From a migrant family and of Greek-Australian origin, Mr Hawke says migration will be a key aspect of Australia's recovery from the pandemic.
"We are in the middle of a one in 100 year pandemic and all of us are very conscious in government that we need to be as flexible as we can - as responsive as we can and look to how do we recover from one of the most significant drops in global GDP that we've seen in our lifetime and immigration is part of that story. We know migrants are fantastic for our society - for our economy - we know they act as job multipliers. I'm convinced that the migration program will be a huge part of how we recover from COVID and whether we will be as successful as we can be on that journey."
The government will also provide migrants and students access to English tuition as soon as their migration journey begins. Mr Hawke says English fluency remains a priority for this government.
"From the beginning of your journey all the way through you'll be able to unlock access to uncapped English tuition - this is a huge investment - this is an investment in people and their success and that's what the government is saying."
Pre-pandemic, international students and tourists were Australia's fourth-largest export after iron ore, coal and gas. Mr Hawke indicated international students and tourists would be given priority once international borders open.
Click on the player above to listen to the settlement guide in Punjabi.
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