Migration to Australia increases in latest quarter

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Created on Tuesday, 02 October 2012 17:16

Written by Editorial staff

Australia's population has grown off the back of a net increase in migration of 22 per cent in the March quarter-the highest rise in over two years. However fewer and fewer immigrants are taking up the choice of becoming citizens. Currently they are opting to stay on their permanent residency visa for longer.

The increasing number of migrants indicates that they may feel Australia is a better place to live than other parts of the world.

The population growth of Australia to the year ending March 2011 was at 1.1 per cent and has since risen in the last year. The now 1.5 per cent growth in population is greatly credited to this greater intake of migration. In those 12 months to March 2012, the amount of migrants that Australia has taken in is just short of 200,000 - 197,200 people to be exact.

That figure is a massive 18 per cent increase from the previous year to March which was the worst seen since the 2001-2002 intake.

Traditionally Australians have taken in migrants predominantly from western countries such as the United States or England, but in the last ten years the trend has changed. Whilst England is still the most popular source of emigration, places like China and India are starting to catch up. It is expected that Asian countries like China will one day take the number one spot for those who immigrate to Australia

It has implications for the government's seemingly impossible return to surplus as their predictions were based on a steady rate of population growth. 57 per cent of our population growth can be attributed to the overseas increase, while more births than deaths makes up the 43 per cent.

The amount of births over deaths is at just under 150,000, that is three per cent up on the previous year; departures from Australia also increased by 3.7 per cent to 262,200.

It comes as immigration minister Chris Bowen warns that any protestor who broke the law in the recent Saturday riots in Sydney run the risk of deportation if they aren't from this country.

"I'm sure the question will come in relation to any action that might be taken in relation to any non-citizens.

"Now, we don't know yet who these people are and we'll await the NSW government making charges - I'll take action accordingly only after that process has taken its course," he said.