| Indians are known to be motivated, speak good English | | | | Canberra competes with other developed countries |
| and have the skills Australia needs desperately for its | | | | like the United States and Canada for global talent. |
| burgeoning economy. | | | | Most migrants from Britain, for example, were from |
| Indeed, thanks to a chronic skills shortage in Australia, | | | | higher-skilled jobs such as nurses, building and |
| those with skills in computing, accountancy and | | | | engineering professionals as well as managers. But a |
| engineering have become Australia's fastest-growing | | | | fair number were also blue-collar carpenters, |
| group of migrants from Asia. | | | | electricians and hairdressers. |
| The number of migrants from India for the 12 months | | | | Most Indians were computing professionals, followed |
| ending in June this year shot up to 11,286, a jump of 20 | | | | by sales and service workers, accountants, and |
| percent over the previous financial year, according to | | | | engineers. |
| Australia's Department of Immigration and Multicultural | | | | Macquarie University researchers Dr Selvaraj |
| and Indigenous Affairs. | | | | Velayutham and Dr Amanda Wise told The Sunday |
| In fact, India overtook China to become the third | | | | Times that Indian migrants were valued because they |
| largest source of immigrants to Australia in all, after | | | | are English-educated and have skills in areas of |
| Britain and New Zealand. | | | | shortage, such as IT, engineering and health services. |
| "Indian migrants are attracted to Australia for the level | | | | Among them are Shantanu Chakraborty who moved |
| of safety here, the weather conditions and also the | | | | to Sydney from Mumbai five years ago. |
| job opportunities," Dr Siddalingeswara Orekondy, the | | | | "They do value me (at work) because within two |
| president of the United Indian Association, told The | | | | years of joining them they've given me a partnership |
| Sunday Times. | | | | offer in the firm, which is brilliant," the 32-year-old IT |
| Doctors and other health-care professionals are also | | | | expert told the BBC . |
| making the move to Australia as India's reputation for | | | | The political hot potato, however, lies at the |
| producing a talented workforce continues to grow. | | | | lower-skilled end ~ jobs in high demand such as |
| Australia's biggest sources of migrants, because of | | | | carpenters, chefs, hairdressers and domestic |
| their historical colonial ties, remained Great Britain and | | | | housekeepers. |
| New Zealand. | | | | Critics have charged that the government has created |
| Overall, 131,593 migrants arrived on Australian shores | | | | a foreign "guest worker" system for blue-collar |
| last year - up seven percent over the previous year. | | | | professionals by giving them short-term visas ranging |
| While the number of migrants from India grew, those | | | | from six months to four years. |
| coming from China fell from 11,095 to 10,581. | | | | Opposition leader Kim Beazley has accused the |
| After India and China, the Philippines was the | | | | government of allowing foreign migrants to undercut |
| fifth-biggest source of migrants, with 4,871 settlers. This | | | | wages and steal jobs from ordinary Australians. |
| was followed by Asian countries such as Malaysia at | | | | Yet Chakraborty and his wife, and many other Indians |
| No 8 overall with 2,967 and Singapore at No 9 with | | | | like them, plan to stay put. |
| 2,685 migrants. | | | | He said: "I don't think I'm going to go back unless there's |
| The latest figures show that Australia is soaking up | | | | something drastic happening on the other side of the |
| migrants at both ends of the skills spectrum as | | | | world but now I'm here for life. |