DIBP Is Celebrating Australian Citizenship Through A Yearlong Social Media Campaign

29 Jan 2014

Launching the celebrations of the 65^th year of Australian Citizenship, the DIBP (Department of Immigration and Border Protection) launched a yearlong social media campaign, which will highlight the unique stories of people who became Australians recently.

In the past 65 years, over 4.5 million people have become Australian citizens, and a record 17,863 people officially became Australian Citizens on 26^th January, 2014 - Australia Day.

A DIBP spokesman said the social media campaign will share journeys of people who adopted Australia in the past 65 years and will also focus on people who are about to take the final step in their migrant journey.

The spokesman said that throughout the year, a web series named ‘The Pledge’ will be published by the DIBP, which will present an insight into the Australian citizenship journeys of people from varying walks of life.

He added that new citizens are being encouraged by DIBP to share their citizenship story on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, using the #AusPledge hashtag. This will map the new Australian Citizens around the country throughout the year.

The DIBP launched the first story of The Pledge series on its youtube channel named ‘immiTV’, and Miguel Maestre, former Spanish celebrity chef was featured in it. In October 2013, Miguel Maestre became an Australian Citizen, and he said in his story that after striking a romance with an Aussie waitress (his now wife) at an Edinburgh restaurant, he was besotted with the country.

Marking the 65th anniversary of Australian Citizenship, even the public can add a photo, video or message to an e-card. For the members of the public, this is a hub to contribute to the 65th anniversary in their unique way, including adding past photos of a friend/family member’s citizenship ceremony or their own experiences.

The spokesman added that Australia is a patchwork of stories and cultures, and the goal of this campaign is to feature the varied experiences of Australian Citizenship journeys, and everyone is encouraged tell their story and get involved.