Over the past two decades, four-fifths of the business immigration to Australia originated from China. Australian business migrants are required to undertake a two-step migration pathway: first they demonstrate a certain level of assets and business success to qualify for temporary entry and then, through successful business activity, they qualify for permanent residency (PR). Using in-depth interview narratives and survey data, this article explores migration motives and experiences of Chinese business migrants in Melbourne, Australia and situates them within the conceptual framework of middle-class transnationalism and ‘dual embeddedness’. We found that our respondents were primarily driven by motives other than the likelihood of business success in Australia, such as the prospects of good education for their children and a cleaner environment. Gaining Australian PR emerged as the key milestone in the migration process, allowing migrants to move freely between home and host countries and live as ‘dually embedded’ transnationals.
This paper examines the understanding of social cohesion by policymakers, practitioners and residents, with particular reference to migrant concentration areas in Sydney and Melbourne. Ten suburbs we focus on had a high proportion of Muslim Australian residents and were socioeconomically disadvantaged at the time of the 2016 Australian Census. The paper is based on 52 in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews, mainly with professionals delivering local programmes and services, but also with residents. Based on interview data, the paper seeks to unpack the concept of social cohesion, particularly as it is applied to local programmes and discuss the understandings of the relationship of social cohesion with ethnic diversity and socioeconomic disadvantage. We found that most respondents considered “social cohesion” a positive feature of local and broader society, but the concept was variously understood. The understanding of its relationship with ethnic diversity and socioeconomic status of a local area also varied, but the predominant view was that social cohesion is put under stress by socioeconomic disadvantage. In some cases, “social cohesion” was understood, and criticised, as a coded policy formula for “preventing violent extremism” policies, especially in Muslim concentration areas, therefore with a potential to alienate local communities instead of helping them.
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