AUSTRALIA: In October last year, Australia introduced a controversial citizenship test, which has seen applications for citizenship plummet to half in the first few months compared to the same time last year. The 42-page booklet — from which the citizenship test questions are drawn — is considered too “impenetrable” for newly arrived migrants, and includes stuff like the uses of the stump-jump plough, the emergence of the Heidelberg school of art, and the location of Phar Lap’s heart.

The previous John Howard regime was volubly tough on illegal immigrants, introducing a controversial but popular policy of turning away boatloads of asylum seekers before they could reach Australia’s shores. It was under his regime that Mohd Haneef of India had his visa withdrawn despite terror charges against him being dropped. An inquiry in the case is still on.