Open AccessMoving out of Their Places: Migration into Australia
Author(s) -
Olga Oleinikova
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
vìsnik kiïvsʹkogo nacìonalʹnogo unìversitetu ìmenì tarasa ševčenka. socìologìâ
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2522-9095
pISSN - 2413-7979
DOI - 10.17721/2413-7979/7.120
Subject(s) - ukrainian , immigration , refugee , independence (probability theory) , political science , politics , geography , development economics , demographic economics , political economy , sociology , law , economics , philosophy , linguistics , statistics , mathematics
Using а combination of migration literature analysis and practical experiences of Ukrainian migrants in Australia this paper examines the character of post-independence Ukrainian migration to Australia. Through comparative analysis of Ukrainian immigration waves to Australia, the paper looks back to origins of such immigration, briefly reflecting on the history of Ukrainian arrivals, and explains trends in current immigration movement. Particularly, using interview materials with Ukrainian migrants who came to Australia in the post-independence period (from 1991 until 2013) this paper identifies the main immigration streams popular among Ukrainians that form three groups of migrants: economic migrants "zarobitchany", tourist-visa over stayers (from illegal migrants to refugees) and high skilled migrants. The focus is on the logic of the post-Soviet immigration wave, which is formed and explained not only by socioeconomic rationale behind migration, but also by relations inside Ukrainian community, which have significantly changed since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Complex relations between post-war Ukrainian migrants and their Australian descendants on one hand, and post-independence Ukrainian migrants on the other, is argued to be rooted in the difference in qualitative characteristics and historical conditions, rather than in simple withstanding of political versus economic migration waves.