Global Mobility Encourages Countries to Confer Over Immigration Policies
29/05/2008 by Charlotte Norman
Global Mobility and immigration are evidently on the rise the world over with migrants comprising around three percent of the global population. With this fact in mind it seems an increasing number of countries are consulting with each other over immigration policies.
The Australian Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Evans, recently met with the Vietnamese government in order to discuss Australian visa applications, passport arrangements, border security and migration management.
Inter-country relationships are seen as being essential to maintaining good trade relations, migration flows and aiding a countries labour shortage.
The present climate of labour migration and people movement is one which many countries are trying to build upon in order to strengthen weakening country sectors. According to statistics by the International Organization of Migration the number of migrants worldwide would constitute to making the fifth most populous country in the world.
Speaking after the documented meeting with Vietnamese officials Evans acknowledged that the Australian government is working with other countries to improve the immigration and border control systems in the country.
He further said that "Working closely with other countries on migration issues is part of our comprehensive approach to border management and a key component of the government's strategy to maximise the benefit to Australia of our migration program."
It's no surprise that the government are feeling pressure to stringently manage borders and migration controls; with a wealth of opportunities on offer and a temperate climate, Australia is a very popular destination for people the world over, offering a chance for a fresh start.
The well documented skills shortages are also adding to the country's migration numbers with skilled workers being generously welcomed with simple immigration processes in order to attract them.
Such migration is especially strong amongst British citizens. Recent statistics from the British government show that more people from the UK are opting for Australian immigration, with 83,000 having moved to the country in the past decade.
Evans adds "The Australian department works collaboratively with more than 20 countries as part of a whole-of-government approach to enhance regional capacity to prevent and detect the movement of terrorists and trans-national criminals, including people smugglers."
As like many countries, Australia uses its cross cultural relationships to gather strategic input into the current immigration laws. This is part of a regional strategy to develop approaches to migration management in the region that benefit everyone.
Addressing the advantages of such input Evans argues that "this significant bi-lateral and multi-lateral cooperation fosters enhanced border security and strengthens relationships with our counterparts."
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