CANBERRA, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Australia could double its migrant intake by 2054 and still reap significant economic benefits, according to a new report released on Thursday.
The report, Migration: the Economic Debate, released by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA), made 17 recommendations to improve Australia's migration program.
It urged policymakers to encourage migrant settlement in regional areas, particularly in Northern Australia, given the need to drive investment and growth in the region.
CEDA said that the recommendations, most of which focus on managing population growth, infrastructure provision, urban congestion and environmental degradation, could pave the way for Australia to more than double its net overseas migration.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures revealed that net overseas migration, the total loss or gain of population through immigration to, and emigration from, Australia, recorded an annual increase of 168,200 people in 2014/2015 but CEDA said that figure should be more than 400,000 by 2054.
Economists generally agree that immigration has widespread economic benefits for the country receiving the immigrants as they arrive with skills and ready to contribute to technological development.
Stephen Martin, the CEO of CEDA, said that support for Australia's migration program could be undermined by fears in the community about security and job protection.
"Concern over migration both domestically and internationally has been increasing, driven by fearmongering coupled with genuine community concern about security," Martin told the Guardian Australia on Thursday.
"Public policy improvements are needed to ensure previous strong community support for migration is reestablished, fair treatment for both temporary and permanent migrants, and that the country continues to reap the economic benefits from the skills that a balanced migration program brings."
CEDA said that the 457 visa program, a visa for skilled workers to work in Australia for up to four years, should be overhauled, saying it left migrant workers open to exploitation and that the penalties for exploiting migrants should be increased.
