As part of the Federal Budget - the first by Kevin Rudd's Labor Government - Immigration Minister Chris Evans announced an extra 31,000 skilled migrants will be allowed into Australia permanently in 2008-2009.

 

Mr Evans says the extra allocation will take skilled migrant numbers to 133,500 for the year, by far the largest component of the country's total migrant intake of 190,300.

 

He said former prime minister John Howard's government had not allowed enough skilled migrants into Australia, leaving employers struggling to fill vacancies.

 

"This record increase in the number of places in the permanent skilled migration program will help ease Australia's skills shortage and help fight inflation," he said.

 

Mr Evans says research shows that labour market participation by permanent skilled migrants is more than 90 per cent.

 

In addition, he said more than 100,000 temporary skilled migrants were expected in Australia in 2008-2009.

 

Mr Evans announced another break with the Howard government's policies with the abolition of the controversial Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) system for asylum seekers.

 

Under the system, asylum seekers who arrived by boat were eligible only for TPVs, meaning they had no travel rights, reduced access to refugee settlement services and could not be reunited with family members already in Australia.

 

Mr Evans labelled the system unjust and said about 1,000 refugees holding TPVs would be granted permanent visas, provided they met security and character requirements.

 

"The Temporary Protection Visa was one of the worst aspects of the Howard government's punitive treatment of refugees, many of whom had suffered enormously before fleeing to Australia," he said.

 

"There is clear evidence that the TPV arrangements did nothing to prevent unauthorised boat arrivals."