Regional visas and Brandis butts in
Plus Polish backpackers, Kiwi tantrums and a Chinese billionaire
Hello and happy Friday!
Migration and population news of the week is laid out below. Please share with friends and colleagues.
Regional visas heating up
Immigration Minister David Coleman appeared on 2GB to discuss his plans for regional visas. He’s also started talking up the scheme’s potential impact on international students.
“We’re actually encouraging foreign students to settle in regional Australia as well. If they go to a regional uni, they’ll get an extra year on their graduate visa.”
SBS Punjabi looked into some of his comments in more detail.
This week the Department has been releasing some more details about the visas to industry.
The Migration Institute was critical of the decision to apply the TSMIT (income threshold of $53,900 p.a.) in order for migrants to clear the permanent residency hurdle.
“While the Government is telling regional Australia it is listening to concerns about skills shortages, they are going to make it as hard as possible to fill them. The requirement to earn this level of income for three years is not reasonable given the already suppressed nature of rural economies struggling with drought and diminishing investment. They are also sending a clear message to skilled migrants that Australia does not want them.’’
-John Hourigan, MIA National President
The head of a planning firm wrote in the Daily Telegraph that forcing migrants into regions doesn’t work ($).
And in not-unrelated news, two “unlawful non-citizens” were taken into custody after an Australian Border Force operation at a farm near the regional town of Gingin in Western Australia, reported PerthNow.
People of Australia
Ben Doherty and Yang Tian wrote in The Guardian about how temporary migrants like Fu Cong aren’t covered under a government scheme that pays workers owed money by collapsed businesses. Interestingly, the South China Morning Post - owned by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma - reprinted it.
Christopher Hopkins took some emotive photographs to accompany the piece.
What else happened
Policy
The Shergold Report into migrant settlement in Australia continues to remain locked inside the Government. But some details are emerging. According to Michael Koziol of the SMH/Age, it recommended a "more positive narrative" about refugees. Sarah Martin reported in The Guardian of Labor’s demands for it to be released. And SBS spoke to refugee groups.
The Herald Sun analysed ($) the 2019-20 migration program.
Helen Davidson in The Guardian reported that Peter Dutton is seeking to appeal in the high court a federal court ruling relating to medical transfers.
Rosie Lewis in The Australian covered ($) the backlog in the AAT:
An analysis of migration and refugee cases before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal reveals there was a 257 per cent increase between July 2016 and August this year, driven by greater numbers of permanent and temporary visa refusals.
SBS followed her story.
SBS Punjabi covered the escalation in the risk category for student visa applications from India, Pakistan and Nepal.
Mark Webster at vSure analysed recent overseas arrival and departure data. The piece includes a nice interactive:
Ben Pike in the Sunday Telegraph ($) had an interesting story about the apparent lack of progress on the NSW Government’s plan to reduce its migrant intake.
The expansion of the work and holiday visa continues, with another 1000 places for Polish nationals. A union criticised the move.
George Tan and Andreas Cebulla shared how South Australian employers are turning away skilled migrants for reasons that sometimes make little sense.
Sally Whyte from the Canberra Times picked up ($) the Migration Institute’s opposition to visa privatisation.
Labor MP Tim Watts spoke to Michelle Grattan about his new immigration-focused book.
People
Omar Dabbagh at SBS reported some of Australia's migrant communities are feeling left out of climate conversations.
Uyghurs living in Australia are lobbying the Federal Government to provide refugee protection, according to the ABC.
The UN has called for the Tamil family held on Christmas Island to be released.
Population
Domain looked at recent interstate migration data.
The world
Many overseas visitors must now get an electronic travel authority before they can board flights or cruises to New Zealand. The Herald and Stuff looked at the changes.
Stuff also provided a Kiwi perspective on the father of AFL player Dustin Martin. While his son won the best player award in the grand final last week, he watched from New Zealand having been deported.
Still in New Zealand, Australia's "racist" attitude is driving its policy of deporting Kiwi-born residents who committed crimes back to a country many of them have no connection to, a former Immigration Minister said.
The deportation issue remains a “major irritant” for Jacinda Ardern.
And finally, the British Government continues to talk up its plans to move ahead with plans to adopt an Australian-style points-based immigration system.
High Commissioner George Brandis’ contribution? To call for restrictions in Australia’s carefully remodelled visa system to be relaxed:
I’m back in Parliament from next week after four weeks covering local Canberra news and will be resuming my immigration round.
Thanks for reading, have a great weekend.
Jackson