DIMA Annual Report 2000-01
Review by the Secretary
During 2000-01, the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) focussed on a wide range of border control and nation-building issues.
A highlight of the year was the department's successful handling of its responsibilities as Gateway to the Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games. A separate article on DIMA's Olympics involvement appears in Part Two of this report.
The year saw more than 4,000 unauthorised arrivals by boat. Unauthorised arrivals have a significance beyond their numbers because they directly challenge the long-standing approach of successive Governments to manage the arrival and settlement of people in a planned and orderly manner, which in turn has been accepted and respected by the Australian public.
In addition to the challenges of unauthorised arrivals and facilitating a smooth Olympics, the department successfully delivered the Government's migration and humanitarian programs in 2000-01. Against a target of 76,000 plus a 5,000-place skill-stream contingency reserve, 80,610 migrants received visas. As planned, over 50 per cent were in the skilled stream. Under the Humanitarian Program, 13,733 visas were issued.
The success of the migration program, and of the department's major settlement services, was reflected in the fact that migrants continued to participate successfully in Australian society with social and economic outcomes broadly similar to the Australian-born population. Australia is one of the most successful, harmonious and inclusive multicultural societies in the world and this continued to underpin our work on multiculturalism, living in harmony, cultural diversity and citizenship.
Recognising that Australia's young people will shape our nation's future, the department developed materials to help them learn about the processes and consequences of decisions on immigration issues. It provided factual materials on immigration, to all highschools throughout Australia in the form of teaching materials, videos and CD ROMs.
Migration and temporary entry
Australia is a beneficiary of the movement of skilled workers around the globe and is experiencing a significant 'brain gain'. Australia is attracting more people with qualifications in high-demand areas, like information and communications technology (ICT), accounting and nursing, than it loses.
The department's research shows that skilled migrants are participating effectively in Australian society within a relatively short period after arrival. This is partly because of the targeted and rigorous selection criteria applied. Today's migrants are younger, more skilled and have better English-language skills.
The department played a key role in the implementation of revised migration and citizenship
arrangements with New Zealand to help support a new bilateral social security agreement.
As well as benefiting from permanent migration, Australia also continues to benefit from strong growth in the number of visitors, students, working holiday makers and temporary residents coming to Australia.
During the year, the department developed a transparent and better-targeted system for processing overseas student visas to support Australia's growing education sector. Improvements during the year included on-campus visa processing and further facilitation measures were introduced from 1 July 2001. The improvements will ensure clearer and more consistent decision-making.
In May 2001 a three-year-old from Singapore became the 10 millionth visitor to use the department's electronic visa-issuing system, the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA).
The ETA is the most streamlined and advanced visa processing system in the world and is now available in over 30 countries and locations, enabling visas to be issued in seconds through electronic links between the department, travel agents and airlines. This system was a key contributor to the smooth entry of Olympic and Paralympic Games visitors.
Refugee and humanitarian entry and stay
Australia's refugee and humanitarian resettlement program is one of the largest in the world on a per capita basis.
A total of 15,134 places (including places carried over from 1999-2000) were available in the Humanitarian Program for 2000-01. The Government announced a program of 8,000 places for the offshore component. The balance of places was to meet requirements for places onshore, unexpected need arising offshore or to be rolled over into next year. The department granted 7,992 visas offshore, 5,741 onshore and 1,401 unused places will be rolled over into next program year.
The continuing but variable flow of significant numbers of unauthorised arrivals into Australia by boat placed pressure on protection visa processing arrangements. The department streamlined its processes while supporting a further strengthening of the integrity of decision making. Many factors delaying visa decisions (such as character checking) are outside the department's control.
However, a significant reduction in processing times was achieved, without compromising the integrity of visa processes, through streamlining and front-end loading departmental processes. At the beginning of the year there were 2,075 unauthorised boat arrivals in detention awaiting decisions from the department on protection visa applications with the average age of their application 106 days. By 30 June 2001, there were 1,460 unauthorised boat arrivals in detention waiting a decision and the average age of their applications was 45 days.
In 1999 the department coordinated the collaborative national effort to provide safe haven
in Australia for Kosovars and East Timorese fleeing conflict in their homelands. In 2000-01 the department managed the re-entry of a number of Kosovars who previously held safe haven visas. It also introduced a humanitarian stay visa for Kosovars, and others with long-term health problems.
The department sought to raise public understanding of refugee issues through information such as the updated and relaunched Refugee and Humanitarian Issues: Australia's Response booklet.
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