NEW REPORT OUT NOW
Australians choose to live and work overseas in ever-greater numbers. But so long as we encourage enough Australians to eventually return, we will experience a beneficial "brain circulation" rather than a damaging "brain drain".
In 2001, it is estimated that about 860,000 Australians were living overseas on a long-term or permanent basis. This is Australia's own "diaspora" - a disproportionately well-educated, high-income group of Australians living outside Australia's borders. More than a third are in the UK, but emigration to Asia is rising fast. Most left to find better employment opportunities and richer careers.
Australia is in a global competition to attract skilled people. So what should we do about the diaspora?
The possibility of Australia developing an emigration policy which is integrated with immigration policy and wider economic, social and human resources policies needs to be given consideration.
CEDA's partners on Australia's Diaspora were the National Centre for Social Applications of GIS (GISCA) at the University of Adelaide, and the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. The researchers were Graeme Hugo, Dianne Rudd and Kevin Harris.
CEDA explores how Australia can adopt innovative new approaches to breaking the cycle of entrenched disadvantage.
Read more Population July 13, 2019This report aims to better understand the role that migrants, specifically temporary migrants, play in Australia’s economy.
Read more Population November 9, 2016CEDA released a research report in November 2016 which examines the economic consequences of the migration program for Australia and the effectiveness of the migration program itself.
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