Department of Immigration and Citizenship

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) is an Australian Government department. It is responsible for immigration arrangements, border control, citizenship, ethnic affairs, multicultural affairs. For the 2008-09 financial year, DIAC had an annual operating budget of A$1.7 billion.

History

After World War II, Australia launched a massive immigration program. The Minister for Immigration, Arthur Calwell promoted mass immigration with the slogan "populate or perish" and established the Department of Immigration in 1945.

"Machinery of Government" changes following government reshuffles in the 21st century:

• 26 November 2001 the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) and the Department of Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs merged to form the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA).
• 27 January 2006 the Indigenous Affairs responsibility moved to the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
• 23 January 2007 the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs was renamed the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

DIMA and its successors were the centre of controversy from 2001 because it was primarily these departments that implemented the Australian government's policies of mandatory detention of unauthorised arrivals and the Pacific Solution. The Department was also accused of mistreating asylum......
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