Straight from DIAC

provided by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) Newsroom

Darwin detainees transferred to Curtin
A group of detainees involved in the protest action at the Northern Immigration Detention Centre (NIDC) in Darwin yesterday were transferred to Curtin Immigration Detention Centre today. As a result of property damage arising from the weekend’s protest, accommodation options at NIDC have been reduced. The transfer was undertaken as a prudent detainee management measu...

Nation to celebrate Australian Citizenship Day 2010
A group of 20 people from seven countries officially joined the Australian family at a special ceremony today in Burnie, Tasmania as Australian Citizenship Day 2010 was launched. The new Australians – who hail from countries including Japan, the United Kingdom, India and Korea – are the first of thousands of people across the country who will become citizens on and ar...

Tasmania celebrates Australian Citizenship Day launch
A group of 20 people from seven countries will officially join the Australian family at a special citizenship ceremony in Burnie, Tasmania today to launch Australian Citizenship Day celebrations. They are the first of thousands of people who will become citizens on and around Australian Citizenship Day, which is celebrated each year on September 17. Helping Kaoru Tanak...

NIDC protest resolved
The group of Afghan detainees who conducted the now-concluded protest outside the Northern Immigration Detention Centre (NIDC) in Darwin today will remain in the Northern Territory Police watch-house overnight. The detainees broke through two sets of fences at the Northern Immigration Detention Centre (NIDC) shortly after 6.30am today to begin their roadside protest. D...

WA immigration detainee dies
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has confirmed a 30-year-old man found unconscious in Western Australia's Curtin Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) on Saturday (August 21) afternoon, has since died in hospital. As soon as he was found, ambulance and WA Police were notified while staff attempted to revive him. He was taken by ambulance to Derby Hospita...

Immigration to visit north-west WA
Migrants and employers of skilled migrants in Port Hedland and Karratha will have an opportunity to meet the visiting Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) outreach officer between August 30 and September 3 to discuss immigration issues. A DIAC spokesman said the department’s regional visits program enables people in communities outside the major metropolitan...

Leonora
Clients playing indoor table tennis at the Leonora facility.

Leonora
Entrance to the Leonora facility.

Leonora
Typical accommodation provided at the Leonora facility.

Leonora
Clients playing soccer on one of the outdoor recreational areas at the Leonora facility.

Call for Bathurst residents to become true blue Australians
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and Bathurst Regional Council have joined forces to encourage local residents to become Australian citizens. Residents will not have to make the trip to Sydney, as department officers will travel to Bathurst later this year to conduct citizenship tests, which were introduced in 2007. A departmental spokesman said DI...

Immigration visit to AgQuip field days
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and the NSW Farmers Association will work together at this year’s AgQuip field days to raise awareness about the benefits of the skilled migration program for the agricultural sector. Departmental officers will share space within NSW Farmers’ site during the annual three-day event in Gunnedah next week, where they w...

DIAC finds visa and citizenship applicants satisfied
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) today announced the results of the first phase of an extensive 12-month research program into client satisfaction and the department’s performance. The results of this research come as the department begins a transformation exercise to provide more efficient and effective service to all its clients in an effort to bec...

DIAC welcomes Western Australian public affairs officer
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has appointed a new public affairs officer, Cian Manton, to its Western Australian state office. Ms Manton has more than 12 years’ experience as a media and corporate communications specialist. She was formerly the Director, Media for DIAC, responsible for media liaison, issues management and proactive promotion of...

UK skilled workers in hot demand down under
The Australian Government is hosting an employment expo in London during September to help employers find skilled workers from the UK, a Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) spokesman said today. “Are you skilled in engineering, medical services, or trades? If so, Australia needs you,” the spokesman said. “There is still a critical need for skilled w...

Southport office closure in 2011
Award-winning online visa services along with continuing counter service in Brisbane will address any concerns clients may have over plans to close the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s (DIAC) Gold Coast office. The satellite facility, which is currently staffed with 19 DIAC employees, is scheduled for closure in mid-2011 when the current lease expires. The...

28 illegal workers in VIC, NSW and SA to be removed
Immigration officials will today begin arranging to remove 28 illegal workers located in compliance operations across Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. Of the 28 detained: * 17 were located in Wangaratta, Victoria * three were located in Albury, NSW * and a further eight were located near Clare, South Australia. In South Australia late yesterday, depart...

Department of Immigration and Citizenship statement
Immigration officials have begun preliminary discussions about education options for children whose families are currently in immigration detention in Darwin. An initial approach has been made to the Northern Territory Department of Education and Training regarding the possibility of providing educational places for school-age asylum seekers. Initial consultations are ...

Immigration officers to visit Mackay
Outreach officers from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) will run seminars in Mackay about temporary and permanent skilled migration on August 4 and 5. A DIAC spokesman said that the information sessions will provide details on the range of visa options available. “Officers will also give an update on recent changes to the 457 visa program, employe...

Never too late: Theresia becomes an Australian citizen at 92
At the tender age of 92, Theresia Krajewski will tonight become an Australian citizen at a ceremony in the Perth suburb of Armadale, Western Australia. “Mrs Krajewski is one of only a few people in their 90s who have made the pledge to become an Australian citizen,” a spokesman for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) said. “Her decision shows it ...