FED: Initiatives in place for migrant resettlement: Ruddock = 2

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FED: Initiatives in place for migrant resettlement: Ruddock = 2

Labor's industry spokesman Craig Emerson revealed the plans to the Sydney Morning Herald today.

He later told ABC radio: "One thought is we could develop a points system for familyreunions to favour those applicants or those sponsors of family reunions who are locatedin the bush.

"If you are applying for a family reunion program ... and you are located in a regionalcentre you would get some extra consideration for that.

"If you weren't located in a regional centre then those extra points wouldn't apply."

Dr Emerson there wouldn't be any punitive measures for people who moved back to the city.

"The idea here is to get them to move straight from overseas to provincial or regionallocations and it's quite possible having done that ... they may well say `this is theplace for me'," he said.

"It really is to provide an incentive for them to live outside of the crowded Sydney basin."

Dr Emerson also suggested an expansion of schemes where migrants with particular skillscould be encouraged to practise in regional areas.

"(We could) say to migrants if you want to come to Australia, and maybe you don't havethe full qualifications, you can develop your skills and practise those skills in thebush," he said.

AAP so/daw/cd

KEYWORD: MIGRANTS RUDDOCK 2 SYDNEY (REOPENS)