Migration Help
9th February 2010, 07:06 PM
http://images.whereilive.com.au/images/uploads/2010/02/08/effe5f7a21ef494f53ab014f85824a53_resized.jpg
EVERY wave of migrants to Australia is "given a hard time’’ but eventually new arrivals are accepted, Immigration Minister Senator Chris Evans told a gathering of new arrivals in Parramatta last week.
Senator Evans said Australia led the world in successful multiculturalism and we should concentrate on the "positives’’ of our immigration program.
Senator Evans was visiting the Holroyd Parramatta Migrant Resource Centre with Parramatta Labor MP Julie Owens to meet migrants at a morning tea.
The room was full of migrants, new and settled, from a diverse range of countries from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe who had come to meet the affable minister.
Senator Evans was happy to listen to their concerns and answer their questions.
Senator Evans said Australia’s settlement of migrants from a wide range of backgrounds was applauded by the United Nations, as well as the United States and Canada.
He said that, although the early days of settling were not easy, migrants were eventually accepted.
"Going back to when the Italians and Greeks came out they were given a hard time but no one would suggest now that they have not settled well,’’ Senator Evans said.
"People tend to look at the negatives but we have been very successful in settling migrants.’’
Senator Evans joked that when migrants first arrived they worked hard, encouraged their children to top exams before becoming more like Australians "going to the beach, not working as hard, near enough is good enough’’.
"But you have to have a balanced lifestyle,’’ he added.
Later, in speaking to the Advertiser on Australians’ attitude to "boat people’’, Senator Evans said people were dismissive of illegal migrants until they had some contact with them.
SOURCE (http://parramatta-advertiser.whereilive.com.au/news/story/settling-hard-for-migrants-initially-says-minister/)
MH
EVERY wave of migrants to Australia is "given a hard time’’ but eventually new arrivals are accepted, Immigration Minister Senator Chris Evans told a gathering of new arrivals in Parramatta last week.
Senator Evans said Australia led the world in successful multiculturalism and we should concentrate on the "positives’’ of our immigration program.
Senator Evans was visiting the Holroyd Parramatta Migrant Resource Centre with Parramatta Labor MP Julie Owens to meet migrants at a morning tea.
The room was full of migrants, new and settled, from a diverse range of countries from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe who had come to meet the affable minister.
Senator Evans was happy to listen to their concerns and answer their questions.
Senator Evans said Australia’s settlement of migrants from a wide range of backgrounds was applauded by the United Nations, as well as the United States and Canada.
He said that, although the early days of settling were not easy, migrants were eventually accepted.
"Going back to when the Italians and Greeks came out they were given a hard time but no one would suggest now that they have not settled well,’’ Senator Evans said.
"People tend to look at the negatives but we have been very successful in settling migrants.’’
Senator Evans joked that when migrants first arrived they worked hard, encouraged their children to top exams before becoming more like Australians "going to the beach, not working as hard, near enough is good enough’’.
"But you have to have a balanced lifestyle,’’ he added.
Later, in speaking to the Advertiser on Australians’ attitude to "boat people’’, Senator Evans said people were dismissive of illegal migrants until they had some contact with them.
SOURCE (http://parramatta-advertiser.whereilive.com.au/news/story/settling-hard-for-migrants-initially-says-minister/)
MH