Emigrating to Australia: Introduction of a tougher immigration policy

Australia’s foreign minister has explained to a gathering of business people in New York how his country plans to introduce a tougher immigration policy for those seeking asylum from war zones and poorer countries in Asia. At the same time he explained that it was going to be important for the Australian economy to tap into the market being created by the rise of the middle class in Asia.

Bob Carr said although he plans to push up the number of refugees allowed to enter Australia from 14,000 to 20,000 per year and explained that they could be sent to Nauru, a remote island in the Pacific, or to Papua New Guinea for screening.

The announcement has not been popular with human rights groups who are comparing the policy to one that was established under the last conservative government. Human Rights Watch said it was concerned that Mr Carr’s system would mean asylum seekers spending years in camps in remote areas while officials processed their applications.

Mr Carr said it was hoped that the new policy would discourage people attempting to travel to Australia. Each year hundreds of asylum seekers attempt to make dangerous sea crossings from countries including Sri Lanka, Iran and Afghanistan.

Although Mr Carr said he was positive that the economic slowdown in China would not impact dramatically on raw material exports, he admitted that the future was in providing services and goods to the people of Asia.