Immigration news

Australia's immigration system is one of the most successful in the World with over twenty percent of the total population of Australia being born overseas. There have been several new studies looking at the level of skilled immigration needed to maintain economic growth. The Department of Immigration is soliciting views on skilled migration from various interested parties as it prepares its program for the 2005-2006 financial year, and has received a number of conflicting views on the level of immigration required to meet the needs of the Australian economy.

The Home Secretary Charles Clarke has today provided full details of a new five-year plan to show how Labour would change the immigration and asylum system if it wins the May Elections. The new plan provides details of the following:

UK - The Labour Government, in response to the Conservative Party proposals (the main opposition party), will be announcing significant immigration policy changes this week in an attempt to tighten immigration controls.

The Home Secretary Charles Clarke is set to announce a points system for economic migrants and electronic embarkation controls, along with more removals of failed asylum seekers.

Washington - The US Federal Government have been pushing to fortify a 3-mile stretch of border just north of Tijuana, Mexico which has been a favourite crossing point for illegal immigrants and drug runners.

The plan to reinforce a ragged fence called Smugglers Gulch within the westernmost stretch of the California-Mexico border has been opposed California coastal regulators and environmentalists who say it could harm a fragile Pacific estuary.

People using Canadian immigration services will be able to pay for them using a credit card over the Internet, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) reports.

From now on applicants for citizenship or immigration services made through case processing services in Canada can pay for them online. Currently the service is restricted to clients in Canada, but CIC hopes it will eventually also be available for overseas users.

Canada's Immigration Minister Joe Volpe officially launched the scheme on February 3. 20,00 clients have already used it under trial programs running since may 2004.