Diplomatic Pouch : Australia’s migrant experience

By Tony Hely
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Posted date: January 22, 2008

I read with interest recently an article in a major national newspaper, written by a Filipino who had migrated to Australia. It was one of those pieces that diplomats rarely come across with in the course of their daily work: a good news story, genuinely expressed, factual yet also written from the heart. The article dealt with the overwhelming satisfaction of migrants to Australia about the decision they had made to start a new life “Down Under.” Based on a recent survey commissioned by the Australian government, the article noted that 30 percent of respondents felt that the thing they liked most about Australia was its people. Weather, lifestyle and environment also rated highly. Conversely, only 4 percent of respondents listed discrimination as one of the things they did not like about Australia. Understandably 10 percent responded “missing the family back home” but 30 percent simply answered “nothing.”

As the author alluded to, the survey findings dramatically showed why Australia is increasingly becoming a favored destination for prospective migrants. A separate survey, conducted in 2006 in 20 countries around the world, found that Australia was one of the top three most attractive destinations for migrants, along with the United States and Canada.

Some Filipinos whom I talk to mention the “discrimination” issue when the subject of migration to Australia comes to mind. As noted above, it’s a non-issue for the vast majority of those who have actually settled in Australia, but I guess it shows how old perceptions die hard. Yes, Australia did have a White Australia Policy -- up until the early 1970s. Yes, like any country, Australia has had to deal with issues of race relations, including not only with migrants but also with the “first Australians,” our indigenous people.

But as a nation we have come a long, long way since the days of the White Australia Policy. Today, almost one in four of Australia’s population of around 21 million was born overseas and almost half the nation was either born abroad or has a parent born overseas. Cantonese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Mandarin are in the top seven most commonly spoken languages. Australia applies a completely non-discriminatory immigration policy, taking close to 200,000 migrants per year. In fact, Filipinos represent the fourth largest non-European immigrant population in Australia, and have been very successful and adaptable to the Australian way of life.

The Australian government continues to look for Filipino migrants. In many ways, they encapsulate the ideal new Australian: hard-working, English-speaking, with a great sense of community but also able to integrate well with other Australians, and highly skilled. This message is increasingly being heard here. Some 16,000 people applied for 3,000 places at a skilled migration forum we held in Manila in 2006. And we are also looking at attracting more international students from the Philippines, an objective which is being helped by the relaxation of some visa requirements.

On Jan. 26, Australians from all races, religions and countries of origin will come together to celebrate Australia Day. Originally it was a day solely marking the arrival of European settlers in Australia. Today it unites those who trace their ancestry back to that day with the indigenous Australians and those who have come across the seas, albeit under different circumstances, to settle in our great land. So my message is simple: Australia is a fantastic place to live, to study, to work and to raise a family, as more and more Filipinos are realizing. And if migration is something you are contemplating, you could find no more attractive proposition.

Tony Hely is the Australian ambassador to the Philippines.