January 25, 2008 | 12:00am
Many Filipino skilled workers have migrated to Australia over the last two years, according to the Australian envoy.
Ambassador Tony Hely told reporters Filipinos have joined an increasing number of skilled migrants who have decided to make Australia their home.
“So the Philippines has a strong interest in going to Australia as skilled migrants,” he said.
“I think last year, the increase was about 136 percent. Last year, the skilled migration stream from the Philippines for the first time ever was larger than the family migration stream which has been the traditional migration stream to Australia.”
Hely said Australia is actively promoting the migration of skilled Filipinos because it has a structural skills shortage across a wide range of industries that are in abundance in the Philippines.
“The Philippines is a very good source of supply for those migrants,” he said.
Hely said he is surprised about issues of students or people coming to Australia who encounter discrimination or racism.
“Only a tiny proportion, less than four percent, said they encounter any discrimination so a lot of people here ask about it, but for people who have actually gone there it is a non-issue,” he said.
Hely said Australia’s education system offers tremendous opportunities for Filipinos because of its good quality and the very safe and friendly environment that protects the interests of students.
“And they have 200,000 other Filipinos to network with so it is a good multicultural experience,” he said.
Hely said the “White Australia Policy” that barred Asian immigration to Australia ended in the 1960s.
“I think six of our top 10 migration sources come from Asia so Australia is now very open to migration from all sources,” he said. – Pia Lee-Brago
