Municipalities will no longer be obliged to hold Australian citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day, 26 January, following the federal government's announcement.
From next year, 2023, local government will be able to hold citizenship ceremonies three days before 26 January and three days after.
In other words, from 23 to 29 January municipalities will be able to hold naturalisation ceremonies.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stressed that the government's decision was to ensure that future nationals
of the country could attend a citizenship ceremony in person, regardless of where they live. There are no changes here,” Mr. Albanese said. He continued to say that “What should not happen is, say, a new immigrant from the UK, not having the opportunity to become an Australian citizen because of a decision by a municipality”.
Andrew Giles, Minister for Migration, Citizenship and Multiculturalism, announced today, the restriction in two Melbourne municipalities, Darebin and Yarra, on citizenship ceremonies is lifted. Thousands of expatriates live in these two municipalities.
The previous Morrison government, in 2017, banned Darebin and Yarra from holding citizenship ceremonies in response to the decisions of the two municipalities not to award citizenship on Australia Day, 26 January. The decision of the two municipalities supported the view of the First Residents on January 26, which they consider as the day of invasion. Indigenous communities have called for changing the date of Australia Day. January 26 marks the day of arrival of the First British Fleet in NSW and the raising of the British flag by Arthur Phillip, at the point now called Sydney Cove.
Giles described the move as a “realistic change”.
“The government is appealing to city councils to put young Australian nationals at their centre by recognising that many community members want to complete their journey towards Australian citizenship in conjunction with Australia Day,” he said.
