Opinion article by Aaron Cordy
Views expressed are my own. All opinions are my own. The opinions expressed here belong solely to me and do not reflect the views of my employer / The Shepparton Adviser.
AUSTRALIA the Land of Opportunity, was a promotion launched in Britain in 1928 by the Overseas Settlement Office within the British Dominions Office to encourage British adults and children to settle in the colonies of the British Empire, such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and the West Indies.
Almost 100 years later, Australia is considered the Lucky Country, and a place many the world over would like to settle and raise a family, but do we want migrants here?
Australia has a persona of a laid-back, friendly nature with just a little casual racism, the reality is a past riddled with abhorrent racism, exclusion and brutality including the “White Australia Policy,” aimed at preventing people from coming here seeking a better life. Despite nearly 60 years having passed since the Holt Government ended the White Australia Policy in 1966, Australia is known to have one of the strictest immigration processes for skilled workers and students seeking to better their lives compared to other countries, no matter what country or background they hail from.
A white English couple who recently migrated to Australia and settled in the Greater Shepparton area to fill a role in the severely undermanned healthcare sector, have felt the sting from a minority who believe they are stealing our jobs, despite the lack of professionals in their field in the country, but it’s how our government treated them that truly hurts. The Government is happy with the couple’s money but doesn’t want to make it easy to come fill a skill shortage Australia desperately needs.
With a cost of over $30,000 before they set foot on Australian soil, covering Skills tests, Cultural Safety Training, Visas, Police Checks, Working with Children’s Checks, APHRA medical qualifications, Health Insurance, Notaries and shipping the barest minimum of their possessions they needed to begin their new life. They even had to spend $500 on English tests.
Once in Australia, accommodation and transport are the first items on the list, but the costs keep rolling in as they try to set up a new house and make Australia home.
For an international student from India seeking to study at one of our universities, all of those costs still apply, but there is an added burden of pursuing higher education here. Then there is the cost-of-living requirement of over $20,000 that must be held in the student’s or a family benefactor’s bank account for the duration of their study.
International students, like all university students, fuel Australia’s economy. Along with migrants who contribute heavily to taxes, there is a perception in the wider community about migrants getting handouts. There are different levels and reasons for immigration to Australia, though often they are all lumped in the same “boat,” with little understanding of why and how they get here. Nor what they receive when they arrive.
Modern immigrants are the low-hanging fruit politicians pluck every time there is an issue in Australia, like housing and the economy. Migrants are blamed and denigrated for all the world’s problems, which are often the direct result of decision-makers themselves. It is an old tactic used to prey on our fears to keep people divided when we should be coming together in this new global community by embracing what is the same in our hearts and building a better world for our children.
It is not easy moving to another country, under any circumstances. But this country was built on immigration. Embracing cultural differences from food, music, fashion, and new ideas is how we grow as people and communities. Australia is a lucky country, and can be lucky for everyone, no matter their background.
