The number of immigrants becoming Australian citizens is rising considerably, new figures show.
Between July and October 2018, more than 45,500 citizenship applications have been finalised, up from 23,300 in the same period last year.
This includes more than 39,000 approvals between July and October 2018, compared to 15,500 approvals in the same period in 2017.
“The increase in finalisations and approvals of citizenship applications has occurred against a backdrop of increased integrity measures, a record number of applications and an increase in complex cases,” said David Coleman, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs.
“Australian citizenship is a privilege and should be granted to those who support our values, respect our laws and want to contribute to an even better Australia.”
The Minister said that an increase in resources is occurring alongside an enduring focus on the security and integrity of Australia’s immigration and citizenship programs.
“Since 2015 we have introduced a range of measures to ensure the integrity of the program and the good character of those seeking Australian citizenship,” Mr Coleman said.
“At the same time, the Government is working to make the citizenship processing system as functional and effective as possible for legitimate applicants, and these efforts are showing good results.”
Article published 30th November 2018