Latest news with #Indian-Australian
Sky News AU
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
'Importing future voters': Economist Leith van Onselen links high levels of immigration to boost in support for Labor Party
High levels of immigration have been linked to a boost in the Labor Party's electoral base in the wake of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's resounding win on May 3. Economist Leith van Onselen has sparked debate by asserting that Mr Albanese will be incentivised to maintain high levels of immigration due to migrant preferences for Labor. Polling by Redbridge and Accent Research during the election campaign found Labor's two-party preferred vote was in the high 60s among "diverse voters". "The Indian community is now our largest immigration source… it seems that that community votes overwhelmingly for Labor,' Mr van Onselen told 2GB on Thursday. 'Labor is incentivised to maintain a high immigration policy because it's effectively importing future voters.' According to a Carnegie India survey during the last federal election, 58 per cent of Indian-Australian respondents said they felt closer to the Labor Party than the Coalition. The countries with the most permanent migration to Australia include India, China, Philippines, Nepal and the United Kingdom. The 2025 Federal Election saw Labor retain key seats in Western Sydney, areas with substantial migrant populations. In the lead-up to the election, Immigration Minister Tony Burke faced accusations of using citizenship ceremonies as photo opportunities to promote the Labor Party. Home Affairs Department Secretary Stephanie Foster revealed Mr Burke personally instructed staff to schedule the ceremonies to fit his availability. Independent MP Dai Le, representing the seat of Fowler, claimed she was excluded from an event and accused Mr Burke of using immigrants as 'political pawns'. Mr van Onselen pointed out that while immigrants typically vote for Labor, much of the recent immigration occurred under previous Coalition governments. 'They effectively imported a whole bunch of people who were then more likely to vote for Labor... They probably did it inadvertently,' he said. Redbridge Group Director Kos Samaras also said that the timeline for migrants to gain citizenship and voting rights suggests that earlier Coalition policies have had a significant impact. 'What these conservatives need to appreciate is according to their theory, it was the Coalition government's migration program, from 2013 to 2019 that helped Labor,' he said. The Albanese government has confirmed its plans to reduce net overseas migration "down quite considerably" in the coming years. Net overseas migration was 446,000 in 2023-24, down from 536,000 in 2022-2023 according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The government's budget papers have forecast a return to 260,000 in the coming financial year and down to 225,000 the year after.
Epoch Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Dignity, Peace: One Major Migrant Community Reveals Their Motivations for Moving Down Under
From job stability to shorter commutes, Indian-Australian families say the Lucky Country is a place for new opportunities, belonging, and dignity. This is one of the largest and fastest-growing migrant groups in the country with over 916,330 individuals born in India, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Four households in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, and Perth shared with The Epoch Times on their motivations for relocating to Australia—and what convinced them to stay. Sydney: Chasing Stability and Dignity Pramesh Saini, 43, lives in Sydney's north-western Castle Hill, and first came to Australia as a student in 2009. Originally from a small town in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh (72 million population), he chose to stay for the promise of stability and dignity of work. 'No matter what job you do, it pays well in Australia,' he said. 'In India, to afford a good lifestyle, you need multiple degrees, work three times as hard, and even then, it depends on your luck.' Related Stories 5/6/2025 5/4/2025 His wife Anita, who joined him in 2018, said Australia's public health system sealed the deal. Courtesy of Pramesh Saini 'After each of our [children were born], a caregiver visited our home to check if we were managing well. That level of care was deeply reassuring,' she said of her two daughters. Saini's family became citizens in 2024 and will now call Australia home forever. 'There is no way we are going back. My girls were born here and they identify themselves as Australians.' Melbourne: Infrastructure and Public Facilities IT consultant Priyanka Athalye moved to Australia in 2015, just a year after her first child was born in Pune in the massive state of Maharashtra (110 million population). Now settled in Vermont South, Melbourne, she says Australia offered what her family was looking for. 'Australia gave us a peaceful, safe life, and looking back after nine years, I'm grateful we chose this country,' she said. What stood out most was the infrastructure. 'By that, I mean well-maintained roads, expansive green spaces, parks, and natural areas. These things matter when you're raising children.' She added, 'Compared to Indian cities, it's much less crowded. That alone makes a huge difference in quality of life.' Courtesy of Priyanka Athalye Canberra: Government Accountability In the nation's capital, Manish Jain, 39, a technology consultant, and his wife Prerna have embraced a calmer pace of life after leaving the bustling megacity of New Delhi (30 million) in 2012. 'What I love about Australia is the public sector's accountability. It gives you confidence that systems will work,' Jain said. Life back in India, he recalled, was 'too fast-paced,' with little time left for family. Canberra's shorter commutes and slower rhythm give him more time with his two sons. 'Even though we're still busy, it doesn't feel overwhelming. And above all, there's a sense that everyone gets a fair go in Australia.' Courtesy of Manish Jain Perth: Work-Life Balance In Perth's west, event producer Priyanka Singh and her husband Varun Saini made their home on Wellington Street after moving from Vadodara, Gujarat. As a dual-income couple, Singh said their life in India was dominated by work. Perth offered a welcome reset. 'People say Perth is isolated, but it has everything—top companies, beautiful beaches, lakes, and parks. You get to enjoy nature while having access to opportunities,' she said. The balance between career and family was what tipped the scale. 'It's the kind of life you dream about—doing fulfilling work without compromising time with loved ones.' Courtesy of Priyanka Singh What's Driving the Shift? Migration from China, once dominant, has declined steadily since 2017, well before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global mobility. In contrast, Indian migration has surged, fuelled by a mix of opportunity, and a growing middle class looking to find their place in the world. 'The Australia-India Free Trade Agreement has eased migration pathways,' said migration specialist Ramneek Madahar, in an interview with The Epoch Times. Annathurai Gnanasambandam, director of Visa Help Australia, added, 'India's growing middle class has created a large pool of skilled, ambitious workers. Australia rewards hard work, respects diversity, and offers a high quality of life.'
Sydney Morning Herald
11-05-2025
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘They killed my baby twice': The women being used and abused for visas
'He said, 'One of my friends is coming back from India and will bring some medicine with him, iron and vitamins, and you can take it and after 15 days, darling, we can go to the doctor.'' After she took the medicine, Harpreet experienced heavy bleeding and was told by her doctor that she had lost the baby. 'They killed my baby two times,' she says. Harpreet reported the man's violent abuse to police and obtained an intervention order. She has a witness to the abuse, and hopes police will speak to them and charges will follow. Her former husband is now in a relationship with another Indian-Australian woman and has applied for a permanent partner visa. Harpreet has given federal immigration authorities details of the intervention order and the charge sheet from his outstanding family violence matter in India. She has also told them he used a fraudulent character reference for the application. 'If I go back to India, I don't feel safe. I don't feel safe if I stay here [and he remains],' says Harpreet, who is experiencing depression and panic attacks. She has had no reply from the Department of Home Affairs to tell her if the information will be considered. Loading A spokesman said it would not comment on the case, but offered the statement: 'Domestic and family violence is not acceptable under any circumstance, and is a crime in Australia.' 'The Department of Home Affairs takes all reports of domestic and family violence seriously. Types of domestic and family violence include forced isolation or economic deprivation, including dowry-related abuse.' For Professor Manjula O'Connor, a Melbourne psychiatrist and founder of the AustralAsian Centre for Human Rights and Health, Harpreet's experience is disturbingly familiar. It has many features that she hears regularly, and the stories have 'an amazing similarity'. 'They are so strikingly similar that there must be an element of coaching going on,' she says. 'This is something commonly experienced by migrant women from many ethnic communities.' O'Connor, a driving force behind the establishment of a Senate committee inquiry into the practice of dowry and economic abuse in Australia, says gaining access to visas and large dowries is a well-known tactic. 'Definitely she [Harpreet] was exploited by him to get an Australian visa. I have heard similar from patients before who have felt it was clearly for a visa because as soon as the visa came through as a permanent resident the man changed completely,' says O'Connor. 'Almost within a day.' 'These men have really no intention of respecting the social contract of marriage.' Harpreet's is one in a series of visa-based abuse, family violence and dowry abuse examples against Indian women living in Australia who are being exploited, but who O'Connor says are not receiving enough action from police or immigration authorities. 'As soon as the visa came through as a permanent resident the man changed completely – almost within a day.' Professor Manjula O'Connor, founder of the AustralAsian Centre for Human Rights and Health Amrit went to two Melbourne police stations with letters from the state government's Orange Door family violence service, her GP and O'Connor verifying she had appeared distressed and reported violence. She is distraught that no action was taken against her husband. She was raped by him and prevented from seeing family members. He controlled her finances and social media and sent her wage to his relatives. He stole her academic records, identity documents and the gold and money given to Amrit when she married him. As her English is poor, when Amrit finally revealed to her family what was happening, a relative went to police with her. 'She was told that unless she has a video, or recording of him raping her, then nothing could be done because there was not enough evidence,' the relative says. 'I said, she's struggling to survive, he had choked her a few times, beat her … she was not allowed to see friends and family – she was so scared – you want her to record a video and later on, when he comes home and finds out he would kill her.' A Victoria Police spokesperson confirmed the matter was investigated by a sexual offences team and uniformed police. 'These investigations involved interviewing the accused perpetrator multiple times,' the statement said. 'The complainant was also interviewed on several occasions to ensure police had as much information to progress their investigations as possible … Unfortunately, police were unable to pursue the matter through the courts due to insufficient evidence.' Police successfully applied for an order to protect the complainant, it said, and have advised her they will assess the matter should further information become available. The relative has lodged complaints about the handling of the case by police. Another of O'Connor's current clients, also interviewed by this masthead, is a medical practitioner and victim of physical, sexual and financial abuse by a man who came from India to marry her. She took a loan to cover his visa application. His family moved into her home, and subjected her to coercive control, forcing her to disconnect from her biological family. She was stunned to be arrested at home shortly after her marriage because her husband had lied to police, claiming she had perpetrated physical abuse on him. It meant he was eligible for permanent residency under family violence laws. 'Here is a family violence victim misidentified as a perpetrator, all too common an occurrence among migrant women,' O'Connor said. 'You pre-meditatively look for someone who's vulnerable with a bit of money to marry, then leave them. This should be a crime.' Kittu Randhawa, founder of the NSW-based Indian (Sub-Cont) Crisis & Support Agency, and an anti- dowry abuse campaigner, says perpetrators making false allegations is 'a common trick'. 'They [perpetrators] are ahead of the game; they know what they're doing and know how they are going to get their 'evidence',' says Randhawa. What is known as dowry abuse would be better labelled as 'absolute extortion', she says, and be discussed openly. 'We talk about cultural safety; that should not override [discussion of] criminality. 'This is extortion, its physical abuse, sexual assault, coercive control, sometimes by multiple perpetrators,' Randhawa says. 'You pre-meditatively look for someone who's vulnerable with a bit of money to marry, then leave them. This should be a crime.' Loading What happened to O'Connor's clients is 'just so common', says Ajsela Siskovic, principal lawyer at inTouch Women's Legal Centre. 'Right now our migration agent has a client whose husband demanded a dowry of a few kilos of gold, got her pregnant and then just left her at her father's house,' she says. Another woman's family provide a dowry of $40,000 to $50,000, which her father borrowed to avoid the shame of a cancelled wedding. But when she came to Australia, the woman was subject to 'horrific family violence' and the man tried to gain sole ownership of the house. More training for justice and immigration authorities, and better information provided to those coming to Australia, and to service providers, is needed to improve protections for those at risk, Siskovic says. As things stand, 'a lot of our clients are just broken.' O'Connor says talking about the issue is vital: 'I hope breaking the silence will help expose exploitation by the perpetrators and stop shame and secrecy among the victims,' she says. She wants more done by immigration authorities to investigate claims reported to them, to help prevent offenders being able to repeat the cycle. 'If society and our community gets to know about it, they will start to talk about it openly – where at the moment it's hush-hushed,' she says. 'The problem would more be whether the immigration department is willing to act on it.' * The names of the victim-survivors interviewed face-to-face for this article have been changed as they are still at risk.
The Age
11-05-2025
- Health
- The Age
‘They killed my baby twice': The women being used and abused for visas
'He said, 'One of my friends is coming back from India and will bring some medicine with him, iron and vitamins, and you can take it and after 15 days, darling, we can go to the doctor.'' After she took the medicine, Harpreet experienced heavy bleeding and was told by her doctor that she had lost the baby. 'They killed my baby two times,' she says. Harpreet reported the man's violent abuse to police and obtained an intervention order. She has a witness to the abuse, and hopes police will speak to them and charges will follow. Her former husband is now in a relationship with another Indian-Australian woman and has applied for a permanent partner visa. Harpreet has given federal immigration authorities details of the intervention order and the charge sheet from his outstanding family violence matter in India. She has also told them he used a fraudulent character reference for the application. 'If I go back to India, I don't feel safe. I don't feel safe if I stay here [and he remains],' says Harpreet, who is experiencing depression and panic attacks. She has had no reply from the Department of Home Affairs to tell her if the information will be considered. Loading A spokesman said it would not comment on the case, but offered the statement: 'Domestic and family violence is not acceptable under any circumstance, and is a crime in Australia.' 'The Department of Home Affairs takes all reports of domestic and family violence seriously. Types of domestic and family violence include forced isolation or economic deprivation, including dowry-related abuse.' For Professor Manjula O'Connor, a Melbourne psychiatrist and founder of the AustralAsian Centre for Human Rights and Health, Harpreet's experience is disturbingly familiar. It has many features that she hears regularly, and the stories have 'an amazing similarity'. 'They are so strikingly similar that there must be an element of coaching going on,' she says. 'This is something commonly experienced by migrant women from many ethnic communities.' O'Connor, a driving force behind the establishment of a Senate committee inquiry into the practice of dowry and economic abuse in Australia, says gaining access to visas and large dowries is a well-known tactic. 'Definitely she [Harpreet] was exploited by him to get an Australian visa. I have heard similar from patients before who have felt it was clearly for a visa because as soon as the visa came through as a permanent resident the man changed completely,' says O'Connor. 'Almost within a day.' 'These men have really no intention of respecting the social contract of marriage.' Harpreet's is one in a series of visa-based abuse, family violence and dowry abuse examples against Indian women living in Australia who are being exploited, but who O'Connor says are not receiving enough action from police or immigration authorities. 'As soon as the visa came through as a permanent resident the man changed completely – almost within a day.' Professor Manjula O'Connor, founder of the AustralAsian Centre for Human Rights and Health Amrit went to two Melbourne police stations with letters from the state government's Orange Door family violence service, her GP and O'Connor verifying she had appeared distressed and reported violence. She is distraught that no action was taken against her husband. She was raped by him and prevented from seeing family members. He controlled her finances and social media and sent her wage to his relatives. He stole her academic records, identity documents and the gold and money given to Amrit when she married him. As her English is poor, when Amrit finally revealed to her family what was happening, a relative went to police with her. 'She was told that unless she has a video, or recording of him raping her, then nothing could be done because there was not enough evidence,' the relative says. 'I said, she's struggling to survive, he had choked her a few times, beat her … she was not allowed to see friends and family – she was so scared – you want her to record a video and later on, when he comes home and finds out he would kill her.' A Victoria Police spokesperson confirmed the matter was investigated by a sexual offences team and uniformed police. 'These investigations involved interviewing the accused perpetrator multiple times,' the statement said. 'The complainant was also interviewed on several occasions to ensure police had as much information to progress their investigations as possible … Unfortunately, police were unable to pursue the matter through the courts due to insufficient evidence.' Police successfully applied for an order to protect the complainant, it said, and have advised her they will assess the matter should further information become available. The relative has lodged complaints about the handling of the case by police. Another of O'Connor's current clients, also interviewed by this masthead, is a medical practitioner and victim of physical, sexual and financial abuse by a man who came from India to marry her. She took a loan to cover his visa application. His family moved into her home, and subjected her to coercive control, forcing her to disconnect from her biological family. She was stunned to be arrested at home shortly after her marriage because her husband had lied to police, claiming she had perpetrated physical abuse on him. It meant he was eligible for permanent residency under family violence laws. 'Here is a family violence victim misidentified as a perpetrator, all too common an occurrence among migrant women,' O'Connor said. 'You pre-meditatively look for someone who's vulnerable with a bit of money to marry, then leave them. This should be a crime.' Kittu Randhawa, founder of the NSW-based Indian (Sub-Cont) Crisis & Support Agency, and an anti- dowry abuse campaigner, says perpetrators making false allegations is 'a common trick'. 'They [perpetrators] are ahead of the game; they know what they're doing and know how they are going to get their 'evidence',' says Randhawa. What is known as dowry abuse would be better labelled as 'absolute extortion', she says, and be discussed openly. 'We talk about cultural safety; that should not override [discussion of] criminality. 'This is extortion, its physical abuse, sexual assault, coercive control, sometimes by multiple perpetrators,' Randhawa says. 'You pre-meditatively look for someone who's vulnerable with a bit of money to marry, then leave them. This should be a crime.' Loading What happened to O'Connor's clients is 'just so common', says Ajsela Siskovic, principal lawyer at inTouch Women's Legal Centre. 'Right now our migration agent has a client whose husband demanded a dowry of a few kilos of gold, got her pregnant and then just left her at her father's house,' she says. Another woman's family provide a dowry of $40,000 to $50,000, which her father borrowed to avoid the shame of a cancelled wedding. But when she came to Australia, the woman was subject to 'horrific family violence' and the man tried to gain sole ownership of the house. More training for justice and immigration authorities, and better information provided to those coming to Australia, and to service providers, is needed to improve protections for those at risk, Siskovic says. As things stand, 'a lot of our clients are just broken.' O'Connor says talking about the issue is vital: 'I hope breaking the silence will help expose exploitation by the perpetrators and stop shame and secrecy among the victims,' she says. She wants more done by immigration authorities to investigate claims reported to them, to help prevent offenders being able to repeat the cycle. 'If society and our community gets to know about it, they will start to talk about it openly – where at the moment it's hush-hushed,' she says. 'The problem would more be whether the immigration department is willing to act on it.' * The names of the victim-survivors interviewed face-to-face for this article have been changed as they are still at risk.
Epoch Times
07-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Inflation Still the Main Concern for Australia's Fastest Growing Migrant Community
Indian-Australian voters say cost of living was the main priority during the recent federal election, and will be something they hope the new government can deal with. The Indian community is predicted to overtake the United Kingdom as the biggest migrant group in the country, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) estimating 916,330 Indian-born residents locally. This population swell has led politicians from across the spectrum to actively court this diaspora, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's pledge for a Hindi School in Sydney. Despite the high-profile outreach, day-to-day concerns weighed more heavily for Indian-Australian voters than cultural symbolism. Priyanka Athalye, a 41-year-old IT consultant and mother of three from Vermont South in Melbourne, said her vote was shaped by rising expenses and worries about the future. 'Cost of living was the key issue on my mind when I stepped out to vote last week,' Athalye told The Epoch Times. Related Stories 4/30/2025 4/21/2025 Resident of South Vermont in Melbourne voted on cost of living crisis. Courtesy of Priyanka Athalye 'Educational opportunities for our children when they grow up, in terms of university education ... and also, when they grow up, how will the property prices be, right? So it basically boils down to what the future opportunities hold in Australia.' In Sydney, Anita Kumari, a housewife from Girraween, west of Parramatta, echoed similar concerns. With two school-age daughters, her vote was driven by the cost-of-living crisis. 'Lately, living in Sydney has become very expensive. We have voted for a government that can promise us some relief,' she said. Canberra resident Gaurav Arora, 42, said mortgage repayments were his biggest burden. A resident of Bruce since 2018, he bought a home just before the pandemic, only to be hit by surging interest rates. 'My only hope is that I get a government that can make sure its policies lead to the Reserve Bank slashing interest rates further,' he said. Javed Ali, 32, a financial consultant from Box Hill, also in Melbourne's east, who works remotely, said economic concerns and high utility costs were top of mind. 'I have voted for a government that can give an uplift to our economy, which has taken a hit since COVID freebies started to flow in,' he said. Another Melbourne Resident who voted for a better economy. Courtesy of Javed Ali
