CANBERRA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Australian business leaders have called for an urgent significant increase in the country's migration rate.
In a submission to the Home Affairs Department, the Australian Industry (Ai) Group, which represents more than 60,000 businesses, made a case for the annual permanent migration cap to be increased from 160,000 to between 190,000 and 200,000.
Innes Willox, chief executive of the Ai Group and chair of the Migration Council of Australia, said "two thirds" of the new cap should be made up of skilled migrant visa holders to help employers fill labor market shortages brought about by Australia's strict COVID-19 border closures.
"Skilled migrants generate the greatest benefits to the Australian community since they contribute directly to our national employment and skills base," Willox told the News Corp Australia.
"As at 30 June 2021, there were 1,688,700 temporary visa holders in Australia, compared with 2,000,212 on 30 June 2020, a reduction of 311,512.
"While the target of 160,000 permanent migrants was met in 2020-21, only half were in the skilled stream, a significant reduction from the usual 70 percent."
According to a report commissioned by the Business Council of Australia (BCA), if international borders remain closed the "collapse in migration" would cause economic losses exceeding 800 billion Australian dollars (570 billion U.S. dollars) by 2028.
It found that every 1,000 migrants to Australia generate an additional 38 million AUD (27 million USD) in tax revenue and 124 million AUD (88.3 million USD) in higher economic output.
Jennifer Westacott, chief executive of the BCA, said allowing the right workers into Australia would "get key projects and investments off the ground."
"You can't employ hundreds of Australians on a construction job if you don't have a surveyor and you can't deliver an infrastructure pipeline without engineers," she said.
"Well managed population growth will be critical to support labor shortages and skills gaps in our immediate recovery and to helping offset the impact of an ageing workforce in the longer term." Enditem
