Immigration: Fact and fiction

Migration is once again at the centre of Australian political and public debate, but claims about migrant numbers, composition and impact are not always borne out by the data.

As net overseas migration, housing pressures and questions of social cohesion continue to dominate headlines, how well does political and public discourse reflect the underlying facts? And how are Chinese-Australian communities, often a focal point in these debates, represented within it?

The Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS:ACRI), in partnership with the Chinese Australian Forum (CAF) will host an interactive forum exploring these questions.

The forum will feature Professor Wanning Sun, Deputy Director of UTS:ACRI; Dr Abul Rizvi, former Deputy Secretary of the Department of Immigration; and Osmond Chiu, Research Fellow at Per Capita. It will be chaired by Associate Professor Vanessa Chan, President of CAF.

This event is presented in partnership with the Chinese Australian Forum. 

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About the speakers

Professor Wanning Sun

Professor Wanning Sun is Deputy Director at UTS:ACRI and a Professor of Media and Communication Studies at UTS. A fellow of Australian Academy of the Humanities since 2016, she was a member of the Australian Research Council’s College of Experts (2020-2023). She writes a column for Crikey. 

Dr Abul Rizvi 

Dr Abul Rizvi is an Independent Australia columnist and former Deputy Secretary of the Department of Immigration. He was awarded the Public Service Medal and the Centenary Medal for services to the development and implementation of immigration policy, including in particular the reshaping of Australia’s intake to focus on skilled migration. 

Mr Osmond Chiu 

Mr Osmond Chiu is a Research Fellow at the Per Capita thinktank. He has worked in policy roles for over a decade and has written for Guardian Australia, Sydney Morning Herald and Canberra Times. He served as a Reference Group member for the Commonwealth Government’s Multicultural Framework Review and has previously been recognised as one of the 40 most influential Asian Australians under 40 for his work in the public sector/government category.

About the moderator

Associate Professor Vanessa Chan

Associate Professor Vanessa Chan is the President of CAF and an Associate Professor with UTS Institute of Public Policy and Governance. A leading expert in local government, strategy and public administration, she has a decade in executive management, including General Manager of Ashfield and Inner West Councils. Vanessa sits on Boards in both social enterprise and government sectors.