Sticky places for immigrants in regional Australia – a correlational analysis

Abstract Since 1996, migration-related schemes have directed new immigrants and refugees to regional Australia to mitigate the need for skills and people in these locations. Therefore, the long-term settlement of immigrants and refugees in regional Australia is an important issue. Existing research has examined settlement patterns, processes, and internal dispersal; however, the reasons why immigrants arrive at, remain at, or leave these locations after the period stipulated in their migration visa are not fully understood. To address this gap, this paper draws on stickiness - the ability of geographic clusters to attract and retain migrants, to understand the reasons for long-term retention better. To understand their impact on long-term immigrant retention, we examine 62 local government areas in Western Australia through descriptive statistics and correlational analysis using demographic data and 11 variables comprising economic, social infrastructure, and location-related data. Our findings show that the quantity of schools, health services, distance to coast, and median income have the most significant impact on the stickiness of a place.