Research Paper no. 29 2008–09
Australia's settlement services for migrants and refugees
Harriet Spinks
Social Policy Sectionection
29 April 2009
Contents
Executive Summary
- Australia s settlement services for refugees and migrants have
evolved over the last 60 years from the provision of basic
on-arrival accommodation and assistance, to more intensive support
programs targeted at meeting the specific needs of humanitarian
entrants.
- In recent years there has been an increased focus on how
settlement and related services can contribute to community harmony
and social cohesion.
- The current settlement services offered by the federal
government include integrated support for humanitarian entrants,
translating services, English language classes, and grants-based
funding for projects to promote social cohesion and integration of
migrant groups.
- There has been a recent focus in meeting the specific needs of
humanitarian entrants from Africa, following increased community
concern relating to the successful integration of these
groups.
- An issue for the future will be how settlement and related
services can be used to meet the needs of the large numbers of
temporary migrants now entering Australia.
- Ensuring that temporary migrants settle well in Australia for
the duration of their stay will help to alleviate concerns relating
to temporary migration and social disharmony, and will allow
Australia to gain the maximum economic and social benefit from
temporary migrant worker programs.
|
Introduction
Australia s first federal Department of Immigration was
established in 1945. Since then, around 6.5 million migrants,
including over 700 000 refugees and people in humanitarian need,
have settled in the country. Source countries have shifted from the
United Kingdom to Northern Europe, to Southern Europe, to the
Middle East and Asia. Today, 24 per cent of Australia s population
is overseas-born, and 43 per cent is either born overseas or has at
least one parent born overseas.[1] Australians identify with more than 200
ancestries, speak over 300 languages, and practise more than 100
religions.[2]
Settlement services are intended to assist new migrants to
participate as soon and as fully as possible in Australia s economy
and society. Settlement services and programs have been provided by
the Commonwealth government since the beginning of Australia s
post-World War II migration program. They have expanded and evolved
over the last 60 years as the population has grown increasingly
diverse, and within over-arching policy frameworks that have
developed from assimilation, through integration, to
multiculturalism.
Australia s current settlement services comprise a range of
programs such as accommodation and health services, English
language tuition and interpreting services. Over the last 10 years,
the bulk of permanent migrants have been skilled and
English-speaking, and settlement services have increasingly
focussed on refugees and humanitarian entrants. Current trends in
migration to Australia show a significant increase in the numbers
of temporary migrants entering Australia. Some eventually settle in
Australia permanently, some may stay for anywhere from a few months
to many years and then return home. Some are highly skilled,
others, with the imminent introduction of a seasonal migrant worker
program, will be unskilled. A challenge for the future lies in
considering how settlement and related services can meet the needs
of this diverse group.
This research paper provides an overview of settlement services
provided by the federal government for migrants and humanitarian
entrants. It examines the development of settlement services from
the post-war years through to the present time. The paper argues
that there is a need for further development of such services to
encompass the needs of the growing numbers of temporary migrants
entering Australia. It reviews and updates the contents of Australia
s settlement services for refugees and migrants, a
Parliamentary Library publication from 2006.
In 1945, the government of the day established Australia s first
Department of Immigration in order to manage the post-war entry of
migrants and displaced persons. Settlement services began to be
developed from the outset. The first chapter of the Department of
Immigration s 2003 Report on the Review of Settlement Services
for Migrants and Humanitarian Entrants contains a
history of the development of Australia s settlement
services.[3] Some of
the background described in this report is outlined below.
In the early post-war period, migrants and refugees were
expected to assimilate and blend into the population as quickly as
possible. Assimilation policies were based on an assumption that
this would not be difficult for new arrivals. Settlement assistance
was limited to the provision of migrant hostels and some language
tuition.
By the 1960s and 1970s, the phrase goals of assimilation was
replaced by goals of integration , in recognition of the fact that
adjusting to a new way of life might not be easy for everyone and
that new arrivals may not want to lose their cultural identity. The
Department of Immigration expanded language and other settlement
services as a result. The Child Migrant Education Program, the
Translating and Interpreting Service and the Committee on Overseas
Professional Qualifications were all established in these
years.
In 1977 the Fraser Government commissioned a Review of
Post-Arrival Programs and Services to Migrants (the Galbally
review ).[4]
Following the release of the report in 1978 there was another shift
in the policy framework for managing cultural and linguistic
diversity, towards multiculturalism, as recommended in the review.
Multiculturalism continued to be the defining objective
underpinning the provision of settlement services for migrants and
refugees throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Existing services (such as
English language teaching, on-arrival accommodation and orientation
assistance, interpreting and translating services, and assistance
with overseas qualifications recognition) were expanded, and new
programs and services were introduced (including ethnic radio and
the SBS, Migrant Resource Centres and grants to ethnic community
organisations). The National Agenda for a Multicultural Australia
adopted by the Hawke government in 1989 officially defined
multiculturalism and emphasised the need to both further assist new
migrants to settle in the country and simultaneously respect
cultural diversity.[5]
Since the 1990s, while there has been a continued broad focus on
multiculturalism, specific settlement services have been more
closely targeted at high needs groups among new arrivals, generally
within their first five years of settlement. Today, designated
settlement services are available only to permanent residents who
have arrived in the last five years as humanitarian entrants or as
family stream migrants with low English proficiency, and dependants
of skilled migrants located in a rural or regional area with low
English proficiency. The Integrated Humanitarian Settlement
Strategy (IHSS) was introduced in 2000 to provide intensive
on-arrival assistance for humanitarian entrants. The IHSS,
discussed in more detail below, continues to be the primary vehicle
for delivering settlement assistance to humanitarian entrants
today.
Recent years have also seen a renewed focus on integration and
social cohesion in the wake of incidents which have raised concerns
over public acceptance of some migrant groups.[6] This has been occurring amid
increased concerns relating to national security and links to
immigration. Government policies and programs are now focussing on
attempts to promote Australian values , and foster cohesion and
tolerance amongst different cultural and ethnic groups. Since late
2006 most visa applicants to Australia, both permanent and
temporary, have been required to sign an Australian Values
Statement, acknowledging that they will respect Australian values
and obey the laws of Australia during their stay. The National
Action Plan to Build on Social Cohesion, Harmony and Security was
developed in 2005 06 to reinforce social cohesion, harmony and
support the national security imperative in Australia by addressing
extremism, the promotion of violence and intolerance, in response
to the increased threat of global religious and political terrorism
.[7] In this context,
settlement and related services are intended to not only assist new
arrivals to participate in Australian society as quickly as
possible, but also to assist them to integrate as peacefully and
harmoniously as possible.
In August 2002, the Hon. Gary Hardgrave MP, the then Minister
for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, announced a Review of
Settlement Services for Migrants and Humanitarian Entrants. The
resulting Report on the Review of Settlement Services for
Migrants and Humanitarian Entrants was released in May
2003.[8]
The review outlined the history of immigration to Australia
since 1945 and the resulting demographic changes, and compared
government policies with those of other countries with formal
migration and humanitarian resettlement programs, such as Canada,
New Zealand and the USA. It is worth noting that currently only
about 14 countries participate in the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) resettlement program and accept
quotas of refugees on an annual basis. In 2007, of the main
countries which resettled refugees through the UNHCR, the USA
accounted for 64 per cent, Canada 15 per cent, Australia
13 per cent, Sweden 2 per cent, Norway 1 per cent, and New
Zealand 1 per cent.[9] The latest summary of Australia s humanitarian
resettlement policies is outlined in the March 2007 revision of the
Australia chapter of the UNHCR Resettlement Handbook.[10]
The report also discussed cultural diversity and policy
implications and outlined some of the difficulties faced by
settlers and their different settlement experiences. The Review
found that Australia s settlement services are advanced by world
standards, but also identified some areas where improvements could
be made including a need for better coordination between state and
commonwealth service providers, and less duplication of services.
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) states that
most of the report s 61 recommendations have been implemented and
the remainder are being progressed.[11]
Any migrant to Australia has access to the vast array of
services available to all Australian citizens and permanent
residents provided by governments, community organisations and the
private sector, to address a number of their settlement
needs.[12] For
example, recent arrivals can access the services provided by Job
Network organisations to help them find employment and use real
estate agents to help them find accommodation.[13] Specific settlement programs for
migrants and refugees, funded and coordinated through DIAC, are
outlined below. It is important to note that most migrants to
Australia are not eligible for all the settlement services on
offer. The bulk of settlement services are targeted at humanitarian
entrants and refugees, who make up only a small proportion of the
total number of migrants coming to Australia each year. Table 1
shows the numbers of migrants and refugees coming to Australia over
the last five years, by major visa category. Only those in the
humanitarian category are eligible for the full array of settlement
services on offer. Most family and skilled stream migrants may not
access the majority of the settlement services described below, or
may access them on a user-pays basis only.
Table 1: Migrants by major visa
category 2004 05 to 2007 08
|
Category
|
2004
05
|
2005
06
|
2006
07
|
2007
08
|
|
Humanitarian
|
13 178
|
14 144
|
13 017
|
13 014
|
|
Family
|
41 740
|
45 290
|
50 080
|
49 870
|
|
Skilled
|
77 880
|
97 340
|
97 920
|
108 540
|
|
Temporary Residenta
|
198 273
|
227 856
|
265 279
|
Not available
|
a. The
Temporary Resident category of visas includes those in the skilled
worker, social and cultural, and international relations stream,
but not short-term visitors and students. See DIAC Fact Sheet
47:Temporary Residence in Australia (http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/47temporary_residence.htm).
Source: Compiled from data published on the DIAC
web site (www.immi.gov.au).
The IHSS provides initial, intensive settlement support to
newly-arrived entrants under the humanitarian program. IHSS service
providers assess entrants to identify settlement needs, and deliver
services to meet these needs in a coordinated way. IHSS services
are generally provided for around six months, but may be extended
in particular cases.
Services provided under the IHSS
are:
- Case Coordination, Information and Referrals, which
includes a case coordination plan based on an initial needs
assessment, and information about and referral to other service
providers and mainstream agencies
- On Arrival Reception and Assistance, which includes
meeting eligible entrants on arrival, taking them to suitable
accommodation, providing initial orientation and meeting any
emergency needs for medical attention or clothing and footwear
- Accommodation Services, which helps entrants to find
appropriate and affordable accommodation and provides them with
basic household goods to start establishing their own household in
Australia, and
- Short Term Torture and Trauma Counselling Services,
which provides an assessment of needs, a case plan, referral for
torture and trauma counselling and raises awareness among other
health care providers of health issues arising from torture and
trauma experiences.[14]
In 2003 the Department of Immigration, together with the
Department of Health and Ageing, commissioned consultancy firm,
Urbis Keys Young, to carry out a combined evaluation of the IHSS
and of Commonwealth funded services for survivors of torture and
trauma. The resulting report identified some areas in which the
provision of services under the IHSS could be improved, but found
that on the whole the IHSS is able to identify and meet the initial
settlement needs of humanitarian entrants in an equitable,
effective, efficient and timely manner .[15]
The Complex Case Support program (CCS) was implemented
nationally in October 2008, following a staged roll-out that began
in August 2008. It is designed to assist recently arrived refugees
and other humanitarian entrants in difficult and unique
circumstances where their needs cannot be adequately addressed by
existing services. This includes situations where pre-migration
experiences, severe physical and mental health conditions, or
crisis events after arrival in Australia present significant
barriers to successful settlement. Eligibility for this service
will continue for two years after arrival in Australia.
The CCS program is being
delivered across Australia by the Humanitarian Services Panel. The
panel comprises more than 30 organisations which are experienced in
providing case management services to humanitarian
entrants.[16]
The Settlement Grants Program ( SGP) was developed following the
review of settlement services detailed in the 2003 Report of
the Review of Settlement Services for Migrants and Humanitarian
Entrants. The SGP combines funding previously provided to
Migrant Resource Centres and Migrant Service Agencies and the
Community Settlement Services Scheme.
Funding provided through the SGP aims to assist humanitarian
entrants and migrants settle in Australia and participate equitably
in Australian society as soon as possible after arrival. The
program is designed to meet the settlement needs of recently
arrived humanitarian migrants and family stream migrants, as well
as dependants of skilled migrants in rural or regional areas, with
low levels of English proficiency. The SGP helps new arrivals
access people and organisations who can assist them in finding
jobs, accommodation, health care and other relevant services. The
focus is on building individuals self-reliance and fostering
connections with mainstream services.
The SGP funds organisations to implement projects in three key
areas: assisting new arrivals to orient themselves to their new
community; helping new communities to develop; and promoting social
participation and integration.
Funding to organisations is made on a project basis, with
funding priorities for particular regions and communities
determined by an annual needs-based planning process. A total of
$32 million is available for the SGP in 2008 09. Of this,
approximately $22 million is to fund new projects, while the
remaining $10 million is for ongoing grant commitments.[17]
The Adult Migrant English Program ( AMEP) has been providing
English classes to eligible adult migrants since 1948. It is
designed to teach migrants functional English in order to enable
them to settle successfully into Australia, providing the basic
language skills necessary to deal with everyday social situations
and some work situations.
Eligible migrants have a legislative entitlement (under the
Immigration (Education) Act 1971) to study English
for up to 510 hours or until they reach functional English,
whichever comes first. Additional tuition is available to
humanitarian migrants with limited education or difficult
pre-migration experiences such as torture or trauma.
AMEP classes are delivered by contracted service providers who
specialise in teaching English as a second language. Teaching from
more than 250 locations around Australia, service providers assess
new arrivals for eligibility for the program, arrange free
childcare for students with under-school age children while the
parent attends class, and provide ongoing educational counselling
to help clients plan for future study.[18]
The Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) National is
designed to enable communication between people who do not speak
English and the English speakers who need to communicate with them.
TIS National has access to over 1300 contracted interpreters across
Australia, speaking more than 120 languages and dialects. The
service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for any
person or organisation in Australia requiring interpreting
services.
Interpreting tasks are assigned to interpreters based on their
accreditation standard, geographical location and availability.
Priority is given to interpreters with National Accreditation
Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) professional
accreditation or recognition. Requests can also be made for male
and female interpreters in sensitive or gender-specific
interpreting assignments.
TIS National operates largely on a fee-for-service basis,
however some services are provided free of charge. Non-English
speaking Australian citizens or permanent residents are eligible
for free translating and interpreting services for the purposes of
communicating with: private medical practitioners providing
Medicare-rebateable services and their reception staff; non-profit,
non-government, community-based organisations providing case work
and emergency services; Members of Parliament; some local
government authorities; trade unions; and Emergency Management
Australia.[19]
While not technically classed as a settlement service, the
Living in Harmony program is a key ingredient in the Australian
Government s plan for integrating migrants and fostering social
cohesion. The focus of the Living in Harmony program is to build
social cohesion through the promotion of the concepts of respect,
participation, a sense of belonging, and Australian values. It
comprises four elements:
- funding of local community projects designed to engage the
whole community in building positive relations
- partnerships with iconic national and regional organisations
such as large community, sporting and government bodies that work
together to promote Australian values, mutual respect and
participation
- funds to support communities responding to crises and emerging
priority issues outside the annual funded community projects round,
and
- a public information strategy, utilising outcomes from past
funded community projects and partnerships to develop resources for
dissemination and use in various sectors of the community.[20]
While Australia s settlement services are advanced by world
standards there are nevertheless areas in which improvements can be
made. DIAC regularly consults with community settlement service
providers and the Refugee Council of Australia (Refugee Council) on
current settlement concerns. The Refugee Council provides an annual
submission to DIAC on Australia s humanitarian program which
outlines community views on current challenges and future
directions of the program. This covers both the makeup and
administration of the humanitarian program, as well as the
immediate and longer term settlement needs of humanitarian
entrants.
In its 2009 submission the Refugee Council notes that Australia
s settlement services for humanitarian entrants are among the best
in the world, but that there is still room for improvement.[21] For example, there are
concerns relating to access to the services offered under the IHSS,
which differs according to the category of humanitarian visa a
person holds. Concern has also been expressed that annual
grants-based funding such as that offered under the Settlement
Grants Program, makes it difficult for service providers and
community organisations to develop meaningful longer term projects
to assist new arrivals.
The Refugee Council argues that all humanitarian entrants should
be eligible for the same level of support on an as-needed basis,
rather than on the basis of their visa class. Also, the IHSS system
requires that certain services be provided by mainstream agencies,
where these are available (for example, income support and Job
Network services). The Refugee Council is concerned that not all
mainstream agencies are equipped to deal with the needs of
refugees. The issue identified by the Refugee Council as the number
one concern for refugees, impacting significantly on their overall
settlement experience, is access to housing. Once humanitarian
entrants exit the IHSS they often face difficulties in accessing
suitable housing, facing barriers such as a shortage of public
housing, discrimination from real estate agents, difficulties in
completing paperwork and providing the documentation necessary to
access the private rental market, and lack of affordable private
housing in areas close to employment and community links. The
Refugee Council recommends that DIAC coordinate a comprehensive
strategy to meet the long-term housing needs of refugees and
humanitarian entrants.
Language issues, economic difficulties, housing barriers,
unemployment and cultural differences, can pose problems for some
new migrants and refugees to such an extent that the hurdles seem
insurmountable. Refugees are particularly vulnerable and can arrive
with very specific health problems and language or cultural
barriers, making it difficult for them to settle healthily and
happily into the community. Some may have been tortured or
experienced other trauma either before or during their journey here
for example. Although migrants usually have access to our health
services and refugees have access to more intensive health
assistance such as trauma counselling, some critics argue that the
level of understanding by health providers and other service
providers is inadequate to meet the highly complex needs of
refugees and other migrants.[22] There are also specific concerns for refugees
settling in regional areas, including isolation, poverty and
vilification.[23]
In spite of the existing settlement services available to new
migrants and refugees, those who have been in the country for less
than five years are often at a disadvantage when it comes to
finding work. In June 2005, there were 36 400 unemployed migrants
who had arrived in Australia between 2001 and 2005, most of whom
were from non-English speaking backgrounds.[24] Those from the Middle East and
Africa, in particular, have much higher unemployment rates which
may lead to disaffection and community unrest in the long run if
not addressed. Some commentators suggest, for example, that the
Cronulla race riots of December 2005 were the result of
disaffection by certain community groups with low educational and
occupational opportunities.[25]
There has been concern raised in recent years that the
settlement needs of refugees from Africa are not being adequately
addressed. In 2006 07, 51 per cent of the offshore humanitarian
visas granted were to Africans, many of whom are resettled in areas
where the numbers of African refugees have swelled from nothing to
several hundred in the space of only two or three years.
Previously, Australia s humanitarian intake was primarily from
Europe and the Middle East. Despite the extra attention the recent
refugees from Africa are receiving in the planning and delivery of
settlement services, there has been some concern expressed by
refugee advocates and other members of the community that Australia
has not been adequately prepared to cope with the special needs of
African refugees arriving with poor education, poor health, poor
language skills and a history of brutalisation and trauma from
years of civil wars and experiences in refugee camps.[26] Providing adequate
settlement services to African refugees is made even more
challenging by the diverse backgrounds and needs of people in this
category. Many different languages may be spoken by people from the
one country, and culture, customs, and education levels differ
widely according to the country, region, ethnic group, and social
class from which a person comes.
The Australian Government has made some progress in
acknowledging the specific settlement difficulties faced by
humanitarian entrants from Africa. For example, in 2006 07 DIAC
developed an orientation DVD, Australia, a new home, to
help settlement service providers deliver information on life in
Australia to newly-arrived humanitarian entrants from Africa,
particularly those with low levels of literacy in their first
language and in English. The DVD aims to deliver important
settlement information in a simple and accessible format. It is
available in seven different languages (Amharic, Dinka, Kirundi,
Sudanese Arabic, Swahili, Tigrinya and English), supported by
English subtitles.
The increase in numbers of humanitarian entrants from Africa has
created tension in some communities, and has shone the spotlight on
issues of social cohesion and integration. In 2007 the then
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, the Hon. Kevin Andrews
MP, stated that recent refugee and humanitarian arrivals from the
region of Africa are continuing to experience difficulty in
successfully settling in Australia, and the result is high levels
of community concern .[27] He went on to announce that the proportion of refugees
accepted into Australia from Africa under the offshore humanitarian
program would be reduced to 30 per cent, down from 51 per cent in
2006 07. Some commentators and members of the public agreed that
migration from Africa should be reduced due to concerns about
difficulties in integrating and the resulting problems for social
cohesion, while many others criticised Andrews comments as being
racist and inflammatory.[28]
The component of the 2008 09 humanitarian program allocated to
Africans has been set at 33 per cent, exactly the same as the share
allocated to each of the Middle East and Asia (the remaining one
per cent is set aside for contingencies).[29] It would appear that the program s
focus is no longer fixed largely on Africa (at least for now),
however, the challenges faced by humanitarian entrants from Africa,
those already here and those still to come, will continue to demand
attention.
Australia has long considered itself a country of permanent,
rather than temporary, migration. As such, settlement and related
services have traditionally been provided only to permanent
migrants. Implicit in the very phrase settlement service is the
assumption that the beneficiaries of such services are engaging in
permanent relocation to Australia that they are settling in our
country and our community for good. However, it is becoming more
and more apparent that temporary migrants are playing a significant
role in Australia s immigration program, particularly in the case
of temporary skilled migration. Statistics collected by the
Department of Immigration show that as at 30 June 2008 there were
245 479 temporary residents present in Australia.[30] In 2007 08 there were 110 570
visas granted in the Temporary Business Long Stay (Subclass 457)
category alone.[31]
There is a strong argument that these migrants are needed to fill
skills shortages in crucial industry and service sectors. That
being the case, it is in the interests of the Australian economy
and community to attract such migrants, and provide them with the
necessary support to enable them to successfully live and work in
Australia. It is therefore relevant to consider the role that
settlement and related services may play in relation to temporary
migrants and the contribution they are able to make to Australia
during their stay.
For many, temporary migration is the first step on the road to
permanent migration. It has been noted that Australia s immigration
policy in recent years has been shifting towards a funnelling
process where immigrants enter Australia on a range of temporary
long-stay visas but are able to convert to permanent residence
after a period .[32] Academic Graeme Hugo noted in 2004 that the proportion
of all persons granted permanent residence who were onshore
applicants has risen from 11.6 per cent in 1989 90 to 30.0 per cent
in 2002 03. This undoubtedly has implications for government
settlement policy and programs .[33] It is reasonable to assume that many in this
category will be skilled migrants, and therefore not eligible for
most of the specific settlement programs currently on offer.
However, many will bring with them families who, were they in fact
permanent migrants, would be eligible for some settlement
assistance, for example under the Settlement Grants Program. Those
who eventually do settle here permanently would almost certainly
benefit from settlement assistance from the time they first arrive
in Australia, rather than years later when they make the transition
from being temporary to permanent migrants.
Even those temporary migrants who do not go on to settle
permanently in Australia are likely to benefit from some form of
settlement assistance. Temporary migrants may be in Australia for
many years. In many ways, temporary migrants become an integral
part of the community in which they live. Many bring their families
with them, their children may attend school, and they become
involved in their community. They are often relied on to fill
labour shortages in particular areas, thus playing a crucial role
in the survival of some communities. However, neither the temporary
migrant nor the community in which they live will reap the full
benefits of such an arrangement if the presence of migrant workers
leads to social tensions due to their failure to integrate . It is
thus in everyone s interests to ensure that migrant workers are
welcomed and made to feel at home no matter how long their stay.
Providing temporary migrants and their families with some sort of
assistance allowing them to participate more fully and comfortably
in Australian life could therefore assist not just the migrants
themselves, but also the communities in which they live.
The international experience would suggest that if efforts are
not made to assist temporary migrants to live successfully in
Australia for the duration of their stay, then exploitation,
isolation and social ostracism may result, potentially leading to
increased racial tension and disharmony. The Report of the Global
Commission on International Migration observes that:
in the interests of social cohesion and
harmony, it is essential to ensure that migrants who have been
admitted to another state on a temporary basis benefit from the
process of inclusion, in the sense that their human rights are
respected; that they are protected from exploitation or abuse, and
that they are able to establish convivial relationships with other
members of society.[34]
In one assessment of temporary migration programs in Europe it
was found that the failure of host countries to begin the
integration process soon after the arrival of migrants in the
country has exacerbated the plight of this marginalised group in
the host society resulting in social exclusion and societal
tensions .[35] With
concern already being expressed in Australia about issues relating
to immigration and social cohesion (for example, see above
discussion of migrants from Africa), ignoring the needs of
temporary migrants may therefore prove to be problematic.
On 17 August 2008 the Rudd Government announced plans to pilot a
Pacific seasonal worker program, under which workers from four
Pacific Island countries would come to Australia for up to seven
months in any 12 month period to work in the horticultural
sector.[36] The
pilot will provide up to 2500 visas over three years. The first
group of workers arrived in Australia in February 2009. The plan
has been welcomed by some sectors, particularly fruit growers and
others in the industry who see it as a solution to the problem of
labour shortages, which they claim leads to millions of dollars
worth of produce going to waste each year. Others have expressed
concern that the scheme will take jobs away from Australian
workers, and lead to the creation of a disenfranchised underclass
of guest workers.
It is significant that the pilot is being managed by the
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR)
it is very much considered an issue of employment policy, rather
than immigration. Employers of the seasonal workers will be
required to prove that they have made efforts to employ Australians
before being permitted to employ an overseas worker. They will also
be required to participate in training and career development
programs for Australians who are not job-ready. It has been made
very clear that the scheme is not intended to be a path to
permanent migration to Australia. It is intended to have a
development impact in the Pacific Island nations that participate,
through remittances sent back by workers, and the skills,
experience and income they will take back to their communities when
they return. And it is expected that the workers will return home.
Yet the expectation that these will be, in the very strictest
sense, temporary migrant workers does not automatically rule out a
need for settlement support of some kind.
The Ethnic Communities Council of Western Australia has
expressed concern that the seasonal workers program will lead to
the creation of a marginalised, vulnerable underclass of migrant
workers, which could fuel racial and social tensions, particularly
if migrants are not offered essential support services. The Council
has pointed to Britain and France as examples of countries in which
an influx of migrant workers has led to social unrest.[37] Others, such as
Senator Doug Cameron (NSW), are concerned that increasing levels of
temporary work migration (including under the 457 visa program as
well as through a seasonal worker program) have the potential to
lead to a racist anti-immigration backlash such as has been seen in
Britain.[38] Recent
years have seen an exponential growth in support for the British
Nationalist Party (BNP), which runs on an anti-immigration
platform, resulting in electoral success at a number of Council
elections including the London Assembly. The BNP s increased
popularity has been attributed to voter disaffection with high
numbers of migrant workers and concerns about immigrant communities
not fitting in and competing with struggling non-immigrant
communities for jobs, housing and other services.[39] Ensuring that migrant workers
have the necessary support services to help them settle in to the
community, albeit temporarily, will be vital in minimising the risk
of heightening such social and racial tensions in the Australian
context.
This is particularly so in the
current economic climate. The recent economic downturn (globally
and in Australia) has led to an increased focus on the relationship
between migrants and the economy. The permanent skilled migration
program has been reduced for the 2008 09 program year amid concerns
over rising unemployment and competition for jobs.[40] Temporary skilled migration is
demand driven and theoretically rises and falls in response to
local demand for labour. However in a climate of rising
unemployment there is likely to be an increased risk of tension
over migrant intakes and perceived competition for jobs, even in
industries where there may be a shortage of skills and labour and
such competition does not exist. In this context, it will be
particularly important to ensure that temporary skilled migrants,
who are recruited to fill such skills shortages, are given the
support necessary to settle and integrate into the community, and
that social and racial tensions are minimised.
The Australian Government has stated that employers
participating in the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme will be
required to cover establishment and pastoral care costs .[41] A fact sheet on
pastoral care for seasonal workers released by DEEWR states that
labour hire companies will be responsible for arranging, for each
employee, services such as: transport; pre-departure and on-arrival
briefings; assistance with accessing suitable accommodation,
opening bank accounts, and accessing opportunities for recreation
and religious observance; translations of work notices and
guidelines; and on-farm inductions such as occupational health and
safety briefings.[42] Many of these requirements are targeted at ensuring
workers are able to do their jobs safely and free from
discrimination and harassment. Very little mention is made of
support services to ensure they are able to live comfortably,
safely and peacefully in the communities in which they work.
The Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme has been modelled on
New Zealand s Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Program, which was
introduced in April 2007. Under that scheme, approved employers are
permitted to hire workers from five neighbouring Pacific Island
nations to work in horticulture and viticulture for a maximum seven
months over an 11 month period. Employers must pay half of each
worker s travel costs, provide pay for a minimum of 240 hours of
work, provide pastoral care (including accommodation,
transportation, recreation, religious observance, and induction to
New Zealand life), and pay costs associated with the removal of
workers who overstay their visas.[43] A report on the first year of operation of the
RSE program found that support services and pastoral care for
seasonal workers are the weakest element of the program thus far
.[44] The report
notes that workers have experienced problems such as boredom,
isolation, lack of work in down times leading to less pay, disputes
with employers, and inadequate housing. This can lead to antisocial
behaviour such as alcohol abuse. The report also highlighted the
potential for tension in the community when imported workers engage
in antisocial behaviours, and compete with locals for jobs and
housing. It recommends that, when developing a seasonal worker
program, Australian policy makers need to investigate innovative
solutions to address social problems arising from temporary labour
programs .[45]
DIAC has indicated that it is in discussions with the
communities involved in the seasonal worker pilot regarding
community engagement activities to assist in building a positive
relationship between seasonal workers and the communities hosting
them:
The intention is to fund a range of activities
designed to promote positive community relations in those
locations. The precise activities are being developed between the
employers, local government, industry groups and the community
organisations in those locations. Our expectation is that they will
include sporting and other social activities that might involve
local community groups such as the CWA, Rotary, the Lions Club and
those kinds of organisations. The aim of the projects will be to
improve mutual understanding and community understanding of
different perspectives that people might bring to the table and to
the circumstances they find themselves in in Robinvale and
Griffith.[46]
It remains to be seen, as the pilot progresses, how extensive
these activities will be, and how effectively they will contribute
to the successful settlement of the seasonal workers during their
stay in Australia.
The New Zealand example shows that if Australia s seasonal
worker pilot is to be successful in its long-term aims of providing
necessary labour for the horticulture industry, and providing
development benefits for the Pacific nations from which workers are
drawn, it will be vital to ensure that adequate settlement support
is provided to workers to enable them to live successfully in the
community for the duration of their stay. Otherwise, not only may
workers be unwilling to return next season, but heightened social
tensions may create a backlash against seasonal workers, and
migrant workers more broadly, with the potential to undermine the
entire program.
The settlement services offered to migrants and refugees in
Australia have evolved over the last 60 years, from the provision
of very basic on-arrival assistance to the current system which
provides a range of both immediate and ongoing programs designed to
facilitate the long-term settlement of new arrivals into Australian
society. Settlement assistance today is targeted largely at meeting
the specific needs of humanitarian entrants. This will undoubtedly
continue to be the primary focus of Australia s formal settlement
assistance for years to come, and it will be important to ensure
that the settlement services offered continue to meet the
particular, often demanding, needs of humanitarian entrants from
Africa.
However, migration trends continue to change and evolve, and the
settlement needs of migrants and refugees do not remain constant
over time. Community concerns relating to migrant intake are
similarly dynamic. With the current growth in temporary migration
to Australia, and increasing community concern about social
cohesion, harmony and security, the challenge for the future will
be how best to meet the needs of this large, and often vulnerable,
group of temporary migrants.
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