Mapping Progress : Human Rights and International Students in Australia

The rapid growth in international student numbers in Australia in the first decade of the  2000s was accompanied by a series of public crises. The most important of these was the outbreak in Melbourne Victoria and elsewhere of physical attacks on the students. Investigations at the time also pointed to cases of gross exploitation, an array of threats that severely compromised their human rights. This paper reviews and pursues the outcomes of a report prepared by the authors in 2010 for Universities Australia and the Human Rights Commission. The report reviewed social science research and proposed a series of priorities for human rights interventions that were part of the Human Rights Commission’s considerations.  New activity, following the innovation of having international students specifically considered by the Human Rights Commission, points to initiatives that have not fully addressed the wide range of questions at state

At Cross roads: White Social Work in Australia and the discourse on Australian multiculturalism

The profession of social work intervenes in the lives of the vulnerable and marginalised. In the majority, social work policy and practice in Australia has been founded on a western practice paradigm. Recent and rapid developments in the migratory trends of migrants and refugees places additional demands on social workers to practice with and for diverse communities. This article argues that the profession of social work is reluctant to embrace the multicultural face of Australia and lacks the intellectual apparatus to respond to diversity. The article underpins Professor Andrew Jakubowicz's analysis to multiculturalism as a powerful platform for social work academics and students to critically engage with by challenge existing racism and discriminatory trends towards multicultural communities that may possibly arise in social work practice

Rethinking Socio-Economic Models for Migrant Settlement in Regional Australia Post COVID-19

This report draws on a desk-based review of literature and interviews with key informants (policy experts and stakeholders) conducted between 2021 and 2022 to provide insights and recommendations to enhance existing frameworks for regional settlement in Australia with a focus on local community centred settlement, economically driven regional settlement that changes the discourse towards migrants and refugees as assets and allies for longer-term sustainable settlement. It argues that addressing the 'triple nexus' of economic development – local community empowerment – long-term migrant settlement is a matter of serious concern that has been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic with international borders closed. This research also offers a conceptual framework for enabling sustainable migrant settlement in regional areas away from urban areas in Australia. Further, it is a paradigm shift from a charitable view of migrant settlement to regional socio-economic development that ensures new arrivals' quality of life

Who saved the Bhattacharya kids? The role of Indian media in revoking the decision of the Norwegian Child Welfare Services

Highly educated and skilled individuals from India tend to migrate to Western nations in the hope of better employment prospects - particularly those that are English speaking. Many middle-class affluent Indians have a strong desire to climb the financial ladder, and believe that this can only be achieved through working in another country. The position of Indian migrants in host countries is often compromised. Their status is often reduced from upper- or middle-class in India to working class migrants in the destination country. The first barrier they encounter when they arrive in a new country is the high living costs, and depending on their visa status, may or may not have access to welfare benefits (Rutten and Verstappen, 2015)

Crossing boundaries and lesson drawing: a case study of safe accommodation program transfer between Australia and India

© 2008 Dr. Devaki Ghansham MonaniThis qualitative study examines the viability of India transferring safe accommodation for women leaving violent relationships from Australia. The objectives of the study are to examine safe accommodation programs for women leaving violent relationships in Australia and India, and identify transferable aspects from Australia to India. The service providers' account of the reality of overcoming challenges posed by cultural values and the knowledge that funding for women’s services is precarious provides the thrust of this work. This thesis argues that developing countries do not benefit from the knowledge exchange that is likely to occur between developed countries. Women's human rights principles and the “program transfer” approach inform this inquiry. A multi-method approach was chosen for developing the country case studies involving a literature review, field visits and semi-structured interviews with 10 service providers of safe accommodation services in Australia and India. Equal numbers of participants were interviewed in both countries. Expert sampling techniques were employed. The major finding of this study identifies that transfer of safe accommodation program for women leaving violent relationships between Australia and India is an aspiration particularly because of the incompatibilities that exist at various levels of service provision between the two countries. Crucially, the incorporation of the women’s human rights principles into the safe accommodation service delivery in both countries remains a challenge, and the analysis confirms that these principles remain largely unimplemented. In contrast to the popular belief that welfare programs in developed countries are consistently better than developing nations, the observations in this thesis identify that challenges remain in both country contexts. The thesis signposts areas of future research by establishing an agenda for ongoing research that is aligned with enhancing safe accommodation service provision in both Australia and India

Death and the dowry system : India's women and female children at global risk of gendercide over money

Increasing globalization means that some actions or events transcend national boundaries and often require harmonization of responses. This is increasingly apparent in the context of violence against women and girls as movement of people and culture creates new challenges. News of accusations of dowry harassment against actress Smita Bansal caused a sensation in December 2015. The allegations arose during her brother’s divorce in London. It was suggested that her family had taken away jewelry and money from her sister-in-law during marriage to her brother. The allegations were refuted. True or otherwise, the issue of dowry has been catapulted onto the world stage. Whilst the demanding and giving of dowry has been effectively illegal in India since 1961 (The Dowry prohibition Act, 1961), the practice continues and has been exported globally with migration. No similar provisions appear outside India to protect extra territorial dowry demands or harassment. Research is scant but news reports suggest that women are burned, poisoned, beaten and forced to commit suicide. Female children suffer infanticide and foeticide when dowry is unpaid or deemed insufficient. This paper explores these issues

Diversity and disadvantaged workers

Abstract not available

New immigrants improving productivity in Australian agriculture

What the report is about In the last fifteen years new visa pathways have been opened up for permanent and temporary immigrants to settle in rural and regional Australia. Many of these new immigrants in the Australian bush have worked in the agricultural sector of the economy helping to redress labour shortages and adding new skills and innovative insights to contribute greatly to increasing the productivity of the Australian agricultural industry. Yet despite the increasing importance of new permanent and temporary immigrants to Australian agriculture in particular and to the revitalisation of regional and rural Australia in general research in this field has been lacking. Hence the initiative of the RIRDC in funding this three-year research project, New Immigrants Improving Productivity in Australian Agriculture, to fill an important gap in evidence-based research that identifies the ways that immigrants can contribute to the increasing vitality of Australian agriculture in coming decades as new bi-lateral free-trade agreements struck between Australia and China, Korea and Japan have opened up new market opportunities for Australian agricultural exports to Asia in addition to established markets in Europe and the Americas. Who is the report targeted at? The findings of this study are of specific interest to government agencies, community and industry organisations that have an interest in better understanding the impact of new farmer immigrants on the agriculture sector, and in refining existing or introducing new policies and procedures that can improve the attraction and retention of farmer immigrants in coming decades. Where are the relevant industries located in Australia? Fieldwork was conducted in five Australian states – NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia - involving interested parties in the Australian agricultural industry and permanent and temporary immigrants who work in the industry. The research involved fieldwork with skilled permanent immigrants and immigrant farmers and with temporary immigrants – including Working Holiday Makers and Pacific Island Seasonal workers – and humanitarian immigrants