Australian Migration

A national survey on social cohesion shows the majority of Australians support the current immigration intake.

Survey author Professor Andrew Markus from Monash University says the findings showed a positive response to Australia’s immigration policy.

He says the survey of 2,000 adults across Australia showed the majority trust their fellow Australians, and had a strong sense of belonging.

“96 per cent of respondents at the national level, so that’s nearly everybody, has a strong sense of belonging in Australia and that is a very, very strong finding and very positive finding for this society,” he said.

But he says there were pockets, especially in parts of Queensland and Sydney, that showed dissatisfaction among one-quarter of long-time Australians.

“Areas where [people] haven’t had a lot of contact with people from other cultures, immigrant groups, and so on, there has been less acceptance,” he said.

Professor Markus says the survey also showed the longer immigrants live in Australia, the more their values echo the national norm.