places the onus for integration on become minimal, as has been the case with countries the immigrant, rather than an equal responsibility of such as Italy and Greece. the migrant and the host community. Humanitarian Vs economic migration □ The author criticises the rationale developed by In Chapter 1, “The Australian Policy Background”, exponents of family reunion namely, its importance in Birrell provides statistics on the numbers and the visa the settlement process) as “woolly idealism” and categories of settler arrivals, dating from 1983/84 to “remote from reality”. He goes on to suggest that for 1988/89. most “Third World” communities, family reunion is a “carefully planned migration strategy”. He is at pains to highlight the “sharp increase in demand for entry via the family reunion categories This conjures up a unlikely image of families, all over since the early 1980s”. the developing world, insidiously plotting their move to, and takeover of, Australia! Whilst there has clearly been an increase in family reunion (on average 72 per cent), this increase needs Australia in the global community to be seen in the context of a total migration increase It is time Australia recognised that it is part of a global of 102 per cent for the same period. community with global responsibilities and that Birrell makes no comment on what is clearly a much decisions relating to immigration policy, as for foreign sharper increase in Business, Occupational Share policy, are informed by a global perspective and System and Employer Nomination Scheme responsibility. immigration of 218 per cent (a total of 27,826 in 1988/ Just as the environment movement has highlighted 89). the destructive impact of the burning of Amazon Nor, to balance his argument, does he comment on forests on the world’s oxygen source, and the the reduction of refugee and special humanitarian consequent need to address this issue on a global program visas by 27 per cent (a total of 11,309 in level, it is time that Australia and other developed 1988/89). countries addressed issues of human rights protection With the business intake at two and one half times and sharing of the world’s resources in a less greater than the refugee and special humanitarian parochial and less protective manner. intake, it is a concerning indictment on Australia and Australia will not survive in the 21st century its immigration policy that the scales are becoming surrounded by densely populated poor countries. increasingly weighted towards financial or economic Australia must take a responsible attitude to ensure gain, as opposed to human rights responsibilities. that our global neighbors enjoy the same prosperity that we do, not by increasing migration, but by bringing Australia’s development aid to a level more appropriate for a developed country.

20 MARCH 1990 0

Table 1 migrants and refugees bring with them to Australia are in fact utilised. Little research has been undertaken in Visas issued by migration category as Australia to substantiate or otherwise the hypothesis proportion o f total intake 1983 to 1989 of underutlisation of migrants’ skills. However, after nearly 30 years experience of working with the non-English speaking background community, it is the Ecumenical Migration Centre’s subjective view that, particularly in the early settlement period, many migrants and refugees are not afforded an opportunity to maximise their skills and qualifications. In spite of the scant statistical evidence on this issue, it is worth noting such examples as that, according to the Victorian Ethnic Affairs Commission’s Migrant Workers Survey 1984, lack o f recognition of qualifications was a perceived employment barrier to 35.8 per cent of male Indochinese workers, compared with 10.9 per cent of male workers from northern Europe. In addition, the Profile o f Recent Victorian Settler Arrivals (Victorian Ethnic Affairs Commission 1984) makes some noteworthy comments on the accuracy of statistical information about skills o f Indochinese- born people in Australia. Statistics generally indicate Indochinese-born migrants as unskilled, or, at best, under-estimate their level of skill. However, it customary for those workers who do not enter a professional sphere to work in a Figures based on Birrell’s Table 2 ivith each family business. There is no form of certification for category expressed as a percentage o f total skills developed in this manner in spite of the fact that intake. individuals have developed expertise in a variety of areas. What is the “Third World”? Rather than migrants from developing countries and their extended families being a drain on the Australian Given Birrell’s focus on “chain migration” from the so economy, there is much evidence to show that, called “Third World”, it is surprising that the research against considerable odds, their contribution to the paper contains no definition of this term, nor any list of countries which might be included in such a definition. Proportion of migrants by area o f birth aged Why, also, does Birrell use the pejorative and 18 and over entering Australia after I960 paternalistic term “Third World” when alternative with tertiary qualifications terminology, such as “developing countries” is now much more part of the common language? Migrants o f European origin 5.8% Birrell contends that as the “Third World” migration chain “deepens”, the level of education and skill Migrants from UK & Ireland 6.6% declines and therefore the cost to Australia of Migrants from S.E. Asia 14.8% educating these people increases. Migrants from Poland 18.7% However, Australian Bureau o f Statistics figures in fact Migrants from Africa 20.0% indicate that the level of skill, and the proportion of Migrants from India 33.4% tertiary qualifications, held by migrants and refugees from developing countries settling in Australia is considerably higher than both the European born and Australian bom 6.2% the Australian bom community.

Utilising skills Data taken from tables 7.5 and 3-1 in Australian The more important question, however, is whether Bureau o f Statistics Overseas Bom Australians the skills, experience and qualifications which 1988: A Statistical Survey, 1989.

MARCH 1990 21 economic and cultural life of Australia is significant. The Office of Multicultural Affairs report Immigrant Entrepreneurs in Australia (September 1988) acknowledges that since the 1950s, immigration from all parts of the world, especially Europe and Asia, has significantly contributed to the vitality and growth of Australian society and to the economy. Further, it states that the establishment of small businesses by immigrants has been an important part of this contribution. According to the report, immigrants are more likely to engage in entrepreneurial activity than Australian- born people and the sample demonstrated that one For example, Australia should ensure that it utilises fifth of these were born in Asia, which incorporates the skills migrants bring with them. Australian policy many developing countries. should recognise that training and re-training is A study of Indochinese Refugees in Victorian required in many areas and adopt policies that Manufacturing, by Jolley, Connel and Grunberg encourage this in the Australian and overseas born. (1980) concluded that the employment experience of The cost of immigration is a small part of overall these refugees: federal expenditure and Australia should be “follows the traditional pattern associated with maximising upon this modest investment. earlier refugee groups coming to Australia. In the There are three components to Australia’s migration past, Australia has sometimes experienced short­ program: family migration, economic migration and term problems of unemployment and under­ humanitarian entry. In relation to family migration, utilisation of skills following the arrival of the economic, human rights, family support and refugees, but in the long-term has benefited settlement factors are all integral to one another. economically from the expansion of the domestic In strictly economic terms, these factors make up a market and the greater degree of utilisation of complex equation of costs and benefits, which refugees’ skills”. deserve to be the subject of a futher research study. It is interesting to note that in Birrell’s survey of the The family reunion program has been tightened manufacturing industry undertaken in the same year, considerably in recent years. Birrell’s concern, that a as cited in evidence to a 1982 Senate Committee, he floodgate will be opened if immigration policy for came to very different conclusions and argued that family reunion is not restricted, would seem general migration levels should consequently be unfounded in light of current immigration policy. But reduced. had the recent family reunion changes been more Time fo r change liberal, we are not convinced by Birrell’s argument It is essential that the Federal Government funds that there would be a resultant influx in the number independent research into a range of migration issues, of unskilled migrants.Economists disagree as to including the impact of family migration. Concerned whether a greater number of unskilled migrants people must question why such research is being would be a drain on the economy. contracted out to researchers with a demonstrated In light of the forthcoming federal election, it is history of bias. incumbent on the next Government to ensure that Why is it so hard for some Australians to recognise the decisions pertaining to immigration policy are based significant and positive contribution made by on more than economic rationalism and studies such as Dr Birrell’s. ■ migrants and refugees from a wide range of countries whether European, South American, Asian or African, to Australian development? Robert Birrell’s subjective research reinforces conservative bias that, if acted upon, could detrimentally isolate Australia from the rest of the world. Certainly weaknesses in the migration process should not be ignored. Rather they should be recognised and properly understood so that their impact can be corrected by a more active and positive settlement policy.

22 MARCH 1990 News From OMA g rati on A ction

context has been its access and equity strategy, adopted in 1985. Departments and agencies are National required to develop access and equity plans which identify barriers to access and also measures to remove them. The majority of first round plans have been completed and revised guidelines distributed to agenda: portfolios as part of the development of the second round plans. Work is being undertaken to develop and implement a national consultation strategy on The state of play monitoring access and equity. Consum er education hen he launched the National Agenda for a Multicultural Australia in Sydney on July 26, The Commonwealth Bureau o f Consumer Affairs, in 1989, the Prime Minister stressed that the conjunction with state and territory agencies, is GovernmentW was conscious of the need to make an developing specially targeted consumer education investment in Australia’s human capital. programs. As a first stage, the bureau is preparing radio programs, publications and advertisements for In a little over seven months, substantial progress has the Greek, Lebanese and Vietnamese communities. been achieved. What follows is a summary of developments with some major initiatives. Annual client survey of the Home and Basic rights and the law Community Care program The Department of Community Services and Health is Review o f contract, fam ily and developing information systems for the Home and criminal law Community Care (HACC) program to monitor the level of servicing of non-English speaking The Australian Law Reform Commission was asked to background and Aboriginal Australians. look at the ways in which Australian law failed to Data collection has begun on its annual user respect and protect the cultural values of ethnic characteristics survey, which is being conducted in communities. The commission will be looking conjunction with the states. specifically at family, criminal and contract law. Health and Welfare Information The commission president, Justice Elizabeth Evatt, recently released an issues paper as the first step in its program planned program of community consultations. The The focus of the program in the current financial year commission will consult widely. is a national ethnic information campaign to be Review of interpreters in judicial system launched in March 1990. The campaign is to be implemented in two phases: The Attorney-General’s Department, in co-operation firstly, raising ethnic community awareness o f the with the Law Council of Australia, is undertaking a services provided by the department in general and, review of access to and provision of interpreters in secondly, providing information about specific the judicial system. A review team has been programs, targeted to those groups most in need. appointed and preliminary work has begun on the preparation of a discussion paper which will be the Study of the health services of NESB focus of public debate. The whole review process is people expected to be completed by June 30, 1990. The Australian Institute of Health is undertaking a A Multiculturalism Act major study of health status data of Australians on The Prime Minister asked the Advisory Council on non-English speaking background. A literature search Multicultural Affairs to examine the desirability of a has started and an inventory of relevant data sources Multiculturalism Bill. The issue is a complex one and is being compiled. the council is considering the merits of issuing a Local Governm ent Developm ent discussion paper before further consultation. Program Social justice With the objective of addressing more effectively the needs of Australians disadvantaged by linguistic or Access and equity cultural barriers, an additional amount of $450,000 The Commonwealth’s principal initiative in this (over three years) has been provided for the Local

MARCH 1990 23 0

Government Development Program. Department of Immigration, Local Government and The additional funds will be used to help local Ethnic Affairs in consultation with state and territory councils plan and restructure their services and adult migrant education authorities, will be boosted develop new models of service provision. Forty seven by the provision of an additional $4.5 million under applications for grants have been received and the national agenda. decisions on funding are expected to be announced shortly. Languages Human resources English in the Workplace Program The $400,000 provided in 1989/90 under the national Overseas qualifications agenda to extend the English in the Workplace Program will enable more workers with limited The National Advisory Committee on Skills English to gain access to training. State adult migrant Recognition held its second meeting on January 22, 1990 to consider matters referred to it by the Minister. education services have expanded promotional activities and course provision in targeted industries. These include an appropriate information strategy; pre-migration information and counselling on skills English as a Second Language Program recognition and labor market conditions; and legal fo r Children implications of the Commonwealth’s overseas skills The new arrivals element of the ESL Program for recognition policies. Children provides per capita grants (doubled in 1987/ The department is working in co-operation with the 88 under the National Policy on Languages) for up to National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition 12 months intensive English language tuition for (NOOSR) to develop and implement bridging courses newly arrived school children. such as the recently announced course for migrant Eligibility under the program has now been extended teachers at the Sturt campus of the South Australian to include children starting school who have been in College of Advanced Education. Australia for up to 18 months, at a cost o f about $3 As part of the Government’s initiatives in the area of million each year. skills recognition, reforms have been made to the Tradesmen’s Rights Regulation Act, which governs Community relations and arts recognition of overseas qualification and skills in the metal and electrical trades. The administrative and Community relations strategy legislative reforms recommended in the Tregillis The National Agenda for a Multicultural Australia review of TRAA have been implemented. provides $5.7 million over three years for a The Higher Education National community relations strategy to be jointly developed and implemented by the Office of Multicultural Priorities (Reserve) Fund Affairs, DILGEA, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs As a national agenda initiative, multicultural and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity curriculum development and cross-cultural awareness Commission. activities have been included as a category of the fund Consultants have been engaged to conduct for 1990-93- The Minister for Employment, Education background research on community relations issues, and Training recently announced a total of $519,600 including an analysis of theories of prejudice and in grants under this category for 1990. assessments of possible intervention strategies in Equity in higher education community relations. The Higher Education Equity Program provides funds Culture and heritage to increase participation in higher education by disadvantaged groups. Three new projects to increase The main development in this area is the formation of the access and success of people of non-English the Consultative Committee on Cultural Heritage in a speaking backgrounds have been funded under the Multicultural Australia, the first meeting of which was 1990 program. due to take place in February. Ethnic schools In addition, the Australia Council has received a 6 per cent increase this year in its Arts for a Multicultural The 10 per cent increase in existing per capita funding Australia Program and is developing priorities for for after-hours ethnic schools and insertion classes is funding of publications in major community available for the 1990 school year. Adult Migrant Education Program languages. ■ office of Multicultural Affairs The three-year national plan for the Adult Migrant Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet Education Program (AMEP), developed by the February 1990

24 MARCH 1990 / W atch ANU produces Rural migrants Migration changes first atlas of studied slated as too tough language The Centre for Rural Welfare CANBERRA: New regulations Research at the Wagga Wagga fleshing out the Government’s Almost half of the population in campus o f the rural Charles Sturt Immigration Act infringed the large areas of Sydney and University will undertake research human rights of Australian citizens Melbourne have been shown to on migrant settlement in rural as well as potential migrants, the speak a language other than areas. country’s main immigration body English at home. The project, to be carried out for has complained. Australia’s first language atlas the Commonwealth Bureau of The new Immigration Act, and 200 shows more than 45 per cent of Immigration Research, is expected regulations, comes into force populations in Sydney areas such to provide information on today, but already is being as Botany, Marrickville, particular problems which may condemned by ethnic groups as Canterbury, Ashfield, Burwood, arise in the settlement of migrants being far too tough and inflexible, Auburn and Fairfield speak a in country areas. particularly in relation to illegal language other than English at As well as basic problems such as immigrants. home. language difficulty and cultural The National Immigration Fomm, The same situation applies to the differences, migrants in such areas a group representing the major Melbourne areas of Whittlesea, must face inherent features of ethnic organisations, as well as the Keilor, Sunshine, Footscray, rural living, including isolation Council of Churches, and the Coburg, Brunswick, Northcote, and limitations on the availability International Commission of Oakleigh and Richmond. of education and employment. Jurists, claim the regulations Australian Languages — An The project, to be co-ordinated by could, for example, separate Introductory Atlas was compiled Dr Ian Gray, will begin in January Australians from non-Australian by Dr James Jupp and research and take six months to complete. spouses for up to 30 months. assistant Andrea McRobbie, and The researchers will work on the This is because under the new produced by the ANU’s Centre for premise that the process of regulations, illegal immigrants Immigration and Multicultural settlement in rural areas and the who are deported will be Studies based on data from the problems which may arise may be prohibited from re-entering the 1986 census. different from those taking place country for five years, with the The atlas reveals a number of in cities. only exceptions being those applying to re-enter the country interesting statistics about Dr Gray said only a small on an immediate family visa, Australia’s multicultural proportion of migrants settled in where the prohibition is 30 populations. the country. months. For instance, Australia has the “The overwhelming proportion in Previously, illegal immigrants largest Maltese-speaking cities has distracted attention from were able to circumvent penalties population outside Malta. Around those elsewhere,” he said. 60,000 people speak this by marrying in Australia. The survey will base its analysis language, mostly in the outer The Minister for Immigration, on the experience of migrants by suburbs of Melbourne and Senator Ray, has made it clear the looking at the tasks which must be Sydney. new Act was designed to get undertaken by people who have tough with illegal entrants, but a Italian remains the second most come from overseas and chosen detailed analysis, prepared by the widely used language after to settle in a country town or Law Institute of Victoria, points to English. It is followed by the district. Greek language, Arabic, German, consequences extending far Vietnamese and French. The Australian beyond them. The Canberra Times December 6, 1989 The report claims that “a maze of December 6, 1989 sections and schedules” makes the system too inflexible to deal with special cases. The Sydney Morning Herald December 19, 1989

MARCH 1990 25 Book ReviewsI igration A ction

well, it deals with the current (1988) situation of Vietnamese asylum seekers in Thailand. Refuge It also has a section on US refugee processing in Thailand. The report is basically a survey of the various camps Denied: for Khmer and Vietnamese asylum-seekers in Thailand, focussing on human rights abuses within them. Problems in the Protection of The Khmer camps are administered by one of the three factions of the Cambodian resistance which, for Vietnamese and Cambodians many years, has waged a guerrilla campaign against the present Cambodian government. The report does not examine Site B, administered by in Thailand and the the pro-Sihanouk group, and probably the camp with the best human rights record on the border. Admission of Indochinese However it is a damning indictment of the Khmer People’s National Liberation Front (KPNLF), which Refugees into the United administers Site 2 (the largest camp, with about 170,000 people) and the Khmer Rouge, which controls Site 8 and a number of smaller camps (with a States. total of about 75,000 people). The Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, The KPNLF is revealed as having no regard for human 1989 rights and is corrupt, extortionist and factionalised. In Site 2 social mores are breaking down, people are L. Santoli and Laurence losing hope and control, the KPNLF is ungovernable because of factional rivalries, and the proliferation of Eisenstein weapons is contributing to an escalation of violence. RRP $14.95 Less is known about the Khmer Rouge camps because the Khmer Rouge do not allow access to UN agencies, hen I was first asked, in mid-1989, to review International Committee of the Red Cross, or any this book I thought o f the approximately other outsiders, except in a limited way to Site 8. W330,000 displaced Khmer people living “Thein chilling degree of control exercised over camps along the Thai-Cambodian border. The civilians remains obvious in Khmer Rouge camps. Vietnamese troops will be withdrawn from Cambodia Contact with outsiders is restricted, and camp by September, I reflected, and perhaps by December residents who have escaped tell o f harsh discipline a repatriation process for the border population will meted out by Khmer Rouge cadres”, (p.42) have begun. There is a strong likelihood that humanitarian food I was over optimistic and, with the breakdown of the aid distributed by UN officials to Khmer Rouge camps Paris conference on Cambodia, even though the has gone to the Khmer Rouge military instead of Vietnamese troops have now withdrawn, the civilians. The authors report cases o f severe prospects of the border population returning home malnutrition in Khmer Rouge-controlled camps. are still remote. The picture presented of conditions in Khmer Rouge This book is the third report published by the Lawyers camps indicates that life for the camp residents is the Committee for Human Rights in the United States same as it was for most Cambodians during Khmer dealing with human rights issues amongst Rouge rule — repressive, cruel and totally lacking in Cambodians. respect for human rights. The first report, After The Worst (1985), looked at the This section of the book, dealing with the KPNLF and human rights situation within Cambodia six years the Khmer Rouge, is an important contribution to the after the Khmer Rouge were forced out of ongoing debate on Cambodia. government. The second report, Seeking Shelter These groups are worth considering in the context of (1987), described the protection problems of the the 1989 UN decision, supported by Australia, the displaced people living in camps along the Thai- United States, China and the ASEAN countries, to Cambodian border. again recognise the Khmer Rouge-led coalition as the Refuge Denied is an update on Seeking Shelter but, as

26 MARCH 1990 f igration A ction Book Reviews holder o f the Cambodian seat at the UN. This is one of the most cynical, insane political follies of our time — that the Khmer Rouge have benefited Displaced both by the political support and the supposedly humanitarian assistance of the western countries. The section of the book dealing with Vietnamese Persons asylum seekers describes the 1988 “push-back” policy of the Thai Government, and its tragic results. This policy was interpreted by Thai fishermen as a mandate to rape, rob and murder Vietnamese boat Colwell's New people. The Vietnamese have thus suffered abuses by Thai security forces and by Thai pirates. The final section o f Refuge Denied provides an overview of the United States refugee processing Australians system in Thailand. People from Cambodia, Vietnam or Laos who want to enter the US generally enter either as refugees or By Egon F. Kunz through the normal immigration channels. Australian National University Press, RRP Unlike Australia, where refugees are included as a component of the overall immigration program, the $25.00 US refugee program is separate from its immigration program. Each year the US President sets a numerical ceiling for he opportunity was perfect — along came Arthur refugees. However, within the immigration program, Cal well’s answer to Australia’s need for “nation there is no limit on the number of immediate relatives T building” ... a war which displaced millions of o f US citizens who can be admitted. able-bodied white Europeans. The US refugee processing system in Thailand suffers The decision for Australia to take close to 180,000 many problems: inadequate staffing; lack of refugees for resettlement between 1947 and 1954 was guidelines and up-to-date country condition an historic event. The intake was part of an information; and inadequate training of staff. innovative and aggressive new immigration policy, and was instrumental in heralding an era of mass non- Staff are not provided with training in either language Anglo-Saxon migration to Australia. Europe’s or cultural differences. Consequently the refugee interview process is unfair. refugees gave the Australian government a means of testing its feasibility. Refuge Denied has many typographical errors, some As the instigator of this new approach to immigration, of which are misleading; e.g. Site 8 (a Khmer Rouge camp) is sometimes referred to as Site B (a Calwell had to be most skilful in selling the idea of significantly increasing the flow of people from non- Sihanoukist camp). However it is a useful document, English speaking countries to the shores of Australia. based on interviews carried out and information The result? — the Displaced Persons Scheme, a gathered in 1988. It provides a concise background; scheme which comprised a number of well-publicised an overview of; and recommendations in regard to economic and political advantages for Australia. the situation of asylum seekers in Thailand. David Feith Egon F. Kunz, himself a “DP” (as such refugees were commonly called), has made this the subject of a new book. David Feith made several visits to refugee camps in With a fine balance o f historical data, socio-political Thailand while researching his book Stalemate: analysis and personal experience, Kunz presents an Refugees in Asia (1988). interesting account of the circumstances surrounding millions of refugees resulting from the events in central and eastern Europe in the late 30s and 40s. This book deals with the national and cultural backgrounds of the DPs, their histories of displacement, their settlement in Australia and their contribution to Australia.

MARCH 1990 27 Book Reviews igration A ction

Much of the information is drawn from various statistical sources, and is supplemented with the author’s survey of 13,281 DPs who arrived aboard 12 selected transport ships. The author begins by describing the processes influencing Australian immigration policy leading up to the DP scheme. With particular emphasis on Calwell’s role as the then Minister for Immigration, Kunz critically examines the nature of the “magnificent scheme” and its consequences on both its participants and on Australian society. His comprehensive critique of the scheme highlights Station Pier, M elbourne, April 1 9 5 4 both its positive and negative features, and serves as a Picture: DILGEA backdrop to understanding the complex issues homogeneous. The fact that the DPs were made up surrounding the experience of DPs in Australia. of Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Poles, Ukrainians, Using a spattering of photographs, tables, graphs, Russians, Czechoslovaks, Hungarians, Yugoslavs, maps, quotations, newspaper clippings and replicas Romanians, Bulgarians, Albanians and Greeks was of official documents, Kunz brings to the fore some of perceived as being o f little consequence in view of the less comfortable truths about the DP Scheme and their status as refugees. what he terms “the blunders of officialdom”. The significant impact the DPs experience had on The most renowned features o f the scheme were the Australian immigration policy and ultimately on biased selection criteria based on youthfulness, good Australia as a whole is often underestimated, or health, sex and education, and the contract binding indeed forgotten. DPs to working as unskilled workers under By overlapping the disciplines of history, government designation for two years after arrival. demography and sociology, Kunz succeeds in Kunz vividly records the resentment that people felt presenting a well-rounded picture of the when, on arrival, all males were stamped as “laborers” circumstances surrounding the DPs experience and and all females as “domestics”. their contribution to the development of this country. This was a resentment which, in his words, “was not Perhaps the most ominous aspect of this history is the taken easily, nor was it forgotten”. way in which it reminds us to be wary of developing The author does not hesitate to point out the policies purely on economic and political grounds in contradiction between the selection criteria, which favor of a more compassionate approach toward the singled out the well-educated, and the types of jobs to settlement of refugees. which they were assigned. After reading this historical account one cannot help Kunz documents the many difficulties faced by but wonder about how much things have really people in a system which was often discriminatory changed since the 1940s. and alienating; a scheme which encompassed forced assimilation, the insensitive administration of a work Tonina Gucciardo contract, inadequate settlement facilities and the Community Educator EMC denial of the rights of people to practice their professions. However, despite the adversities met by many of the refugees, Kunz is able to identify the advantages of the scheme for many of its participants by actually documenting some individual achievements. Another interesting aspect of this work is the systematic presentation of information addressing the historical, socio-political and socio-economic backgrounds of the different ethnic groups to which the DPs belonged. This serves to depict the lack of uniformity amongst a group of people which was in all respects treated as

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