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Two weeks after the end of the hiatus on flights from India to Australia, the repatriation of the 9,000-plus Australian citizens who wish to return home has resumed, albeit slowly. But the repercussions are immense: at least two Australian citizens died from Covid-19 in India in recent weeks, and Australia’s decision to prevent its own citizens from entering the country was aired worldwide. The country’s reputation as a nation built on just and fair principles has undoubtedly suffered.
It did not go without notice that many of the Australian citizens affected were of Indian heritage, leading many to question whether there was a racial element involved. For Indian Australians, it revived uncomfortable feelings of being considered second- or third-class citizens.
Migration dependence exposes flaws in growth myths
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May 11, 2021 12.10am
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Credit:Sydney Morning Herald
Politicians and business leaders may want migration to resume as early as next year (“Treasurer banks on reopened borders”, May 10). But I doubt the average Joe, who has faced rising prices on stagnating wages for years in an insecure job market agrees with them. The fact that the federal government fears growth cannot be sustained without migrants to swell our numbers serves as a reminder that the growth model is unsustainable in the long term anyway. COVID-19 has given us an opportunity to rethink the way we do things. Simply returning to the pre-pandemic status quo is definitely not the way forward. -