Australian Immigration Law

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Australian Immigration Law

Australia is similar to America in many ways. They are both industrialized nations, they were both settled by the British, and they both have multi-ethnic societies. However, the two countries have vastly different immigration laws. In America, we will let almost anyone move here and work. An American immigrant can be from (almost) any country, race, or religion. Australia on the other hand, has had a much stricter policy determining who can move to their country. Australia’s immigration law is ethnocentric in nature because it excludes anyone who is not of Anglo-Saxon descent. The policy is in the best interest for the British settlers, rather than in the best interest for humanity.

Australia was first discovered by Captain James Cook in 1770. He determined this land was uninhibited and proclaimed it as belonging to the King (Jayaraman 2000:136). The British began colonizing Australia in 1788 (Castles and Zappala 1999:273). At first, Australia was used as a separate place for the British to put their convicts while they were serving their time (Jayaraman 2000:137). Following this, many more British settlers began moving to Australia. By 1901 Australia “became a self-governing entity through Federation and the adoption of a Constitution” (Castles and Zappala 1999:273).

When the British began to make Australia their own, they determined the Aborigines, Australia’s indigenous people, needed to be exterminated. Before the British landed the aboriginal population was estimated to be 200,000 to 500,000 people. It was depleted to 20,000 by 1900 (Jayaraman 2000:136). The aborigines were murdered or moved to reservations. They were not considered citizens and had no type of political ...

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...omes.” International Migration Review. Summer 1993:359-387.

Jayaraman, Raja. “Inclusion and Exclusion: An Analysis of the Australian Immigration

History and Ethnic Relations.” Journal of Popular Culture. Summer 2000:135-155.

Johnson, Carol. “Visiting the Margins: Revenge, Transgression or Incorporation- An

Australian Engagement with Theories of Identity.” Theory and Event. 1997. Vol 1, Issue 3.

Jupp, James. “From ‘White Australia’ to ‘Part of Asia:’ Recent Shifts in Australian

Immigration Policy Towards the Region.” International Migration Review. Spring 1995: 207-228.

“Old Contempt and New Solitude: Race Relations and Australian Ethnology.” Oceania.

Mar. 2001:169-262.

Ongley, Patrick and David Pearson. “Post 1945 International Migration: New Zealand,

Australia, and Canada Compared.” International Migration Review. Autumn 1995:765-793.

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