Muslim migration to Australia: the big slowdown, by Caroline Overington.

[T[he Australian government is pursuing a migration strategy that makes it extremely difficult for large numbers of Muslims from the Middle East to settle here, even if that is not the policy’s aim.

While governments of all stripes insist Australia’s migration program is non-discriminatory, an analysis of available data by The Australian suggests that the migration of Muslims from Lebanon, in particular, has slowed to a trickle, with no sign of a rush coming anytime soon.

Immigration officials tell The Australian that the low number of Muslim immigrants from the Middle East arriving in recent years has nothing to do with their religion, since applicants are not asked to state their faith when they apply to settle.

Instead, they say, it’s an unintended consequence of a migration policy that is almost entirely focused on attracting skilled and family reunion migrants from countries such as India (now Australia’s No 1 source of permanent migrants, with 34,874 arrivals last year) and China (27,874).

The strategy, which both major parties insist is not deliberate, means that while Islam was once the fastest growing religion in Australia, there are now more Buddhists (2.5 per cent of the population) than there are Muslims (2.2 per cent), and the Hindus are rapidly catching up.

How about we select immigrants for their skills and their cultural compatibility?

Eric Abetz applauds ‘great’ call for crackdown on Muslim immigration, by Jared Owens.

Liberal senator Eric Abetz has applauded a prominent Liberal activist’s call for a crackdown on Muslim immigration to protect women and gays from abuse.

The author, ACT Young Liberal president Josh Manuatu, today argued that celebrity Sonia Kruger, who last week called for a ban on Muslim immigration, was “right” and that Australia should “carefully consider” her proposal.

hat-tip Stephen Neil