Migrants in Australia have had a lot to do with how this country is shaped, from the very beginning when white settlers first arrived on our shores. In comparison with the rest of the world, in particular Europe, Australia is a very new country and due to its isolation, may have had problems attracting people to the shores here. In an order to boost population Australia has had a high number of immigrants that have over the years contributed greatly to the nation. In particular there are a large number of migrants that have come from Italy and also the area known as South Asia, which encompasses India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh also known as the sub-continent. However the paths that these groups of migrants have taken to reach Australia is very different. This essay will attempt to compare the differences in the two migratory groups by showing the different reasons why migrants have come to Australia. Adding to this, it will cover the programs and assistance offered to migrants and Australian government policies that may have effected their migration. It will look at the skills Italian and South Asian migrants have or ar

Australia experienced strong economic growth and expansion following WWII, which brought it into line with much of the western world. This economic growth ensured that there were positions available for low-skilled workers in a number of different manufacturing and labour markets. This was seen as a positive behind the strong move by government to increase the number of immigrants entering the country. There have been a number of explanations of the motivations behind the post-war immigration program, and the need for low-skilled workers to fill such positions. Others arguments included that then Prime Minister John Curtain was convinced of the need to increase population, others, that then immigration minister Arthur Calwell desired to create a homogenous society, or that there was an immediate concern for the capabilities of Australia's defence forces. The Japanese victories in the Pacific War in 1941-42 and the subsequent bombing of Darwin had convinced Australia's leaders that the country could no longer rely on Britain for it's security (Castles 1992 p39). The government reacted accordingly by releasing an aggressive approach to immigration in an attempt to gain a two percent population growth per year, half of which was to come through immigration. "Populate or Perish" was the slogan used by Calwell in an attempt to help middle class citizens overcome their original fears that migrant workers would take their jobs and livelihood. "We must fill this country or lose it," became one of his many themes. (Collins 1988 p21) However the government continued to implement the previous immigration policy 'White Australia', which was introduced in the 1880's to restrict in particular Chinese migration, by giving first preference to people from Britain and Ireland. However when these stocks were not sufficiently forthcoming, the government needed to gain migrants from elsewhere, in particular displaced persons and a number from Italy. Still, it was the Northern Italians who were offered the opportunity to come to Australia before the Southern Italians, because it was thought that they wou

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Approximate Word count = 1413
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)