Australian diaspora
 |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Australian diaspora | 1,000,000 |
 European Union(United Kingdom, Greece, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland, France, Portugal, Spain, Poland) |
500,000 |
 United Kingdom |
113,000 (2013)–400,000 (2007) |
 United States |
200,000 |
 Greece |
100,000 (Greek Australians) |
 Hong Kong |
100,000 (mostly Chinese Australians) |
 New Zealand |
70,000 |
 Canada |
35,000 |
 Italy |
30,000 (20,000 Italian Australians) |
 Lebanon |
20,000–25,000 (Lebanese Australians) |
 Vietnam |
22,000 |
 Singapore |
20,000 |
 Thailand |
20,000 |
 United Arab Emirates |
16,000 |
 China |
15,000 |
 Germany |
15,000 |
 Netherlands |
15,000 |
 Papua New Guinea |
15,000 |
 Turkey |
12,000 |
 Indonesia |
12,000 |
 Japan |
11,000 |
 Ireland |
10,000 |
 South Africa |
8,000 |
 Israel |
7,000 |
 South Korea |
7,000 |
 Taiwan |
7,000 |
 Philippines |
6,000 |
 France |
5,500 |
 Saudi Arabia |
5,000 |
 Switzerland |
5,000 |
 Qatar |
4,500 |
 Cambodia |
3,000–5,000 |
 Malaysia |
4,700 |
 India |
3,000–4,000 |
The term Australian diaspora refers to the approximately 1,000,000 Australian citizens (approximately 5% of the population) who today live outside Australia. The largest percentage of Australian expats (48%) are based in Europe, and the next largest percentage (24%) are in Asia. The Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement enables Australians and New Zealanders to migrate between Australia and New Zealand.
Australian diaspora may also be used to refer to the population of Indigenous Australians who have been displaced within Australia – from their traditional homelands by colonisation, or from their families by child removal policies.
A survey in 2002 of Australians who were emigrating found that most were leaving for employment reasons.
For the period 1999–2003, it was estimated that there were 346,000 Australian-born people living in other OECD countries: of these 96,900 lived in the United Kingdom, 65,200 lived in the United States and 42,000 lived in New Zealand.
The term Australian diaspora was used in reference to Australian citizens living abroad in a 2003 Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) research report, "Australia's Diaspora: Its Size, Nature and Policy Implications". This report both identified the phenomenon and argued for an Australian government policy of maintaining active contact with the diaspora. The term has been picked up by others.
In 2005, Senate Legal and Constitutional References Committee (a standing committee) reported into the issue of Expatriate Australians and made recommendations that the "Australian Government needs to make greater efforts to connect with and engage our expatriate community".
The diaspora has been the focus of policy concerns over a so-called "brain drain" from Australia. However, the 2003 CEDA report argued the phenomenon was essentially positive: rather than experiencing a "brain drain", Australia was in fact seeing both "brain circulation" as Australians added to their skills and expertise, and a "brain gain", as these skilled expatriates tended to return to Australia and new skilled immigrants were arriving. Between 1999 and 2003, there were seven highly educated migrants to Australia for every one highly educated Australian who was living elsewhere in countries within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Levels of skilled immigration to Australia reflect Government policies to "practise a selective immigration policy based on human capital criteria".
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