Australia: Migrant policy shift on English

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Migrant policy shift on English

Cath Hart 23feb07

MUTUAL obligation is to become the Howard Government's new mantra on
immigration, with migrants expected to learn English after they arrive in
Australia. Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration Teresa Gambaro will use
a speech tonight to unveil a major shift in the Government's approach to
migrants, saying that Australia always helps those in need but expects
"those receiving assistance to contribute in return".  "The principle of
the 'fair go' is a uniquely Australian value. A 'fair go', however,
expects fair effort," Ms Gambaro will tell a symposium run by the Islamic
Council of Victoria and the federal Government.

"The Government will continue to support all migrants by ensuring they
have access to education, employment and involvement with mainstream
community activities. "In return, the Government expects migrants to make
the effort to learn the language and the culture." It is unclear at this
stage how the Government plans to enforce the program. The shift to mutual
obligation will bring settlement services in line with the Government's
approach to social security over the past decade, where responsibilities
are imposed on welfare recipients. It follows moves by the Howard
Government to emphasise integration over diversity as part of a broader
shift away from multiculturalism.

Ms Gambaro says there are already many common values between Muslim and
non-Muslim Australians and that "there is no incompatibility between a
commitment to Islam and being Australian". "For Australia's Muslims, there
is no conflict between veils and Vegemite," she says. Mutual obligation
would also help Australia's non-Muslim population better understand Islam,
the Queensland MP says. The speech by Ms Gambaro is her first in the new
portfolio and maps out a significant new direction for settlement
services. Ms Gambaro says the term multiculturalism has become
"redundant". She says: "Multiculturalism, as a term, can be interpreted in
any number of ways ... in my view, its very imprecision is a critical
weakness.

"It doesn't tell us what we share in common, it doesn't tell us who we
are, it doesn't tell us what our values are." Ms Gambaro says that while
individual backgrounds should be celebrated, "we cannot afford to be
confined by them". "Australia cannot be a nation of islands within an
island," she says.  "Instead we should celebrate our cultural diversity
and commitment to shared Australian values and a great method of doing
this is by ensuring we can all speak to one another - in English." Ms
Gambaro, whose Italian parents came to Australia with scant English
skills, says she can empathise with migrants. "Learning English can be
difficult - I know this from personal experience - but it is not an
insurmountable hurdle, nor is it an unreasonable expectation. This is
because English language ability is a passport to participation, a
passport to prosperity."

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/printpage/0,5942,21272456,00.html

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