Australia's Immigration Revolution

Book excerpt: In 2006 Australia's population was 20.7 million. It is projected to reach 23 million in 2014. What is driving this rapid population growth, and how is the Rudd government dealing with immigration at a time of recession? The diversification of the immigration intake over the last 50 years, from the British Isles to Europe and Asia, is widely recognised. But there is less understanding of the development of Australia's temporary program, which since 2000 is the major component of the immigration intake. Similarly, the development of the global labour market and the impact of this on immigrants have not entered Australian consciousness. The lack of attention to these developments stands in marked contrast to the heated controversies sparked by the arrival by boat of small numbers of asylum seekers. Written by three leading researchers, with its analysis located in historical and international contexts, Australia's Immigration Revolution explains developments of national importance - including ground breaking explorations of ethnic concentration and public opinion.