DIMIA Annual Report 2001-02

OUPUT 2.2 TRANSLATING AND INTERPRETING SERVICES

2.2.1 Document translating

Objective

To provide eligible newly-arrived migrants/refugees with translations of settlement-related personal documents.

Description

TIS undertakes translations of personal documents such as birth and marriage certificates, drivers' licences, educational and trade/professional qualifications.

Key results

• the number of documents translated decreased in line with a lower-than-anticipated proportion of offshore humanitarian arrivals. Their places were taken up by TPV holders who are not entitled to fee-free translation of personal documents

• 5,223 documents were translated, compared with a forecast of 8,000 documents.

2.2.2 Telephone interpreting

Objective

To provide a national 24 hour a day, seven days a week telephone interpreting service to enable accessible, quality communication, between English and migrant languages to individuals (migrants and others) and to government and non-government service deliverers.

Description

TIS provides special nation-wide facilities which allow a three-way conversation between the English-speaking and non-English-speaking parties and the TIS interpreter through the use of a national telephone number 131 450.

TIS also provides priority lines for emergency services and medical practitioners.

Key results

• telephone interpreting increased, reflecting greater use of cost-effective telephone interpreting services and improved operator performances.
  
  4,050,000 minutes of interpreted conversation (representing 289,149 telephone interpreting calls) were completed, compared with a forecast of 3.5m. minutes and 250,000 telephone interpreting calls

• highest demand languages in 2001-02 included Arabic, Mandarin, Serbian, Vietnamese, Spanish, Persian, Bosnian, Croatian, Russian and Cantonese.
  
  The languages in greatest demand have been similar for the last three years, although the order has varied slightly

• TIS activities in Perth and Sydney were consolidated to a single site in Melbourne in March and April 2002. Performance was maintained at close to, or exceeding, PBS standards throughout the period of consolidation

• the TIS business plan implementation in 2001-02 included upgrades to the telephone and computer system, resulting in improved operator response times, and further extension of full cost-recovery user charges for Commonwealth/ State/Territory and local government agencies.

2.2.3 On-site interpreting

Objective

To provide interpreters for face-to-face assignments.

Description

TIS arranges for an interpreter to go to a specified location where the client requires face-to-face interpreting.

Key results

• on-site interpreting services decreased slightly. 115,000 on-site hours of interpreted conversation (represented by 74,620 on-site interpreting visits) were delivered, compared with a forecast of 180,000 on-site hours and 78,000 visits

• the government's measures on border protection resulted in fewer asylum seekers, who arrived unauthorised by boats on the Australian mainland, applying for protection.
  
  This in turn led to lower demand for on-site interpreters associated with the processing of applications for protection by asylum seekers in immigration detention, including assistance provided by registered migration agents under theImmigration Advice and Application Assistance Scheme.

OUTPUT 2.3 AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP

2.3.1 Decisions on citizenship status

Objective

To provide high quality, efficient administration of the Australian Citizenship Act 1948 and its regulations.

Description

Management and delivery of decisions under the Australian citizenship legislation, through:

• decisions on applications for grant of citizenship

• other decisions under the legislation, including citizenship by descent and loss of citizenship

• management of conferral of citizenship

• provision of citizenship information services.

Key results

• 89,820 decisions (persons) on applications for grant of citizenship were made in 2001-02, including 87,622 approvals (persons).

• applications lodged for the grant of Australian citizenship in 2001-02 totalled 75,726 (89,946 persons) compared with 63,751 (77,166 persons) in 2000-01. Applications for the grant of citizenship over the past ten years are shown in the following table.

SETTLER ARRIVALS & APPLICATIONS FOR GRANT OF AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP, 1992-93 TO 2001-02

NOTES:
¹ All persons (visaed and non-visaed) arriving in Australia with the intention of settling permanently in Australia. 'Settler arrivals' comprise, primarily, arrivals under the migration program and New Zealand citizens, who are not considered part of the migration program.

² Permanent residents generally must reside in Australia for a minimum of two years before they are eligible to apply for grant of Australian Citizenship.

• in 2001-02, citizenship was conferred on 86,289 people, including children, compared with 72,070 in 2000-01. This reflects the increase in the number of applications for grant of Australian citizenship received in the year.
  
  To meet the requirements of Section 42(d) of the Australian Citizenship Act 1948, statistical information on the country of former nationality or citizenship and the previous country of residence of persons granted Australian citizenship in 2001-02, is provided at Appendix 1

• in 2001-02, the Citizenship Information Line (CIL) received 424,761 calls, an average of 35,397 calls per month. This compares with 334,336 calls in 2000-01, an average of 27,861 calls per month.
  
  CIL responds to citizenship inquiries from around Australia and distributes information/application kits to clients

• the increased number of citizenship applications in 2001-02 compared to those for 2000-01 reflects the government's citizenship promotion campaign from July to October 2001.
  
  Outcomes for other citizenship applications for the past three years are shown in the following table

OUTCOMES FOR OTHER CITIZENSHIP APPLICATIONS, 1999-2000 TO 2001-02


NOTE:
¹ Loss statistics include renunciation of Australian citizenship.

• integrity of Australian citizenship was strengthened through the introduction of a quality assurance program for Australian citizenship processing and the establishment of a Citizenship Quality Assurance and Integrity Unit to coordinate measures aimed at minimising the exposure to fraud in the program.
  
  The Unit is also working with other areas of the department to counter identity fraud against departmental programs and to support prosecutions for citizenship fraud. Cases for deprivation of Australian citizenship are being considered for persons who have obtained Australian citizenship by deceit.

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