Australia to keep strict immigration rules<\/p>\n
CANBERRA (AP): The Australian government rejected suggestions
\nyesterday it should relax immigration laws and allow low-skilled
\nIndonesian workers temporary entry as shelter from Indonesia's
\neconomic crisis.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Ambassador to Australia Wiryono Sastrohandoyo
\nThursday said Australia should consider allowing Indonesian
\nlaborers to enter as guest workers as a way to ease the current
\neconomic and social unrest there.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia in the past... has accepted more than 60,000
\nexpatriates and I think a lot of them were Australians,\" the
\nambassador said on Australian Broadcasting Corp. television.<\/p>\n
\"Under the World Trade Organization, movement of laborers are
\nto be more and more liberal and we would like to expect that
\nAustralia would also be opening up to our laborers.\"<\/p>\n
Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock yesterday rejected the
\nsuggestion, saying it was against government policy to accept
\nlow-skilled migrants, although there were arrangements for better
\nskilled temporary migrants.<\/p>\n
\"We have not been a country which has used guest workers. We
\nhave been a country that has seen migration for permanent
\nresidents,\" Ruddock told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
Ruddock said there was a big difference between low-skilled
\nguest workers and Australian expatriates working in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"We send very highly skilled Australians (and) in the same
\ncontext, Australia does have temporary arrangements for
\n(Indonesian) people who fit the same sort of profile,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The worst economic crisis in 30 years has triggered rioting in
\nseveral regions of Indonesia, as a collapsing currency sends
\nprices for food and other goods skyrocketing.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/australia-to-keep-strict-immigration-rules-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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