In her letter published on 17th December, Margaret Royds makes the common mistake of confusing refugee policy with immigration policy. Australia takes approximately 500,000 long-term immigrants per year, with approximately 250,000 leaving for the long-term. Although many of the arrivals are on short-term visas of a few years’ duration, such as 457 or student visas, they often convert to permanent residency status. I did this myself, going from one 457 visa to another, then to a student visa, then to Permanent Residency and Citizenship without ever leaving Australia again (except for holidays).
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Conversely, many of those departing Australia each year, ostensibly for the long term, have the right to return in the future either because they are Citizens or they have Permanent Residency visas. Immigrants come here for economic and lifestyle reasons, and Australia allows them to come here usually because of their skills or their money (international student tuition fees are enormous!).
In contrast, refugees migrating to Australia for humanitarian reasons, and allowed in out of compassion for their dire circumstance, comprise a much small number. The exact figures fluctuate, but 20,000 or less seems to be the norm. So the pressures Australia’s increasing population place on infrastructure, housing, hospitals, schools and so on, are not the result of Australia’s refugee intake. It is almost entirely down to non-refugee immigration, as well as “natural” increases in population due to increased birth rate and longer lives.
Peter Marshall
Greens Candidate for Monaro
Captains Flat
