There is a debate to be had about 457 visas, Peter Mares from Swinburne's Institute for Social Research writes at Inside Story. But it's not the one we've been having in Canberra.
They're 40 metres wide, can stay in the air for 30 hours, and are set to patrol Australia's borders -- with not a pilot in sight. The Triton drones are coming to Adelaide, reports InDaily's Liam Mannix.
The government's effort to exploit concerns about 457 visas appears to be landing on fertile ground, today's Essential Report finds. And concerns about the 457 scheme are spread across the political spectrum.
Just why is it that so many of the protection visa applications that get rejected by the department of immigration get overturned on appeal? Crikey asked the experts.
Julia Gillard had a good week campaigning in western Sydney. But what will the long-term cost be of Labor's populist, anti-immigration rhetoric?
Labor's exploitation of the 457 visa issues is just part of an attempt by all three parties to exploit immigration fears. Politicians are accusing each other of being soft, as the immigration debate plumbs new depths.
Migration is complex, but journalists must get the basic facts right, says Migration Council Australia worker and former Immigration Department policy officer Henry Sherrell. The 457 visa debate has to start with the truth.
TV spots featuring cricketers Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga are not likely to prevent illegal immigration from Sri Lanka, writes freelance journalist Bhakthi Puvanenthiran.
The offshore processing of asylum seekers in Nauru and Papua New Guinea deliberately harms human beings and has no benefit other than political smoke and mirrors, argues Susan Metcalfe.
Journalists Andrew Dodd and Christine Horn went to Indonesia to see how people smugglers operate. In part two of their investigation, the cost and complexity of the boat journey to Australia.
