ABSTRACT
There is general agreement among students of Australian society that immigration has had a significant impact on all aspects of Australian life in the sphere of economic activity, cultural development, political change, the attitudes and ideologies of the Australian people and within the major institutions of Australian society. This chapter aims to further the understanding of Australian immigration from a Marxist perspective. As immigration has affected all aspects of contemporary Australian society, it is necessary therefore to confine analysis to manageable levels. Moreover, the immigration lobby certainly influences immigration policy in terms of both size and composition of immigration intakes. Although the Australian post-war immigration experience is not unique, it is of a magnitude and composition that makes Australia one of the countries most affected by immigration. There is nevertheless a strong argument emanating from the sociology and economics professions that migrants are not disproportionately suffering from the current economic crisis.
