DIMIA Annual Report 2002-03
Departmental overview
ROLE AND FUNCTIONS
The department is responsible to two Ministers: the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, the Hon. Philip Ruddock, MP and the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, the Hon. Gary Hardgrave, MP.
The Portfolio at 30 June 2003 consisted of:
- The Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC)
- Aboriginal Hostels Limited (AHL)
- Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS)
- Indigenous Business Australia (IBA)
- Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC)
- Migration Review Tribunal (MRT)
- Office of Evaluation and Audit (OEA)
- Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT)
- Registrar of Aboriginal Corporations (RAC)
- Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA)
The following non-statutory bodies operated within the portfolio: the Council for Multicultural Australia; the Refugee Resettlement Advisory Council; and the Immigration Detention Advisory Group.
Membership of these bodies at June 2003 was as follows:
Council for Multicultural Australia
Mr Benjamin Chow, NSW (Chair)
Dr Mustapha J. Alameddin MBBS AMC FRACGP, NSW
Mr Randolph Alwis FCPA MBA FCMA, SA
Ms Barbra Blomberg, TAS
Mr Julian Heath, NSW
Ms Shirley Su-Lan Huang JP, QLD
Dr Helen Nugent, NSW
Mrs Alice Omaji, NT
Ms Sophia Provatidis, SA
Assoc Prof Isobel (Boni) Robertson, QLD
Dr Colin Rubenstein, VIC
Professor Jerzy Smolicz AM FACE FASSA, SA
Professor Charles Thomas (Tom) Stannage AM, WA
Ms Karen Stewart, VIC
Professor Trang Thomas AM, VIC
Mr Mark Tiirikainen, ACT
Superintendent Michael (Mick) Van Heythuysen, NT
Refugee Resettlement Advisory Council
Major General Warren Glenny AO RFD ED (Retd) (Chair)
Dr Mohammed Taha Alsalami
Mr Paris Aristotle AM
Ms Maritsa Eftimiou
Ms Carmel Guerra
Mr Kevin Liston
Mrs Jeannie Mok
Ms Margaret Piper
Mr Gerald Searle
The Reverend Eileen Thomson
Immigration Detention Advisory Group
The Hon John Hodges (Chair)
The Hon Gerry Hand
Dr Mohammed Taha Alsalami
Mr Paris Aristotle AM
Air Marshal Ray Funnell AC (Retd)
Major General Warren Glenny AO RFD ED (Retd)
Ms Ellen Goodman
Professor Harry Minas
During the year, external reference groups were consulted in the following areas:
Temporary Business (long stay) Sponsorship, Nomination and Visa Processing
Mr Bob Herbert
Mr Peter Hendy
Ms Katie Lahey
Ms Pauline Mathewson
Mr Peter McLaughlin
Statutory Self-Regulation of the Migration Advice Industry
Mr Ian Spicer AM (Chair)
Mr Tom Drakopoulos
Ms Robin Hunt
Mr Ian Tonking
Immigration Advice and Application Assistance Scheme
Mr Ian Spicer AM (Chair)
The Hon Lou Lieberman
The Hon Dr Gary Johns
Mr Michael Tidball
Mr Ray Brown
In addition, the portfolio represents the Commonwealth's interest in one company limited by guarantee - the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) Limited.
DIMIA's mission is:
Australia, enriched through the entry and settlement of people; valuing its heritage, citizenship and cultural diversity; and recognising the special place of Indigenous people as its original inhabitants.
The department manages the permanent and temporary entry of people to Australia, enforces immigration law, settles migrants and refugees, promotes the benefits of citizenship and cultural diversity and works with other portfolio agencies and departments to advance the social, economic and cultural interests and status of Indigenous people.
The tasks assigned to the portfolio are:
- entry, stay and departure arrangements for non-citizens
- border (immigration) control
- arrangements for the settlement of migrants and humanitarian entrants, other than migrant child education
- multicultural affairs
- citizenship
- Indigenous affairs and reconciliation.
The services provided by the department overseas and in Australia include:
- issuing visas for migrants and temporary entrants (eg. tourists, students, business visitors, and skilled workers)
- meeting Australia's international protection obligations and contributing to the resettlement of refugees and those in humanitarian need through the delivery of the Humanitarian Program
- processing people moving into and out of Australia
- assessing the character, health and bona fides of persons applying for visas
- locating, detaining and removing unlawful non-citizens and non-citizens found not to be of good character
- identifying and reducing irregular migration, people smuggling, trafficking in persons and other immigration malpractice and fraud
- increasing the ability of eligible settlers, particularly the recently arrived, to participate in Australian life, through settlement programs including English language tuition and translating and interpreting services
- promoting the value of Australian citizenship and making decisions on citizenship status
- contributing to maintaining and further enhancing an appreciation of Australia's cultural diversity within a framework of national unity
- providing policy advice on Indigenous issues and reconciliation.