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Australia’s population is fast expanding due to unprecedented immigration levels and has stirred up a national debate. With Australia’s population forecast to grow from its current 22 million to 36 million by 2050, there are concerns over whether the nation’s ecosystem is equipped to handle these huge numbers. A VOA news piece presents a complete picture of what’s going on Down Under.

Australia’s immigration is driven by foreign skilled workers and foreign students. Both these migrant groups are considered essential for the Australian economy. Quite naturally, Australia’s business community is up in arms over the Opposition’s proposal to cut immigration levels, if it wins power in the federal elections due to be held later this year. With the growing national debate on immigration and upcoming elections, Australian PM Kevin Rudd has appointed Tony Burke as the Population Minister, who will be responsible for shaping the country’s population policy.

Australia is not the only nation in the midst of an immigration debate. Singapore too faces a similar situation. Singapore is one of the few countries with least restrictive immigration laws. It would be fair to state that the country has benefited enormously by adopting an open immigration policy. But in recent times, Singapore’s immigration stand has created discontent in the local community and has turned into a “red-hot political issue”. Like Australia, the ruling PAP (People’s Action Party) is all out for embracing foreign talent. The small Opposition however, has expressed its concern from time to time. According to a WSJ article,

foreign workers have driven up real estate and other prices and made the city-state’s roads and subways more congested. Their arrival has kept local blue-collar wages lower than they would be otherwise, exacerbating Singapore’s gap between rich and poor.

Here is an interesting discussion on how immigration is changing the face of Singapore.

The fact of the matter is a flexible immigration policy is what gives nations like Singapore, Australia and the US a competitive edge over other economies. In these countries, businesses have the advantage of capitalizing on opportunities by expanding their workforce. In today’s global economy human capital is mobile, especially those who are talented and driven. MNCs and SMEs are setting up business operations in countries where the best talent pool is available. Restricting foreign talent would only be counter-productive and damaging to the economy in the long-term.

Immigration therefore, is not a weakness but a strength. Having said that, it’s going to be interesting to see what strategy Tony Burke comes up with on balancing Australia’s growing population and its effect on infrastructure and services.

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