Immigration issues

Ten extraordinary audio recordings illustrating Australia’s cultural and political landscape have been added to the National Film & Sound Archive’s Sounds of Australia collection. The 2024 additions include the first Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australian to use recorded sound to document Aboriginal culture, hip hop, speeches, a theme tune, the launch of what is now SBS Audio, an advertising jingle for an iconic Australian beer, and the last known recording of a now-extinct species.

Settling into a new country is a daunting prospect. But a study over 10-years has found there are a variety of positive outcomes that refugees can experience in their first decade of living in Australia. Still, many face challenges with renewed calls for better policies to assist those who are struggling.

Labor's package of migration legislation will pass the Senate, with the Coalition agreeing to pass the three bills. The changes to the Migration Act would give the immigration minister powers to impose blanket visa bans on countries, pay third countries to deport non-citizens, and ban items like phones from detention centres.

Australia is increasingly eager to welcome temporary migrant workers from the Pacific into farm and food processing jobs. But a NSW parliamentary inquiry into modern slavery is set to examine the significant risks these workers can face.