AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

Immigrants to Australia Add Value: Study

Friday, 27 July 2007

A new Government study, Social Costs & Benefits of Migration into Australia, finds that immigrants to Australia are generally better educated, more willing to participate in society and less dependent on social assistance that their Australian-born peers. Newcomers from around the world provide valuable human capital to the Australian economy.

The study found that immigration to Australia has been extremely beneficial to Australia's economy, culture and influence abroad. Already one of the world's most multicultural nations, with 25% of its residents born overseas, Australia boasts an international reputation and global economic clout that far outweighs its relatively small population of 20 million.

Much of this is influence is the result of migrants to Australia who contribute not only to Australia, but also provide a valuable link between Australia and their original countries.

Although integrating large numbers of newcomers into Australian society is not without its challenges, the social, human and raw economic capital that migrants bring to Australia is shown to far outweigh the costs of integration. Migration provides substantial benefits to both the host country and the newcomer community.

The economic and social benefit is especially pronounced over the long term. Although newcomers sometimes face barriers to integration, they are generally ambitious for their children to be successful in Australia. Thus, the true benefits of migration are often realised in the second and third generations of newcomers.