The Scanlon Foundation's social-cohesion report 'Australians Today', the largest ever undertaken to examine the issues Australian-born and immigrant Australians experience, found that current immigrants enhanced connectedness they have with their former home countries. 71 percent of those who arrived in Australia between 2011 and 2015 keep in contact with their friends or relatives by SMS or social media daily or several times a week.
'Close to one in three arrivals between 2001 and 15 watch TV show from their former homes at least several times a week', Australia@2015 report mentioned.
In response to the question on sense of belonging in Australia at the result of the survey, 64 percent of recent arrivals indicate sense to a ‘great’ or ‘moderate extent’.
59 per cent of UK residents say they have a great sense of belonging in Australia. However, Indications of a weak level of Australian identification was obtained by a relatively high proportion of respondents born in South Korea. The largest proportion of low scores for Australian Identity scale were obtained by those born in South Korea (91 per cent).
This survey by Scanlon Foundation was undertaken between September 2015 and February 2016 and was completed by more than 10,000 respondents. It was available in English and 19 languages including Korean, with translations of the questionnaire undertaken by the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) and Multicultural NSW. There were 100 or more respondents from fifteen countries, with the largest number, 5,061, born in Australia, and more than 100 respondents from each of twelve faith groups. Of the overseas born, 1,440 arrived over the last five years.
AUSTRALIANS TODAY by Scanlon Foundation Source: Scanlon Foundation
