Migration Help
17th December 2009, 02:30 AM
* John Masanauskas
* From: Herald Sun
* December 16, 2009
http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2009/12/15/1225810/746081-paris-synodinos-and-michael-sharma.jpg
Paris Synodinos and Michael Sharma share their favourite dishes with each other
MELBOURNE is trading in souvlakis for samosas as immigration from Asia hits record levels.
The number of Indian-born people living permanently in Victoria has reached about 70,000, surpassing traditional migrant communities such as Greeks.
India is now the top source country for new arrivals, with more than 16,000 settling in the state in the past three years, according to an Immigration Department report released yesterday.
The number does not include the thousands of Indians who are in Melbourne on student visas.
Michael Sharma, owner of take-away food and spice store Curry Corner in Russell St, said there were only 40 Indian families in Melbourne when he came in 1974.
"It's a good, lovely country, the doors are wide open to everyone," he said.
Greeks and Italians led the post-war migration boom, but the number of Greek-born Victorians has fallen to about 55,000, behind communities including Vietnamese, Indian and Chinese.
Paris Synodinos, who works in Lonsdale St restaurant Stalactites, is among the small number of Greeks to migrate here in recent years. "I like the city, the shops, everything is nice and clean. Melbourne is very cultural, it reminds me of Europe," he said.
The nation welcomed a record 158,000 overseas arrivals last year, says the report Settler Arrivals 2008-09.
Victoria's share was about 40,000, with Indians, Chinese, New Zealanders, British and Sri Lankans leading the charge.
Outspoken federal Labor MP Kelvin Thomson wants immigration slashed on the basis that rampant population growth is worsening urban congestion, harming the environment and exacerbating the water shortage.
But his leader, PM Kevin Rudd, is a "big Australia man", with the Federal Government predicting the population will grow to 35 million by 2050.
MH
* From: Herald Sun
* December 16, 2009
http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2009/12/15/1225810/746081-paris-synodinos-and-michael-sharma.jpg
Paris Synodinos and Michael Sharma share their favourite dishes with each other
MELBOURNE is trading in souvlakis for samosas as immigration from Asia hits record levels.
The number of Indian-born people living permanently in Victoria has reached about 70,000, surpassing traditional migrant communities such as Greeks.
India is now the top source country for new arrivals, with more than 16,000 settling in the state in the past three years, according to an Immigration Department report released yesterday.
The number does not include the thousands of Indians who are in Melbourne on student visas.
Michael Sharma, owner of take-away food and spice store Curry Corner in Russell St, said there were only 40 Indian families in Melbourne when he came in 1974.
"It's a good, lovely country, the doors are wide open to everyone," he said.
Greeks and Italians led the post-war migration boom, but the number of Greek-born Victorians has fallen to about 55,000, behind communities including Vietnamese, Indian and Chinese.
Paris Synodinos, who works in Lonsdale St restaurant Stalactites, is among the small number of Greeks to migrate here in recent years. "I like the city, the shops, everything is nice and clean. Melbourne is very cultural, it reminds me of Europe," he said.
The nation welcomed a record 158,000 overseas arrivals last year, says the report Settler Arrivals 2008-09.
Victoria's share was about 40,000, with Indians, Chinese, New Zealanders, British and Sri Lankans leading the charge.
Outspoken federal Labor MP Kelvin Thomson wants immigration slashed on the basis that rampant population growth is worsening urban congestion, harming the environment and exacerbating the water shortage.
But his leader, PM Kevin Rudd, is a "big Australia man", with the Federal Government predicting the population will grow to 35 million by 2050.
MH