History of Illegal Immigration in Australia - Case Study Example

History of Illegal Immigration in Australia Name: Institutional Affiliation: History of Illegal Immigration in Australia In 1901, 98% of the residents in Australia were of British Origin. At that time, the country wanted to remain a country which was dominated by the White people who were loyal to the British customs. The country’s trade unions were keen on preventing any form of competition from the Chinese and other immigrants. The reason is that they feared that their entry into the country could play a significant role in cutting wages. In an attempt to prevent such occurrence, the country passed legislation in the newly formed Federal Parliament. The legislation was initially known as the Immigration Restriction Act but it is currently known as the White Australia Policy. In addition, they passed the Pacific Islanders Labourers Act and the Post and Telegraph Act in 1901 (Day, & Day, 2009). This made it hard for the people from other countries to migrate to Australia. The Act stated that anyone who wanted to migrate into the country must undergo a dictation test. This is a test that could be of any European language. Therefore, a person intending to migrate to Australia must be tested for fluency in French, Italian, or English. This made it hard for the people from China and other Asian countries to migrate into Australia. However, in 1905, changes were introduced in order for the test to be given in any language. However, despite the changes, most Asian failed the test and was unable to enter the country. Nevertheless, those who had sponsors were lucky enough to get well-connected sponsors. This act was significant in the drafting of the first Australian constitution. In 1914, the migration of people into Australia almost stopped after the outbreak of the First World War. Migrants that emanated from countries that were initially thought to be friendly were reclassified as aliens. Those who were already in the country and were born in Germany and those who supported its operations in the war were given new restrictions. Their daily lives were interrupted and some of them were put into camps. The Immigration Act of 1901 was extended in order to ban these people for more than five years. However, those who emanated from Turkey were banned until 1930. This move reduced the number of immigrants into the country. In 1918, the migration schemes were revived in the country. In the next five years, Australia received 17,000 migrants. Organizations and institutions such as churches and community organization started to sponsor some migrants. On the other hand, others arrived independently. At the same period, the United States established limits to reduce the number of immigrants heading to European countries. However, Americans started using Greece and Italy to get their way to Australia. In 1930s Jewish migrants started arriving in the country in great numbers. Many of these were refugees who were running away from Hitler atrocities. Nevertheless, great depression and the crash of the stock market ended the sponsorship of the migrants by various organizations (Taylor & Francis Group, 2004). This played a significant role in reducing the overall numbers of migrants that were entering Australia. The outbreak of the World War II reduced the number of migrants that were arriving in Australia. Germans, Italians, Japanese, and Hungarians were classified as aliens. Those who resided in the country were put under a close watch by the police. After the end of the war, the government changed its approach towards migration. The aborted attack by the Japanese made Australia to rethink about the ideal number of immigrants that the country can handle, In 1945, the immigration department was established to help the country to deal with the crisis. The country decided that the population growth should not exceed 2%. Half of this number was to come from natural increase. On the other hand, the government decided that the remaining number was to be filled by 70,000 immigrants. In 1972, the citizens in Australia elected a labour government. The Minister of Immigration immediately changed the office policy which introduced a quota system. The system established that the country was to select the migrants based on their social and personal attributes rather than their country of origin. The Minister also abolished any relic of the previous racial discrimination. He also went ahead and declared that Australia will be a multicultural country. In the same year, the Australian Citizenship Act was enacted which declared that Australians should offer equal treatment to all migrants. In 1975, Australia received the first “boat people”. Thirty years later, the country received twenty five thousand migrants. Majority of these emanated from Timor, Vietnam, China, and other parts of Middle East. In 1990s, the number of illegal immigrants in the country increased immensely. This brought a lot of discomfort especially among the locals who felt that they were being heavily taxed in order for the government to sustain these people (Sloan, Kennedy, & Australia, 1992). Research indicates that approximately 58,400 immigrants are living illegally within the community. Half of these people have been residing in the country for more than five years. All these years, they have been evading the immigration authorities. The largest number of illegal immigrants is young people who move into the country as a group. Majority of these immigrants are those who had a valid visa but after expiry, they decided to extend their stay in the country. On the other hand, as a signatory of the United Nation Convention which deals with the refugees, the country allows the entry of the refugees in the country. However, some of the refugees diffuse into the society, an aspect that makes it hard for the government to have the correct figures of those living illegally in the country (Tiffen & Gittins, 2004). According to a census that was conducted in 2011, a quarter of the Australian population were born in other countries. The illegal immigrants emanates from more than 200 countries across the world. In 2008-2009, the number stood at 158, 021. New Zealand had the largest number followed by the United Kingdom, India, China, and South Africa. A recent study indicated that Australia is the most welcoming country towards immigration when compared to other countries in Europe. The fact that illegal immigrants are unregistered makes it hard for the government to have specific demographics regarding their sex and age. However, non-governmental organizations together with religious institutions have played a significant role in trying to reach this group of people. The reports indicate that a large number of the illegal migrants are minor, majority of who are not accompanied by their parents. Women and children have also formed a large number of the illegal immigrants (Rumley, Forbes, & Griffin, 2006). The reason is that their husbands feel that in case they are arrested before they enter the country, they are more likely to be treated better in comparison with their male counterparts. Majority of the illegal immigrants in Australia closed the border in search for better life in the country. With the increasing levels of economic imbalance between the countries, the economic situation of the developing countries is deteriorating. The level of unemployment continues to rise. These are countries whereby the largest population segment composes of the young people. High poverty levels in these countries have forced these young people to shift their attention to other countries. As a result, majority of them opt to migrate into Australia in order to help their families back home (Jordan-Bychkov, 2003). On the other hand, parents migrate to Australia in order to secure a better future for their children. The reason is that they feel that their children will not be able to get quality education in case they remain in their countries. Some illegal immigrants run away from war and political prosecution. For instance, for decades, Afghanistan and Iraq has been under war. Majority of the young people who have participated in this war faces prosecution. In addition, many people have been exposed to atrocities from government forces and other illegal groups such as Al-Qaida, ISIS, and the Taliban. In these countries, government structures have collapsed. There are no schools, hospitals, and other important facilities to be used by the members of the public. As a result, innocent citizens prefer to migrate into Australia in order to have access to some of these facilities. In addition, young people enter Australia illegally in order to avoid being put behind bars. This aspect has seen the number of refugees emanating from war-torn countries such as Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan increase tremendously (Williams, 1999). Despite the country putting up stern measures to ensure that no illegal immigrants that enters the country, the number keeps on surging up, an aspect that indicates that Australia need to put up stern measures to prevent the number from going up. Illegal immigration is being fuelled by globalization. In the past two decades, countries have liberalized their markets and the level of communication between the countries has increased tremendously. Multinational companies have also opened up various subsidiaries in different parts of the world. As a result, people from developing countries are moving to Australia in search for employment from these firms. On the other hand, the mode of movement from one country to the other has eased an aspect that has encouraged people to move to their countries of choice. On the other hand, developed countries have made developing countries, their dumping sites for cheap products (United States1985). Developed countries have invested heavily on the modern technologies. As a result, their companies are able to produce products at a very low cost. These products are then exported to developing countries, an aspect that has killed the local, struggling companies which were initially offering the local people with a lifeline. As a result, people in these countries have been converted to consumers of products which rarely contribute to the growth of the economy because majority of the taxes being paid by these imports are drained by corrupt officials. In 2012, the Social Services Minister Scott Morrison assured the Australian citizens that the government will go a notch higher in ensuring that all refugees were accommodated effectively. Many citizens across the country were willing to offer the refugees with accommodation with some of them stating that they might accommodate them in their families. In May the same year, families were eligible to provide home stay to the asylum seekers who were moving out of the detention camps or bridging visas. However, the move was vehemently opposed by the opposition because it encouraged many illegal immigrants to choose Australia over other countries across Europe United States. (1985). At the same time, social organizations such as AMES became so strong and negotiated on behalf of the refugees. This aspect attracted the interest of the illegal immigrants towards Australia. The reason is that they felt that once they enter the country, their security was guaranteed and they were to be provided with basic necessities by not only the government but also the members of the public. In 2014, Australia was under scrutiny for intercepting the asylum seekers in the sea and repatriating them to Sri Lanka where they could face prosecution. Newly elected conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott promised that he will crack down the asylum seekers. The move was to avoid the fate that faced his predecessors. Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard failed to address the issue of illegal immigration, an aspect that made him to become a victim of a party coup. Nevertheless, even with all the promises, the boats continued to arrive in the country. However, the government reported that it had intercepted many boats in the higher seas and sent them to Sri Lanka (Prasad, 2014). The move brought uproar from immigration-rights activists who stated that the government was breaking the international law by turning away refugees. The United Nations Human Rights Council expressed its concerns about the Australian move to send back the refugees to Sri Lanka. This aspect almost brought a fall out between Australia and the international community. In other countries such as Germany, Asylum seekers were given the necessary support by the government. In addition, various institutions such as churches and social groups provided the refugees with the necessary support which enabled them to integrate with the rest of the society (Prasad, 2014). Unlike Australia where the illegal immigration issue is left to the political class, other countries have enacted the necessary legislation that guides the government on how to handle the crisis. This plays a significant in preventing the issue from being politicized, an aspect that creates loopholes for more immigrants into the country (Pike, 2004). For instance, in Germany, acquiring the country’s citizenship is facilitated by the law. In addition, the contacts between the immigrants and the German citizens are closer as the country has accepted the need to have ethnic cultural variety. Furthermore, the immigration law that was enacted in 2005 provides a legal framework which puts into consideration all elements of the immigration policy. This is unlike in Hungary whereby the government has enacted stiff laws to prohibit any refugees from entering the country. Despite the outcry from different countries on the way Hungarians are handling this issue, the government has remained adamant on making any changes. However, in Australia, the illegal immigrants issue has become an agenda by the politicians to get into power. For instance, the current prime minister used the issue to woo the members of the public towards voting him in (Pike, 2005). Although he has put up several structures that has seen the number of illegal immigrants reduce drastically, he has failed to address the human rights issue. Instead, he has used the power of his office to enforce some of the rules, an aspect that had brought a lot of friction with the human rights activists. Most of the illegal immigrants chose Australia rather than other countries because of the local people’s hospitality culture. Unlike other countries whereby the illegal immigrants are repatriated by both the government and the citizens, in Australia, people are willing to help the new entrants to settle in the country. In some cases, some citizens offer the immigrants with accommodation and other facilities in order for them to feel comfortable in the country. Therefore, despite the government effort to prevent the illegal immigrants from entering the country, a large number of Australian citizens believe that they have a moral obligation of helping the illegal immigrants, majority of whom are running away from their country because of war or poverty (Nieuwenhuysen, Higley, & Neerup, 2009). This aspect has made it hard for the government to deal with this issue comprehensively. In addition, politicians have avoided this topic because of its sensitivity especially among the majority of the Australians. Unlike other countries that have stringent rules that prohibit the movement of illegal immigrants, the existing laws in relation to the immigrants are not strong enough in the country. As a result, the illegal immigrants find it easy to overcome the legal hurdles case they are found in the country. The illegal immigrants prefer Australia because the country is a land of opportunities and cultural diversity. Unlike other countries whereby people are treated based on their origin and skin colour, in Australia, cases of racism or any form of discrimination are very rare. The locals receive foreigners very well and provide them with a serene environment to settle (Nicholls, 2007). In addition, the illegal immigrants are able to secure jobs in the informal sector without having the necessary papers. This is because the locals are willing to help them restart their lives once again. This aspect plays a critical role in luring the immigrants into Australia. One of the main challenges that Australia face in relation to immigration crisis is planning for its population. Countries use the results from census to plan on how to improve their economy and the lives of their citizens. However, Australia is in a dilemma because illegal immigrants have made it hard for the government to come up with a comprehensive plan that would enable the country to achieve its goals and objectives (Jupp, Nieuwenhuysen, & Dawson, 2007). The reason is that illegal immigrants are unregistered but plays a significant role in consuming the country’s resources. As a result, the government is forced to work with estimates which sometimes are deceiving. This has dragged the country’s economic development. Some of the illegal immigrants ran away from prosecution in their country. A significant number of these people have participated in ways and understands how to handle weapons. Once they enter the country, they start to realize that they cannot be able to secure a descent job, an aspect that forces some of them to engage in criminal activities. However, the fact that the government does not have their records makes it even harder for them to be arrested. This explains why the level of crime in the country has been rising over the years. One of the benefits accrued from the entry of illegal immigrants is in the employment sector. Majority of the illegal immigrants do not have the skills that would enable them to secure a descent job. As a result, they work on odd jobs which the local population are not willing to do. Some of these jobs are very significant in the development of the economy (Lynch & Simon, 2003). For instance, majority of them have been working in the construction industry an aspect that has enabled many people to afford a house in the country. In order for the country to overcome these challenges, it would announce an amnesty period whereby all illegal immigrants would be registered and not face prosecution. This would enable the administration to have the correct data of its population, an aspect that would make it possible for it to address both economic and social problems that are affecting the people. In the future, the government will be forced to draft policies that will enable it to register and provide descent accommodation to the asylum seekers. However, with the rising immigration crisis, the government is likely to enact strict rules that will offer asylum seekers with a grace period after which they will return to their country. This aspect will discourage illegal immigrants from making a risky journey towards the country. Furthermore, the current policies will be strengthened in order to support the government operations which aim at ending the crisis. References Day, A. E., & Day, A. E. (2009). The A to Z of the discovery and exploration of Australia. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. Jordan-Bychkov, T. G. (2003). Australia. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers. Jupp, J., Nieuwenhuysen, J. P., & Dawson, E. (2007). Social cohesion in Australia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Lynch, J. P., & Simon, R. J. (2003). 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