Australia Faces A Large Dilemma

For Australia, immigration of people from overseas into the country is an important matter. Because of the country's high dependence on immigration for economic growth, any change in the numbers will likely affect the country. Thus, the government is urged by many sectors to ensure the welfare and safety of incoming people, whether they are permanent immigrants or visitors.

However, as it turns out, this one is actually harder than expected. As it is, there are many things that needs to be considered when protecting the welfare of immigrants. And with the sheer number of immigrants in the country, the work gets even harder. To make things worse, there are lots of incidents that continuously hamper effective measures.

Several such incidents concerns the many Indian students that are currently enrolled in the country's schools. It should be noted that Indians are the single largest groups of foreign students in the country. And government officials are estimating that they are likely to grow in the next few years.

However, as it turns out, Indians have become targets for various attacks made by unscrupulous individuals. In 2009 alone, several students were attacked by unlawful elements in Melbourne. This had spark numerous protests coming from the foreign student community and action from the government.

But sadly, this is not yet the end of it. This year, several other incidents have occurred that have affected the relations between Australia and India. One of the most notable of these was the spate of emails circulating that many Indian students found offensive. The said email contains a picture of a man being electrocuted in a train, with a caption saying that it is the best solution to the Indian student problem.

What makes the matter even worse is the source of the email. According to authorities, the emails have been traced to a police department in the state of Victoria. Many students immediately protested against the incident after it had became wide spread. Indian officials have also asked the Australian government to conduct an inquiry on the incident and make sure that the culprits are held responsible.

As for the Australian government's part, they said that they have already conducted the necessary proceedings to put a stop on the incident. They have also said that they are now coming up with stricter measures to prevent something like this from happening again. However, they also noted that this will surely affect the relation between the two countries.

Making It Big In The Australian Fashion Scene

Before moving into Australia, business visa holders are probably thinking as to what business to set up in the country. Well, one industry that you can point your sights on is the Australian clothing industry, as there is a lot opportunities for you to make it big here. And if you still don't believe this, just take a look at some of the top companies that made it big in the industry.

One of the most popular clothing brands in Australia is probably Driza-Bone. The company manufactures riding coats, trousers, jackets and other outdoor apparel. What makes their products rather a hit in the country's market is that they are made specifically with the Australian climate in mind. Thus, you have waterproof and comfortable clothes that are suited for travel in the outback.

Driza-Bone (whose name is a corruption of the phrase “dry as a bone”) actually started as a small company way back in the 1800's. It slowly was able to gain the favor of many customers, including stockmen, sailors and, eventually, everyday outdoor enthusiasts, with its unique line of waterproof apparel. Today, Driza-Bone is so popular that it had been one of the major sponsors of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Another popular brand that is uniquely Australian is Akubra. The company manufactures hats, caps, and other headgear. Akubra got its name from a supposedly Aboriginal word that means “headgear”, which is surely very appropriate for the products that they sell. And to make things even more interesting, the term Akubra is now being used by locals to the specific style of hat, whether or not it was made by the company.

As with Driza-Bone, Akubra actually started as a small company set up by an immigrant. It has since then been handed down to the succeeding generations of the family that owns it, and now has a wide variety of hats in its collection. And what more, its close association with the Australian rural life has made it synonymous with the country itself.

On the other hand, one clothing brand that will interest you upon hearing its name is Wheels and Doll Baby. While the name is indeed a mouthful, the quality of their products more than make up for it. In fact, as a testament to their success, the clothing line was chosen as one of the sponsors for Hollywood actress Sarah Michelle Gellar's wardrobe in the hugely popular TV series, Buffy The Vampire Slayer. In turn, the achievement was their ticket to gaining worldwide renown.

So what are you thinking of? Just come up with a fancy name and start your business in Australia. Who knows, you might be the next big wave.

Groups Urge Australia To Repeal HIV Travel Ban

If you are going to Australia, travel visa bans are probably one of the most disappointing problems that you can come across. As it turns out, there are actually many grounds for being denied entry to the country. And with Australia reviewing its immigration policies, it is likely that there will be more such bans to come in the future.

Of all of these travel bans, there quite a handful that has generated a good deal of controversy. And in here, bans for health reasons have been quite in the news lately. It can be recalled that when the SARS and the bird flu epidemic hit the mainstream news, Australia issued a travel ban on people coming from those countries which have been suspected of harboring the diseases.

Now, health travel bans are again in the news, this time around, with regards to those who have tested positive for HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). In here, those wishing to immigrate into the country who are found out to be HIV positive are prevented from entering. It should be noted though that temporary visa applicants, like tourists, are not required to present their medical record to the immigration authorities. However, those wishing to get permanent residency are required to take HIV tests as part of their medical examination.

It should be noted that the travel ban on HIV positive people in Australia is nothing new. In fact this one was the same law that was enacted by the Australian government when initial cases of HIV infections were reported more than 30 years ago. However, even today, many people are clamoring for the ban to be removed.

According to some of the supporters of the move to repeal the ban, much of the contents that direct it were written more than thirty years ago, when HIV first came out to light. Thus, they said that these are now inappropriate for today's situations, where a lot has already been known about HIV to dispel the misconceptions about it. They also asserted that these are not adequate grounds to restrict entry for these people.

One of the situations that they pointed out is with regards to refugee seekers, some of whom came from countries that has a high number of HIV cases. Proponents argue that the ban runs contrary to Australia's pledged mission to help asylum seekers. They also said that refusing entry solely based on HIV results is like condemning these refugees to death.

The Australian government is now closely reviewing these travel bans for changes that might be done to them.

Australian Tourism Now On A Boom

With the economy in a high in Australia, tourist visa holders are now also starting to flock back. And it seems to be going even better, as the country is also starting to attract other markets into its fold. And this is what is making people in the tourism industry jump for joy nowadays.

It can be recalled that tourism numbers dropped significantly during the financial crisis of 2007. as many countries' economies slowed down, a lot of people opted to save their money instead of using it to travel abroad. This, in turn, had an effect on popular tourist destinations like Australia, as the tourist numbers significantly dropped.

With the world emerging from the crisis early this year, many tourists have started to regain confidence in traveling, and thus started to flock back. In the month of July alone, the number of tourist arrivals have hit a high, posting around 180,000 arrivals, which is considerably higher than the numbers posted in the same period last year.

And it is an interesting thing to take note that the mix of tourists are also starting to diversify. While there are still a large number of people coming in from the Western world, most notably those from the United Kingdom and America, they are now being joined by leisure travelers coming from Asia. The biggest numbers here would be those from China, which had more than 50,000 arrivals during that period.

This growth is indicative that Australia is starting to capture the fancy of more travelers. And those in the tourism industry, as well as other related industries, are very much welcoming of the development. For instance, China Southern Airlines, one of the largest carriers in Asia, is planning to schedule additional flights to Australia in order to accommodate the number of Chinese tourists coming into the country.

The Australian government itself is also intending to make the most out of the current tourism boom in the country. Tourism Australia, the government's foremost agency with regards to tourism, has recently launched the Nothing Like Australia promotion campaign, aimed at attracting more visitors from other countries. And by the looks of it, it seems that the campaign is working, as indicated by the increasing number of tourists.

As for the tourists themselves, Australia presents so many opportunities for travel. For those who will be in the country for the first time, there are a lot of interesting sights and activities waiting for them. And for those who have already been here several times, there are still a lot of new things to see and discover.