Radio Brisvaani
Brisbane, September 23 (MCCQ Newsdesk)
The Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland (ECCQ) has endorsed the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) call for migration settings to be based on evidence and long-term workforce and community needs, while urging consultation with multicultural organisations and key sectors before further changes are made.
ECCQ Board Chair Elijah Buol OAM, MAICD, said the council supported migration settings that reflected Australia’s long-term interests rather than short-term political considerations. He said decisions of this scale should be informed by evidence about workforce and community needs.
ECCQ said it welcomed recognition by the Minister for Home Affairs that migration had contributed to Australia’s development, but argued that the contribution of migrants should be considered more broadly.
One issue raised by the council was the role of international students already studying and working in Australia, particularly those with qualifications relevant to health and aged care.
ECCQ said Queensland has qualified graduates in these areas who could contribute to workforce needs but are not being fully utilised.
The council also expressed concern about possible flow-on effects for universities from restrictions on family visas and slower visa processing, particularly at a time when the international education sector is facing financial pressures.
ECCQ said discussions about the size and composition of migration should recognise the contribution of multicultural communities, permanent residents, international students and skilled migrants rather than treating them as outsiders.
ECCQ CEO Lisa Ward said reducing family visas without addressing the workforce shortages that migration policy is intended to help address could overlook people who were already in Australia and had relevant skills.
“We have trained graduates in health and aged care in Queensland ready to contribute,” Ward said, according to ECCQ’s statement. “Government should be looking at who is already here, not just who to keep out.”
ECCQ called on the Australian Government to consult directly with multicultural community organisations, as well as the health, aged care and international education sectors, before making further changes to migration settings.
The council said migration policy should be assessed against Australia’s actual workforce requirements rather than solely against a net migration figure.
FECCA’s published position similarly calls for migration decisions to be supported by transparent evidence, economic modelling and consultation with multicultural communities, industry, unions, universities and service providers.
ECCQ’s statement forms part of the wider discussion over proposed changes to Australia’s migration system, including the balance between migration levels, workforce requirements, family considerations and the needs of Australia’s multicultural communities.
