Overall effectiveness indicators for Outcome 1

Table 3: Overall effectiveness indicators for Outcome 1
Measure Result
The extent to which Australia is economically, socially and culturally enriched by migration and temporary entry
Economic and fiscal impact of entry of migrants Recent modelling suggests that migrants make a positive fiscal contribution to the Federal Budget. It is estimated that migrant contribution in the Migration Program at 2008–09 levels is about $851 million in the first year after their arrival. Their cumulative contribution increases to $10.6 billion after 10 years. Additionally, the continuation of the Temporary Business Entry intake at 2008–09 levels is estimated to contribute about $1 billion in the first year after arrival and deliver a cumulative benefit of $6 billion, 10 years after arrival1.
  1. Estimates based on 2008–09 update to the migrant fiscal impact model, completed in April 2009 by Access Economics.
The Migration Program is delivered in line with government planning levels In 2008–09, the Migration Program outcome was 171 318 places against a planning level of 171 800.
Applications are finalised within service standards Of all applications processed in 2008–09, 89.9 per cent were finalised within service standards. In the permanent migration category, 47.8 per cent of economic migration applications and 73.0 per cent of family migration applications were finalised within service standards. For temporary entrants, 83.1 per cent of Skilled Temporary Residence (subclass 457) visa, 95.7 per cent of Visitors and Working Holiday visa and 64.3 per cent of Student visa applications were finalised within service standards.
The extent to which there is adherence to Australian entry and stay requirements
The number of overstayers during the program year as a proportion of the number of temporary visa grants over the same period. Visa requirements are complied with during stay Overstayers as a proportion of temporary visa grants remained at less than one per cent.
The extent to which public health and safety are protected through immigration screening
The incidence of tuberculosis relative to the percentage of overseas born in the Australian population compared to the same ratio for other major developed countries The table below demonstrates Australia's low rate of incidence of tuberculosis (TB) compared to the size of the overseas-born population. This indicates the success of Australia's health screening procedures for prospective migrants.
Country Population1 (000s) 2007 O/S born2 population percentage TB cases3 reported TB rate4 (cases per 100 000) TB cases as a percentage of O/S born population
Australia 21 017 24.1 1 203 5 0.024
Canada 32 978 19.8 1 621 5 0.025
France 61 707 8.3 5 336 14 0.104
Germany 82 257 12.95 5 402 6 0.051
New Zealand 4 228 21.2 355 7 0.040
Sweden 9 148 12.9 497 6 0.042
UK 60 975 10.1 8 498 15 0.138
USA 301 621 13.0 13 778 4 0.035
Sources:
  1. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) statistical data found at http://stats.oecd.org. Annual labour force statistics summary tables–population.
  2. Numbers of foreign born population in selected OECD countries in International Migration Outlook 2008–www.oecd.org
  3. Global tuberculosis control 2008: surveillance, planning, financing—World Health Organisation (WHO)
  4. WHO Global Tuberculosis Database (Note: TB figures for 2007) available at www.who.int/globalatlas/dataQuery/default.asp
  5. Sourced from OECD countries in International Migration Outlook 2007 as reported in Department of Immigration and Citizenship Annual Report 2007–08. Current information unavailable due to discrepancies in Germany’s population registers (see International Migration Outlook 2008—www.oecd.org).
Since 1985 the incidence of TB in the general Australian population has remained stable with a current incidence rate of 5.4 cases per 100 000 head of the population. Eighty-five per cent of TB notifications in 2006 related to people born outside Australia. Over the last twenty years the proportion of overseas born people in the Australian population has increased, with a high proportion of all temporary and permanent entrants coming from higher risk countries in the South East Asian and Pacific regions. Despite this increase, Australia maintains the lowest rate of TB as percentage of the overseas population compared to other OECD countries.1
  1. Communicable Diseases Intelligence Volume 32, Number 1, March 2008. Tuberculosis notifications in Australia, 2006. Department of Health and Ageing.
Persons of character concern are prevented from entry to Australia or have their visas cancelled In 2008–09, the minister or delegate made 359 character related decisions. These decisions comprised 86 cancellations, 124 refusals and 149 warnings.
The extent to which Australia contributes to international efforts to address the plight of refugees and displaced persons and meets its international protection obligations
The Humanitarian Program is delivered in line with government planning levels A total of 13 507 visas were granted against a planned program of 13 500 places. In the Refugee category, 6499 visas were granted against 6500 allocated places. In the Special Humanitarian Program category, 7008 visas, including 2497 visas under the onshore component, were granted against 7000 places.
Level of support for the international protection framework as measured by the level of Australia’s contribution to international resettlement, Australia’s representation in key international fora and the effectiveness of implementation of domestic protection legislation

Australia’s Humanitarian Program ranks among the top three in the world along with the United States of America and Canada in terms of the number of people resettled with 13 500 places allocated in 2008–09.

Australia continued to play a major role in key international fora in promoting practical solutions to international protection problems, and in seeking solutions for refugees that support managed humanitarian movement where possible. Australia was represented at senior official level at the Executive Committee meeting of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and in bilateral dialogue on these issues with like-minded countries and with the European Commission. Australia’s ambassador at the permanent mission in Geneva has been the vice-chair of the Executive Committee since the last meeting in October 2008.

Australia was also represented at senior official level in a range of other UNHCR fora and at meetings of bodies such as the Annual Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement, Inter-Governmental Consultations on Asylum, Refugee and Migration Policies and the Asia Pacific Consultations on Refugees, Displaced Persons and Migrants.

The government abolished Temporary Protection visas and a range of Temporary Humanitarian visas. By 30 June 2009 around three quarters of current and former holders of these visas had their status resolved permanently.

The government announced in the 2009–10 Budget that complementary protection will be incorporated into the Protection visa decision making process.

The government introduced significant improvements to administrative arrangements and to the guidelines for ministerial intervention under section 417 of the Migration Act in line with recommendations by Ms Elizabeth Proust.
Provision of client-focused community and detention services to people while their immigration status is being resolved
Appropriate placement of people in the community and detention services network in accordance with immigration detention values On 28 July 2008, in his New Directions in Detention speech, the minister announced a fundamental shift in immigration detention policy. The reforms announced by the minister include the introduction of seven key immigration detention values to guide detention policy and practices into the future, and the implementation of a new processing regime for irregular maritime arrivals on Christmas Island. The reforms maintain border security while treating people fairly and humanely. The key immigration detention values take a risk-based approach to detention and seek a prompt resolution of cases. The values commit the government to detention as a last resort for the shortest practicable period, and to the rejection of indefinite or otherwise arbitrary detention.
All people in immigration detention receive high-quality assessment and regular review of immigration detention placement decisions To ensure appropriate placement of people, the department undertakes Client Placement Assessments. These assessments are completed regularly and when certain triggers are met (for example, health issues, visa decisions and client requests).