Australia is regarded as a country of "milk and honey" by South Asians, and a large contingent of qualified Indians, Sri Lankans, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Afghans and Nepalis have migrated over in the last two decades since the "White Australia" policy was abandoned in 1972. There are today 125,000 South Asian Australians. A recent study by Canberra´s Bureau of Immigration Multicultural and Population Research (bimpr) showed that South Asians— Indians and Sri Lankans in particular—are one of the most highly educated and qualified ethnic groups in the country. Their median annual income of AUD 18,600 (about USD 14,000) in 1991 was above the Australian average of AUD 14,200 (USD 11,000).
This view of an Australian Dream, however, is a bit oversold, and newer arrivals find it harder to find a comfortable, successful and professionally satisfying life down under. For every doctor, accountant and computer specialist with a high salary, there are now many more professionals who arrived after mid-1980s unhappy with their situation. Qualified South Asians are to be found at work as clerical assistants, taxi drivers, restaurants managers and spice shop owners. Many complain of subtle but effective forms of discrimination by professional bodies and employers which keep them on the outside.
Karmal Laha, an engineer from Calcutta with extensive professional experience in Africa and India is a typical case. He came to Sydney at the peak of the Australian recession in the early 1990s, leaving a good job with Zimbabwe´s Ministry of Construction. When he applied for a job in Sydney, he was told that he did not have "Australian experience", which is an excuse used to discourage migrant jobseekers. Mr Laha finally found an entry-level position at Sydney airport, working alongside Australian engineers just out of college.
A study done by the University of Woolongong in 1992 found that Australian companies routinely appoint Australian-born applicants over highly trained foreigners. Many companies defend the practice by saying that they fear cultural difficulties in the workplace. The study found that employers used ethnic stereotyping to exclude South Asians (and South Africans), saying that they had authoritarian attitudes and hence were unsuited for senior positions. Australian companies judged the communication skills of South Asians—and West Asians and Filipinos—to be far inferior to those of Australian applicants.