17 July 2009

Funding for statistics on those emigrating to Australia to continue

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today announced the National Migrant Statistics Unit (NMSU) would continue for a further three years.

The National Migrant Statistics Unit was established to provide authoritative information on those emigrating to Australia and ethnicity-related statistics and to ensure there was solid statistical evidence to support Australian immigration programs, migrant settlement and ethnic groups.

The role of the NMSU includes:

• maintaining a dialogue with stakeholders on emerging issues, data gaps and needs
• developing statistical surveys related to migrants and ethnicity
• providing statistical leadership and co-ordination in migrant and ethnicity statistics
• developing statistical standards and analytical concepts
• advancing migrant and ethnicity issues with the ABS
• facilitating client requests for data on migrants and ethnicity.

The two Commonwealth agencies will each contribute $1.3 million after signing a memorandum of understanding to continue funding the unit, which was established in July 2006.

DIAC Secretary Andrew Metcalfe and the Australian Statistician Brian Pink signed the memorandum today.

“We cannot underestimate the role migration has played in Australia’s history and in shaping the nation we have today,” Mr Metcalfe said.

“Migration continues to play a vital role in terms of business, the workforce, education and society.”

Mr Pink said reliable statistics provided information on emigrants to Australia, their descendants, their communities and all members of our diverse society.

“That information is essential for policy development, service delivery, research and program evaluation,” he said.

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The Australian Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people wanting to emigrate to Australia.