governments inolvement in migration
As part of its planned Migration Program, the federal government places each year for people wanting to migrate permanently to Australia. The 2010–11 Migration Program, announced on 11 May 2010, allocates a total of 168 700 places, made up of 113 850 places in the skill stream, 54 550 places in the family stream and 300 special eligibility places. The focus of the Migration Program has changed since 1945 when the first federal immigration portfolio was created. Australia’s immigration policies have evolved over those 65 years from focussing on attracting migrants, primarily from the United Kingdom, for the purpose of increasing Australia’s population to a focus on attracting workers and temporary (skilled) migrants in order to meet the skilled labour needs of the economy.