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疫症影響移民生活                                        社長   周偉文

上週五，總理莫里森公佈由於疫症影響，2020-2021年度澳洲淨移民數額，將會大幅減少至2018-19年的水平的85%，估計只會吸納36,000新移民。

三月及四月，澳洲失業人數大幅增加了一百萬。疫疫過去後，經濟是否能在短時間內恢服仍未可知，減少移民數額無疑給予要重新找工作的的澳洲人更大信心，澳洲主流社會一片支持的聲音。雖然有人指出，新移民為澳洲製造了更大的生活需求，創造了更多就業機會，長期大幅減少移民，會降低澳洲經濟增長，可能會令到澳洲陷於長期經濟不振，更不利就業。

總理莫里森表示減少移民數額是短期措施，並不是澳洲長期國策。但明顯的是在未來日子，澳洲要吸納的移民，會與過去20年不一定相同。可以預期的，是投資能創造就業的移民會最受歡迎，能滿足澳洲企業需要的特殊人才，或能在澳洲開展企業的，又或是願意在偏遠地區生活的，會是經濟移民的重點。大學畢業而沒有工作經驗的留學生，要移民成功相信會更困難。

華人過去20年是移民的主要部份。不過由於疫症極可能影響中澳關係，而中國的戰狼式外交政策，更會令澳洲人產生對華人的厭惡感，相信澳洲政府會通過政策，令移民澳洲的華人，進一步投入澳洲主流社會生活。中國現時通過電子社交平台，使澳洲生活的華人，保持與中國極密切的關係。例如從中國來的新移民，可以使用微信，調動中國大筆資金，或是在淘寶進行買賣；卻無法使用澳洲網上付費服務，或是從網站購買生活必需品。這樣的情況，表明了在生活上，不少華人仍是通過在中國受政府嚴格控制並且並不開放的互聯網中生活，在接受資訊上更受到不自知的限制。這樣生活的中國移民，相信不會是澳洲政府最希望吸納的移民。

說到底，入鄉隨俗，移民澳洲就是打算投入這民主及自由的社會，接納這裏的多元文化。帶著這種心情，自是會主動融入本地社區，願意開放自己，與其他澳洲人建立正常的社交關係。當然，由於大家語言及文化不盡相同，不一定是容易。不過，只要大家能努力，相信澳洲仍是一個宜居的國家，是值得所有移民者，建立人生下半場的地方。

Pandemic impacting on immigrants                          Raymond Chow (Publisher)

Last Friday PM Morrison announced an immigration quota of 36,000 for 2020-2021 meaning a cut of 85% from the 2018-2019 level.

In March/April our national unemployment rate reached one million. The mainstream society is in support of this because it is highly uncertain of how our economy would recover after the pandemic, so less immigrants would help more Australians in getting back to the work market. Some people are of the view that more immigrants means higher social activities thus more employment opportunities. Prolong cutting of immigrants will lower economical growth and may worsen recession and the labour market.

Morrison stated the cut would only be a short-term national strategy; yet inevitably the coming intake would not be the same as in the past 20 years. Say investment immigrants would still be welcomed for new job opportunities, so would be immigrants with skilled expertise for our industries or those ready to go into rural area all for a better economy. Overseas students freshly graduated would stand little chance.

Chinese immigrants over the past 20 years have been vital. Given the pandemic situation and the Chinese aggressive foreign policy are unfavourable to a smooth Australian-Chinese relation, there will be measures introduced to tighten the integration of Chinese migrants into the mainstream society. For example, many of them rely on WeChat and Taobao for moving capital money and doing transactions without going through the Australian internet banking/shopping websites. So they are still living inside the cyber world under the control of the Chinese government and thus being fed with social information from the other side of the world; this is not what Australian government would prefer.

Immigrants into this democratic and free nation should endeavour to embrace multiculturism here by actively engaging into the local society and open themselves for normal social interactions. It may not be easy due to different language and cultural background, but it worth the effort for settling in this nice land with a better future.