The one thing the Australian public will never be presented with is the real choice — do you want genuine community control over immigration policy, levels and source (a process that would generate an answer liked by neither left nor right)?
Immigration control
End of the Dream: a major setback for Obama immigration policy
The Obama administration’s carrot and stick approach to immigration, which produced a record number of deportations and opened the doors to around 11 million illegal immigrants, has been left with only the stick, after the defeat on the weekend of the Dream Act bill, writes Julia Preston.
Sneaky new laws that terminate student visas
A new bill is before parliament that gives the Immigration Minister the power to deny long term international students their applications for permanent residency. Peter Mares reports.
Essential Research: Mandate for Labor on health, refugees
Voters are standing behind Labor on refugee policy and health reform as leaders nut out a deal in Canberra today, with new Essential Research polling giving the government a strong mandate on both key issues.
Detention debt destroyed
After much debate, including a Crikey analysis of which Coalition members supported the bill, the charging of immigration detainees and asylum seekers for their mandatory detention has been scrapped.
Yes Gerard, we should keep immigration levels high
A worldwide recession is the ideal time to try to lure the world’s best skilled workers here, writes Bernard Keane.
And the Wankley Award goes to… Paul Sheehan
Sydney Morning Herald columnist Paul Sheehan had many things to say on Monday about the challenge of migration. But the last paragraph stole the show, writes Jane Nethercote.
Flint: It’s the elites who debase the rule of law
The Privy Council a century ago stated the obvious. The government is absolutely correct in resisting the present hysterical campaign to conflate immigration control with the standards of the criminal justice system. Otherwise we would be creating a right in all foreigners to enter this country, which would be untenable.
