Australian immigration given full support in survey
September 17 2009 by Matt Jones
Laurie Ferguson on Australian immigration
A new report has shown that there is full support for continued high levels of Australian immigration by citizens and that they are happy to live in a multicultural society.
The report by Monash University involved 120 people from regional and metropolitan areas of Victoria
Laurie Ferguson, the Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services said: “The Monash University report, Perceptions of Multiculturalism and Security in Victoria, will be used by the Australian Multicultural Advisory Council and Australian Government in the development of new cultural diversity policies”.
The report is good news for Australia’s economy, which according to immigration experts needs migrants to fill critical skills shortages.
In the report Australians defined ‘Australianess’ as a measure of how people behaved, rather than where they were from. Ethnic origin was not viewed as an important factor and people born overseas are not considered ‘un-Australian’. According to the report, if an immigrant obeys the law, is respectful and learns a reasonable amount of English then they can be considered Australian.
The report showed concern over the integration of Islamic and Sudanese communities, which are minority groups in Australia and there was criticism over the media’s portrayal of members of such communities.
Mr Ferguson said: “Overall, the report reminds us of the need to stay vigilant to protect our democratic approach to diversity. It is essential that we continue programs to bring opportunity to all Australians and support their active participation in community life. We must stand united and reject all forms of racial or religious vilification”.
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