Immigration issues in australia

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• locating affordable housing locating employment language and communication barriers
• racism and discrimination
• The impact of disrupted education on schooling learning in the community English distance and lack of communication with families in the home country and/or countries of asylum (especially if/where the family remains in a conflict situation)
• ongoing mental health issues as a result of trauma, including survivor guilt and financial difficulties
• Visa insecurity (temporary visa holders)
• Living in blended families causes changes in the roles and status of family members.

What are the main problems of immigration?

Language stumbling blocks. The main challenge is the language barrier, which affects one's ability to communicate with others…. Lack of Employment Opportunities…. Housing…. Access to Medical Services…. Transportation Issues…. Cultural Differences…. Raising Children…. Prejudice.

Australia’s Harsh Immigration Policy

Australia is the only country that requires immigration detention for all "illegal" arrivals, including those seeking refugee status. Australia has had one of the most punitive policies on forced migration in the world, including controls beyond the border; the current US practice of caging "illegal" migrants comes close. However, one significant distinction is that Australia effectively punishes those who flee to the country for safety.

The harsh conditions in detention to which "illegal" refugees are subjected have been touted as a critical plank of Australia's border security policy by successive governments. Since the 1980s, widespread public support for a punitive detention regime has been driven by a dominant perception that those arriving by boat are either "bogus" refugees attempting "easy" entry into Australia for economic gain, or that they pose a security threat. The reality is that most applications for refugee status by "boat arrivals" are approved, with a very high percentage of successful appeals against adverse decisions. Nonetheless, there is consistent evidence of ongoing public support for tough border protection, with little concern about Australia's reputational damage as a signatory to the Refugee Convention.

Unfortunately, these opinions are frequently based on misconceptions about the refugee movement, which are fueled by negative media and government campaigns.

Immigration—issues for Australia’s humanitarian program

Today, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection administers two formal programs to facilitate the entry of Australia's permanent migrants: the Migration Program for skilled and family entrants, and the Humanitarian Program for refugees and other humanitarian entrants (the Migration Program is discussed elsewhere in this Briefing Book).

Offshore and onshore components comprise the Humanitarian Program. The UNHCR refers the vast majority of offshore refugees to Australia for resettlement. The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (Refugee Convention) defines a "refugee" as "any person who:

…due to a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or unwilling to avail himself of that country's protection; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or unwilling to return;