Media Releases

FECCA has made a submission to the Senate Inquiry examining the Australian Citizenship Legislation Amendment (Strengthening the Requirements for Australian Citizenship and Other Measures) Bill 2017 which strongly opposes the introduction of the Bill.

This legislation will dramatically change the rules determining qualification for Australian citizenship, extending the waiting period before permanent residents can apply for citizenship and raising the English language requirement to university-level.

Ms Eugenia Grammatikakis, Acting Chair of FECCA said: “This Bill will create a permanent underclass of Australian residents who will be denied the rights and opportunities of being welcomed and included as Australian citizens.”

She continued: “Australian citizenship fosters inclusivity, allowing migrants to feel Australian, regardless of their country of origin.”

“Permanent residents should be encouraged to seek citizenship as soon as practically possible to foster a sense of inclusion and belonging and to encourage integration,” said Ms Grammatikakis.

The new citizenship legislation will also allow a dramatic extension of ministerial discretionary powers to overrule immigration decisions by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

“The politicisation of immigration decision-making in individual cases threatens our immigration system, which has an international and long-standing reputation for being impartial, fair and transparent,” said Ms Grammatikakis.

FECCA’s submission to the Senate Inquiry can be found here.

FECCA is the peak national body representing Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. FECCA’s role is to advocate and promote issues on behalf of its constituency to government, business and the broader community.

Media contact: (0424) 910617 / emma@fecca.org.au

The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) has launched a new initiative for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) ageing, the Positive CALD Ageing Network e-newsletter or PCAN newsletter.

The newsletter aims to reflect the voice of Australians who are ageing in a land where they were not born.

Ms Eugenia Grammatikakis, Acting Chair of FECCA said: “FECCA is very pleased to launch the PCAN newsletter.”

“The newsletter will provide advice and information from the perspective of the CALD consumer to the aged care sector. By celebrating and sharing good practice in multicultural ageing the newsletter will support the sector in providing culturally appropriate care for older Australians of diverse backgrounds,” she said.

The newsletter also hopes to reach out to staff from CALD backgrounds working in ageing and aged care.

“FECCA has long recognised that Australia’s aged care staff come from diverse backgrounds and many are recent migrants. They greatly support the provision of care to our diverse ageing Australians,” said Ms Grammatikakis.

“We hope that our newsletter will be of value and interest to these key workers.”

FECCA receives funding from the Commonwealth Department of Health to support and promote the interests of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds that are ageing in Australia.

The PCAN newsletter will be delivered bi-monthly. Please contact FECCA if you wish to contribute to the newsletter or have an idea for a story.

FECCA is the national peak body representing Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. FECCA’s role is to advocate and promote issues on behalf of its constituency to government, business and the broader community.

Media contact: (0424) 910617 / emma@fecca.org.au

The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) welcomes the referral to a Senate inquiry of the Australian Citizenship Legislation Amendment (Strengthening the Requirements for Australian Citizenship and other Measures) Bill 2017.

This Bill will dramatically change the rules determining qualification for Australian citizenship by:

• Extending the waiting period for permanent residents from one year to “at least four years” before eligibility for citizenship

• Increasing the English language requirement to qualify for Australian citizenship
• Widening Ministerial discretion to deny citizenship in individual immigration cases.

FECCA believes that this Bill will create a permanent underclass of Australian residents denied the rights and opportunities of being welcomed and included as Australian citizens.

The changes to citizenship proposed in the Bill run counter to Australia’s long-standing immigration policy, which has created a successful and harmonious multicultural Australian community.

FECCA encourages individuals and community organisations representing Australia’s culturally and linguistically diverse society to make submissions to the inquiry, detailing how the new rules will affect members of their community.

FECCA also invites individuals to submit case studies to the inquiry of migrant Australians who came to this country with limited or no English, but who have subsequently enriched this nation through their cultural, economic, familial and social contribution.

Details of how to make a submission to the Senate Inquiry can be found here.

A range of submissions made to the initial consultation paper on these changes Strengthening the test for Australian citizenship are available here.

If community organisations or individuals would like further information please contact FECCA.

FECCA is the national peak body representing Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. FECCA’s role is to advocate and promote issues on behalf of its constituency to government, business and the broader community.

Media contact: (0424) 910617 / emma@fecca.org.au