Immigration To Australia

Immigration to Australia and New Zealand has skyrocketed over the past two decades. Part of the reason for this wave of refugees is that global citizens have simply become more mobile. The immigration rates for most modern Western countries have gone way up across the board. However, another factor may be the unique geographical isolation and permissive multiculturalism that Australia engenders.

In the wake of almost two centuries of mistreatment of Aboriginals, Australians have forged one of the most tolerant and open democracies in the world. Australians abide by what are known as the five fundamental freedoms. Citizens and legal foreign nationals alike are entitled to freedom of assembly, movement, association, religion, and speech.

The Debate over the Future of Australian Immigration

Australia is a democracy, albeit a participatory one, in which representative leaders elected by the majority hash out the business of government in the chambers of Parliament. The citizens of Australia hail from all around the world and from all walks of life. Humanitarian refugees escaping oppression in their home countries often flee to Australia.

The unprecedented rise of global anti-American sentiment following the United States' political and military involvement in Iraq may have contributed to the boom in Australian immigration. Yet while a majority of Australia's citizens continue to be permissive on immigration issues, some are calling for quotas and stricter border control. It remains to be seen how the surge of refugees to Australia's shores will impact the country's political discourse.