The state and the welfare of immigrants in Australia

Post-war immigration to Australia has been accompanied by two processes associated with the development of Australian capitalism the urbanisation process and the "proletarianisation" of the immigrant population. These processes brought with them major social problems and the potential for social conflict. The welfare system provided a means to control the immigrant population, which failed to assimilate effectively into Australian society, as had been expected by the immigration planners of the 1940s. The government policies shifted from "assimilationism", to "integrationism" and then on to "multiculturalism" and most recently, "mainstreaming". In each case the basic economic contradictions of Australian society provide the context for welfare policies directed towards ethnic minorities. * I wish to acknowledge the contribution of Helen Meekosha, whose involvement in and reflections on struggles in the ethnic welfare industry, have provided many of the insights used here. 1. Capitalism, immigration and welfare in Australia