Australians are more welcoming of immigrants, but remain concerned about the job market and want the government to crack down on illegal arrivals.
A poll conducted by the Australian National University found that voters believed immigration was one of the top three problems facing the country, despite reporting that immigrants were good for both the economy and culture.
Of the 1200 people polled throughout March, 82.7 per cent believed that immigrants were good for the Australian economy, but almost 30 per cent believed that “immigrants take jobs away from people who were born in Australia”.
The figure is an increase from the 25 per cent recorded two decades ago.
Immigrant anu suvery | Create infographics
Lead researcher Jill Sheppard said the figures may be a reflection of financial instability rather than increased concerns over migrant workers.
“At the moment, post-GFC, we’re still finding our feet regarding economic stability,” she said.
Dr Sheppard told SBS that the remainder of the results regarding immigration were a “happy finding”, despite the emphasis placed on the importance of speaking English.
The majority of people surveyed - 66.9 per cent - believed that immigrants did not increase crime rates.
The majority of respondents also believed that Australian society was improved by immigrants bringing new ideas and cultures, while 65.8 per cent said Australia’s culture was not being undermined by immigrants.
However there was strong opposition to illegal immigrants, with 38.1 per cent wanting the government to take stronger measures to stop them.
The polling also explored issues with Australians’ identity, with 53.8 per cent of respondents saying it was far more important to be an Australian citizen than being born in Australia.
The majority - 64.5 per cent - also believed it was very important to be able to speak English.
The polling also found that Australians are prouder of the country’s sporting achievements – at 55.3 per cent - than its political influence or its economy.
The polling also took aim at the reintroduction of knights and dames, with more than 58 per cent of people disapproving it.
Read the polling by the Australian National University in full below.
