Migration Intake Stays The Same

17 May 2013

The Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA) has welcomed the Government's decision to maintain the country's permanent migration program at 190,000 places and its humanitarian intake at 20,000.

Australia's migration program will be maintained at 190,000 places in 2013-14 to help fill skills shortages and reunite Australian families, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Brendan O'Connor announced.

"The permanent migration program is about getting the balance right between our economic and social objectives," Mr O'Connor said.

"Our migration program ensures skilled migrants will continue to fill critical gaps in regions and sectors with genuine skills shortages."

The 2013-14 program provides 128,550 places for skilled migrants; 60,885 places for family migration and 565 places for migration under special eligibility.

The government has made a small shift of 700 places - from the skill stream to the family stream - in response to the continuing high levels of demand for family stream places from Australians, particularly in the partner category.

Migrant community groups have also welcomed additional funding for health and education programs, saying some of the extra funds will be specifically targeted at Australians from a non-English speaking background.

FECCA chairman Pino Migliorino believes migrant communities will particularly benefit from the government's $10 billion school reforms, with some funding targeted specifically at students whose first language is not English.

And he has also welcomed the government's 20 million dollars in extra funding for SBS, saying this will help multicultural broadcasting in a highly competitive media environment.

The government will accept 20,000 refugees through the humanitarian program in 2013-14.

"Millions of people are displaced around the world and we should be very proud of Australia's part in providing refugees with protection," the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Brendan O'Connor said.

Key features of the humanitarian program include: the resettlement of displaced populations in the Middle East and South West Asia, primarily Afghans and Iraqis; higher refugee intakes from countries in the Australian region; maintaining the focus on vulnerable women and their families through the 'woman at risk' program, which the government maintains at 12 per cent of the refugee component of the program.

Source: http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/migration-intake-stays-the-same