Australia’s largest migrant community organisation says it is disappointed with the lack of attention paid to multicultural policy in 2013. The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia, FECCA, believes Australia’s image as a country that celebrates cultural diversity has…

Last month Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai was awarded the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought over her championing of girls education. As Malala’s prize was being announced, Muhammad Noor was quietly living in a weatherboard cottage in Melbourne’s west.…

It is 40 years since former Labor immigration minister Al Grassby first uttered the word ‘multiculturalism’ in a speech in Australia. Since then Grassby, the Whitlam government, of which he was part, and several other Labor administrations have fallen by…

WESTERN Australia has a higher proportion of migrants than any other state or territory, with more than one-third of its population born overseas. New migration data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the number of people here born overseas…

Almost six-and-a-half million people living in Australia, or 28% of the population, were born overseas – an increase of 1.7 million over the past decade. The largest group of foreign born residents are from the UK, the traditional source of…

More than six million people living in Australia were not born here, new migration figures have revealed – with Western Australia having the highest proportion of migrants. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals that in June 2013 Australia’s population included…

Before 9/11 and the “Tampa” episode in 2001, Australia played a thoroughly constructive and decent role in refugee resettlement following World War Two and the Vietnam War. This happened despite a cultural fear of invasion by people who are “not like us”, which has…

The national body representing Australia’s migrant and refugee communities says it’s informed the federal government it intends to push for legislative recognition of multiculturalism. http://www.sbs.com.au/podcasts/naca/radionews/episode/307086/Renewed-push-for-recognition-of-multiculturalism  

A ground-breaking study in the US has revealed that over two decades, foreign-born refugees have contributed twice as much in tax revenue as has been spent on services for them. The study, funded by the Tennessee state legislature, found the…

Former governor-general William Deane has called on Australians to have more understanding and compassion for asylum seekers who risk their lives to come to Australia. In a short address at Parliament House on Tuesday, Sir William told the story of…

As more sectarian violence erupts in Iraq, an Iraqi-Australian who was born in a refugee camp has written about her experience in an attempt to put a human face on the immigration debate in Australia. http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2013/s3912950.htm

The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) condemns the Government’s recent decision to disband the Immigration Health Advisory Group (IHAG) and considers this development a step backwards from ensuring that asylum seekers and refugees receive appropriate health care.…