Britons help migration lead WA population growth
Thursday, 27 March 2008
A new publication shows that overseas migrants continue to be Western Australia's main source of population growth, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, said today.
The 2008 edition of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship publication Population Flows: Immigration Aspects shows that more than a third of the overseas settlers that came to WA were from the United Kingdom.
The reportsays the 8618 UK migrants came to WA in 2006-07, or 34 per cent of all overseas permanent additions, followed by New Zealand (2518 people), South Africa (1603), India (1073) and Malaysia (1042).
In total, WA gained 25 519 people through net overseas migration in 2006-07.
‘Skilled migrants are an increasing share of WA population growth with arrivals making up 60 per cent of WA's 2006-07 intake,’ Senator Evans said.
‘In fact, overseas-born people made up 32.1 per cent of the WA labour force in August 2007 – well above the 25.7 per cent national figure.
‘There is an increasing demand for skilled workers in Western Australia thanks to the booming economy.
‘With Australia currently experiencing a skilled labour shortage, companies are looking overseas for staff to fill the gaps, using both temporary and permanent skilled migration programs.’
The top five occupations of permanent skilled migrants to WA in the year were accountants (973 people), building and engineering professionals (614), registered nurses (604), managers and administrators (521) and computing professionals (514).
Family stream arrivals were 21.1 per cent of overseas permanent additions with more than half of these arriving under spouse categories.
There were 688 arrivals of fiancés, and 565 parents.
Senator Evans said 6.8 per cent of WA migrant permanent additions came through Australia’s humanitarian program, including 21.2 per cent born in Sudan, 12.9 per cent from Burma, and 8.2 per cent from Afghanistan.
Population Flows: Immigration Aspects also shows that WA had 4.8 per cent growth in overseas visitors in 2006-07, with 10.5 per cent of international tourists stating that WA would be their main state of stay in Australia.
Population Flows: Immigration Aspects is available online.
See: www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics
URL: http://www.minister.immi.gov.au
/media/media-releases/2008/ce08029-8.htm
Last update: 13 August 2008 at 17:14 AEST