The Past and Present of Australian Immigration Policy

This paper deals with Australian immigration policy, its evolution and current situation. It analyses different waves of immigration to Australia from 1788, describing the first British migration, gold related Chinese migration or 19th century non-british migration. It goes further to explain controversial White Australia Policy including The Immigration Restriction Act of 1901 and core concepts of whiteness and Britishness. The post-war mass immigration program is then described in detail and its relation to shift away from White Australia is shown. The objective of keeping Australia white and British was substantially modified through the 1950s and 1960s. It was Prime Minister Gough Whitlam who officialy ended the White Australia Policy in 1973 and gave its support to the concept of multiculturalism. Measures of the Fraser, Hawke and Keating governments concerning immigration policy are also treated. The theme of Czechs and Slovaks in Australia is included, emphasizing on personal story of one czech immigrant. As the perception of immigration in Australia evolved from assimilation to multicultural society, the Australian approach to multiculturalism is covered in the next part of the thesis. Critical views on multiculturalism are decribed as well as the rise of Pauline Hanson's One Nation in 1990s or the topic of Australian Muslims. Changes in immigration policy under the Howard government and possible directions of new Labor government are outlined in the next chapter, including issues of refugees, current visa system in Australia or public attitudes towards immigrants.