November 25 2008 - Downunder still popular with British Migrants
Source: ONS
According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), in 2007 Australia remained the No1 country for the majority of British emigrants, despite a fall in emigration numbers.
The emigration survey showed the total number of people leaving the UK during 2007 dropped by 60,000 from 2006 results. Australia remained the first choice for British emigrants over Spain, New Zealand, the United States and France, with just under 40,000 Brits who emigrated to Australia in 2007 and that was down 10,000 when compared with 2006.
Senator Chris Evans, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, said in an interview last month (reported by Nine News) that he expects the number of British residents moving to Australia to rise despite the economic crisis.
"I think the down turn in Great Britain over the last year or two has actually seen a renewed interest from Great Britain in people looking to migrate either temporarily or permanently," Senator Evans said. "When our economy's going strongly and…the British economy isn't, then you get that attraction."
There have been concerns recently that the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Chris Evans may have to cut back the record levels of Australian immigration in the 2009 Budget in response to the slowing economy.
"The migration programme is linked to the skills needed in the economy. We've got a skills crisis at the moment, clearly if the demand for labour comes off, you'd adjust the migration programme accordingly.
We can turn the taps off if we need to, but there are still industries with strong demand for skilled labour and we'll just have to talk to industry and make a judgment about what the appropriate level will be once we've got a bit better idea what's happening in the economy."
If you have further enquiries on immigration to the UK, NZ, Australia or the USA,
please contact Ambler Collins and we will undertake a complimentary assessment of your eligibility. Email us at;
info@amblercollins.com
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