New migrants and refugees are not given a 'fair go'

August 03, 2008

THEY'VE come to Queensland to start a new life, in most cases escaping poverty and persecution in the search for a safe environment for their families.

Many are skilled and highly educated, but their qualifications often are not recognised in their adopted country and they must start all over again – attending school or working in much more menial jobs.

Now these new migrant and refugee families are being forced out of the cities – and away from the very services and community networks they need – by the housing crisis and the rising cost of living.

Families are being split, parents are struggling to get to jobs and TAFE language courses, and children are missing vital English classes. The result, community leaders say, is high unemployment and increased cases of depression, crime and school truancy.

The state and federal governments admit the state's poorest suburbs will come under intense pressure, posing serious social problems with no simple solution.

All these problems: no housing, no recognition of qualifications, language barrier, employers not giving them a go. No simple solution? If Australia doesn't have the capacity or desire to accommodate immigrants then there is an obvious solution: stop immigration. But that would make us look like we're discriminating, and we can't have that, can we? In the absence of ability to absorb, immigration is the cause all these problems.