Build Walls or Build Relationships

The UN has estimated that there have been 11 million people displaced as a result of the Syrian war. We have seen Macedonia, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Spain buckling under the strain and erecting barriers at their borders. We have seen BREXIT and the election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of USA - a groundswell backlash against globalisation with a desperate grasp at nationalism. A closing of borders around Europe and the USA.

Australia, on the other hand, has hit the highest proportion of Australia's born overseas in over 120 years. Australia is a culturally diverse country with 28 per cent of Australia's population born overseas, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Australia has benefited from the migrants who have come to Australia sharing their skills, experience, and determination to succeed. According to the ABS, migrant taxpayers generated $53.4 billion in total personal income in 2011-12, an increase of 17 per cent from the previous year.

Furthermore, humanitarian migrant taxpayers (4.8% of all migrant taxpayers) reported $1.5 billion in total income, an increase of 35 per cent from the previous year. Interestingly, after five years of residency in Australia 10% of humanitarian migrant taxpayers reported their income from own businesses. This figures jumps to 27% after 8 years in the country.

Migration - a win win situation.