AS politicians and industry leaders debate an amnesty for undocumented workers, many Australians may not know thousands of their neighbours, co-workers and community members settled in Australia through just such a policy.
Australian airwaves last crackled with the news of an amnesty 41 years ago, under Malcolm Fraser’s Liberal government.
Then, as now, there was a large population of people in the country who had arrived, mostly legally, and decided to stay after their visas had expired.
Back then the government estimated the population of people living illegally in Australia was about 50,000. Today is estimated to be between 60,000 to 100,000.
The last amnesty, known as the Regularisation of Status Program (ROSP), was intended at the time to be the last amnesty for illegal migrants in Australia, but Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster has said the coronavirus pandemic, a lack of migration to Australia and a desperate need for workers on Australian farms had created exceptional circumstances that call for a new, one-off amnesty.
The policy proposal is gathering momentum and will be debated at the National Party’s federal conference this weekend.
When the 1980 amnesty was announced, it was the third in a series of amnesties that had occurred through the 1970s. The aim was to give people proper documentation so they could access health and education services, said Ian MacPhee, now in his 80s, who was immigration minister at the time of the last amnesty.
Over a six month period from June 30 to December 31 1980, 14,000 people from more than 90 countries were accepted through the amnesty.
They settled in towns and cities in every state and territory and many are now respected members of their communities with multiple generations of their families calling Australia home.
Mr MacPhee doesn’t remember many details of the 1980 amnesty, but he said he was very happy to be part of the journey for migrants making their new home in Australia.
“I still meet people … who come up to me and say ‘You were the minister when my parents came’,” Mr MacPhee said. “The local chiropractor, hairdresser, all these people say these things.
“It’s a marvellous, exciting, thrilling experience to see how settled they are and integrated they are.”
Two of the more unusual applicants under the 1980 scheme were elderly and had managed to live illegally in Australia for decades before presenting themselves to authorities.
Thomas O’Cavanagh, aged 95, and Harold Sarginson, 73, were both born in London and “jumped ship” – Mr O’Cavanagh in 1908 and Mr Sarginson in 1927 – to live in Australia, according to news reports at the time.
Media reported “after 53 years here, (Mr Sarginson) did not want to be deported on 1 January 1981”.
From thousands of applicants, only one, “an escapee from an overseas mental hospital who had been convicted of manslaughter”, was rejected.
Dr Webster told Sunraysia Daily last week that now is the time for a one-off amnesty.
“What I’m getting a feel for is that the tide has shifted significantly on this issue, which has been with us for a long time,” she said.
“I can comfortably say the majority of the (Nationals’) party room are in support. The question for everyone is, how it will this actually happen?
“It involves departmental decision-making, sovereign risk and security issues. But it is a unique opportunity, in a pandemic, to work this out.”
If you or your family were part of one of Australia’s amnesties for undocumented people in 1980, 1976 or 1973, Sunraysia Daily would like to hear from you. Please get in touch with us at ekennedy@sunraysiadaily.com.au
