Immigration news

A newly compiled index has ranked the world's 27 richest countries according to how their migration policies will affect the developing world. The Commitment to Development Index rated the countries on how their migration policies would assist the development of poorer countries. Austria came first in the migration category followed by Norway and Switzerland. Canada came fifth. New Zealand came eighth. The United States came 13th. The United Kingdom came 16th. Australia was 18th. The list was compiled by a team from the Center for Global Development (CGD), a Washington think tank.

President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate for the presidency at the November 6th US presidential election, will contest the second presidential debate tonight (16th October 2012) in New York at Hofstra University. They will be questioned by the audience which will comprise undecided voters. It seems likely that there will be questions about immigration policy.

In the first debate between Obama and Romney and in the vice presidential debate between Vice President Joe Biden and the Republican vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan, questions about immigration have been conspicuous by their absence.

The Ontario Expert Round Table on Immigration, a committee established to advise the Ontario provincial government on immigration policy, has issued a report saying that Ontario should increase its immigration level to 1% of its population (or 135,000 people) annually.

The re-opening of processing centres on Nauru and Manus, Papua New Guinea, by the Australian government will not deter people of the Hazara ethnic grouping in Afghanistan from attempting to reach Australia, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

The Independent, a UK national newspaper, has reported that many of the UK's top universities have experienced reductions in the number of applications from students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA). The paper says that some courses at some universities have seen a drop of 30% in the number of applications from Indian students.

The New Zealand Immigration Minister Nathan Guy has joined his cabinet colleague, Social Development Minister Paula Bennett, in announcing the establishment of the Christchurch Skills and Employment Hub.

The Hub will be based in Christchurch. Four 'skills brokers' will help to match job vacancies with workers seeking employment. Where there are no New Zealand citizens who are able and willing to fill any vacancy, Hub staff will help international talent to step in. the Hub is expected to 'go live' in November 2012.