Reflecting Multiculturalism: Australia's Migrant & Refugee Policies

This essay critically examines the extent to which Australia's migrant and refugee policies reflect its self-proclaimed status as a welcoming, tolerant, and multicultural nation. Drawing upon a visit to the Immigration Museum in Melbourne, the analysis incorporates historical context, government policies, and societal changes influenced by migration. The essay references the impact of immigration on Australia's economic, social, and cultural landscape, highlighting both the positive contributions of migrants and the challenges they face, such as language barriers and unemployment. It also discusses the evolution of Australia's migration policies, including initiatives like the Settlement Grants Programme and the National Frameworks to address migration-related issues. The essay concludes that while Australia has made strides in becoming a multicultural nation, ongoing efforts are needed to fully realize the principles of equality and inclusion in its migration policies. Desklib provides access to more essays like this, along with AI-powered study tools to help students succeed.

Running head: ARTS, LAW AND POLITICS
MULTICULTURALISM AND AUSTRALIA
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note

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Multiculturalism and Australia:
Australia is a multicultural state where terms like discrimination, equality and other
diverse policies are not accepted. According to a census report in 2011, almost 26%
population consists of overseas citizen and 20% belongs to that category where any one of
the parents born overseas (Shohat and Stam 2014). Australia is one of the countries that
promote the European migration policy. It can be observed that many migrants from outside
states are taken shelter in this country and the social, economic and political life of the
country has been affected by this liberal migrant policy. The Australian Sociological
Association’s (TASA) Migration Ethnicity and Multiculturalism (MEM) Thematic Group
and the Centre for Citizenship and Globalisation have conducted a research program on the
multiculturalism in Australia. The term multiculturalism could not be separated from the
immigration. Former Minister for Immigration Al Grassby has pronounced the term
multiculturalism in 1973 (Prato 2016). It has been observed that migration creates great
impacts on the economic, social and culture of Australia. However, certain new challenges
have been cropped up due to strong adaptability of migration policy by the Australian
government. The funding process for the immigrants is maintained by the Department of
Immigration and it helps the refugees to settle their lives in the country (Rhoads and Valadez
2016). It has been observed that the refugee settlement policy of Australia create positive
impact and a good social structure has been build up due to this. The Australian government
has adopted certain policies to maintain an ethnicity in the communities and equal
opportunity for all. Further, certain efforts have made by the government to bring the skills
and labour of the migrants in the light so that they can mix up with the mainstream of
Australia (Taylor 2016). In the year 2010, the Australian government to help the refugees
settled in Australia has initiated Settlement Grants Programme.

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Australia is a cultural state where certain unity in diversity can be found. A mix up
in different religions makes this country to be regarded as multicultural country. The
fundamental element of multicultural society is the proper establishment of human rights.
Human rights reflect the secular nature of the society and the principle of equality and
advance dignity established in this regard (Malik 2015). Australia strongly supports the
concept of human rights and the country has initiated many programs regarding the same.
When there is a conflict regarding race, religion, ethnicity and originality between the people,
multiculturalism could not be established (Mitchell 2016). A huge number of migrants are
entered in to the territory of Australia and Australian government has taken various steps for
their habitat in that country. In Australia, certain steps have been taken to engage the skilled
migrants in various companies or factories and provide all the migrants a social status. The
liberal migration policy of the Australian government has made the path of the migrants
easier and Australia becomes a migrant favoured country for past years. Further, certain
societal changes can be observed due to the migrants. They are bringing their own culture to
this country and when they come and take shelter in this country, their culture mixed up with
the cultural segment of this country (Boese and Marotta 2017). Therefore, an easy access of
the multicultural society established. Former Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural and
Humanitarian Entrants Gary Hardgrave has announced a review of settlement services for the
migrants in 2002. According to the resettlement program settled by United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Australia is the second largest country that gives
shelter to the refugees and works for resettling them in the continent. Additionally, the Report
on the Review of Settlement Services for Migrants and Humanitarian Entrants 2003 has
supported the outlook of the Australian government in this perspective and in 2006; the
Australian government has released certain National Frameworks to deal with migration
related issue (Mann 2016). However, certain problems are facing by the immigrants of whom

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language and cultural barriers and unemployment are the most serious problems (Hlavac et
al. 2018). However, all the policies taken by Australia have able to resolve the disputes to
certain extent and it have become a welcoming, tolerant and multicultural nation, which can
be reflected in their migration policies (Sau-ling 2016).
Visit to the Melbourne Immigration Museum:
An immigration museum is an establishment where the immigration history of
Australia has been displayed (Schorch 2015). Certain Australian states like Melbourne,
Victoria have its branches. In this museum, certain information can be obtained regarding
certain notable immigrants. Certain information regarding Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
has been laid down in this museum, from where life struggle of this Indian pioneer can be
addressed. There are certain clay figures showcased in this museum that are dated from 1860s
to 1880s. The golden fate of modern India has been flourished at that time. He plays an
important role in the freedom movement of India. One of the remarkable movements led by
him was “March on the salt” which has been taken place in 1930 (McCormick et al. 2015).
The movement was known as “Salt Satyagraha”, where he and his followers have walked for
more than 387 kilometres. This movement got the media attention and was very effective in
nature. He has propounded the idea of non-violent movement against the British Empire.
Mahatma Gandhi is an important figure in the Indian History and he has never of the opinion
to fight violently. There are so many notable quoted pronounced by him. According to him,
“strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will”. He has
introduced “Khadi” (a homespun cloth) and used spinning wheel. It was his symbol of protest
against western industrialism.
There are certain countries from where most of the immigrants are drawn in
Australia. The history of human migration in Australia goes back to 80,000 years. It was the

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time for the Australian indigenous. The landing of the European explorers has begun in the
17th century. After the World War II, Australia has taken the policy of multiculturalism and it
insists certain policies to welcome the refugees and employ them in the state. Considering
various steps and plans taken by the government, Australia has become one of the traditional
countries for migration. According to a report published in 2006, it has been observed that
around 4.4 million foreign people lead their live in Australia. Most of the migrants come
from the European region and some are come from countries like Italy, Greece and Germany.
In the museum, certain information regarding the same has been collected and certain
photographs have been kept in the archives. Certain Asian countries like China and Vietnam
are also enlisted (Kubota 2014). Further, it has been observed that the migration policy of
Australia has created certain positive impacts on the socio-economic perspective of the
country. In the immigration museum, there are certain guiding principles regarding the
immigration history of indigenous Australians mentioned (Henry 2015). There is a discovery
centre, community gallery, touring exhibition and educational programming centre present in
the museum.
Edda Azzola was a resident of Northern Italy and was born on 1927. She and her
sister were working as knitting machinists to produce trousseaux. After their marriage, Edda
and her husband came to Australia for a better life. They were migrants and she bought a
knitting machine in Melbourne and worked for twenty years in the knitting factory. The
knitting machine collection of Edda Azzola reflects the exploratory issues of the post World
War II period. Further, certain immigration issues could be experienced too. In the museum,
an intense collection of knitting machine, tools, textile samples and some photographs are
being collected. In her textile industry, many migrant women were employed and it creates
positive impact on the socio-economic arena of Australia. She was one of the most influential
personality of wool fashion industry.

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Reference:
Boese, M. and Marotta, V. eds., 2017. Critical reflections on migration,‘race’and
multiculturalism: Australia in a global context. Taylor & Francis.
Henry, D., 2015. Talking Deeper about Cultural Difference: A Digital Interactive from
Melbourne. Curator: The Museum Journal, 58(2), pp.209-222.
Hlavac, J., Gentile, A., Orlando, M., Zucchi, E. and Pappas, A., 2018. Translation as a sub-set
of public and social policy and a consequence of multiculturalism: the provision of
translation and interpreting services in Australia. International Journal of the Sociology of
Language, 2018(251), pp.55-88.
Kubota, R., 2014. The multi/plural turn, postcolonial theory, and neoliberal multiculturalism:
Complicities and implications for applied linguistics. Applied Linguistics, 37(4), pp.474-494.
Malik, K., 2015. The failure of multiculturalism: Community versus society in Europe.
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