Indians flock to Australia

Melbourne, 30 July (UNI) Indians have replaced Chinese and Vietnamese to become the third largest source for permanent migrants to Australia.

Of the 10,600 permanent arrivals in Australia May this year, 10 per cent mentioned India as their country of origins. The figure represents a 6.6 per cent increase from the same period last year.

China, on the other hand, provided eight per cent of the permanent settlers to Australia in May.

The decipherable increase in the Indians' arrival down under is being attributed, beside other factors, to changes to the Australian immigration laws laying emphasis on a reasonably good command over English.

The so-called skills exhibitions organised by the Australian Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) and employers in various Indian metropolitan cities are also credited with attracting a large number of Indian professionals to this south Pacific island continent country.

The movement of Indians to Australia is not restricted to skilled migrants or family visa holders. Thanks to well-orchestrated recruitment campaigns and, to some extent, a booming economy; India now provides the second largest chunk of international students to the grateful Australian education system.

A large number of Indian students in Australia have also applied for permanent visas leading to an increase in the number of permanent settlers here.

Australian education institutes and organisations are also showing increased liking for the Indian students.

"By helping to educate young Indians in various skills and subjects - including that discipline known as the 'Australian way of life' - Australia can help itself by creating a human resource pool of compatible potential immigrants as well as offshore assets for Australian businesses to tap," IDP India Country director Henry Lendlie told a conference in Melbourne last month.

The fact that Indian tend to assimilate in the new environs with comparative ease, and almost no social problems, makes them even more preferred ethnic group down under.

While Britons and New Zealanders, also known as Kiwis, are the two top migrant groups to call Australia home in the past few years, only Chinese are sending more of their wards to the Australian shores for higher studies.

China continues to hold its unshakable position as the largest provider of international students to Australia.

According to Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) figures, Chinese student enrolments in Australia grew by 18 per cent last year, to 81,184.

This figure represents a whopping 24 per cent of all the international students currently studying in Australia.

The latest DIMA figures have confirmed the theory that most of the migrants to arrive in Australia in the near future would continue to mention one of the Asian countries as their country of origins.

UNI XC SRS KN0810