The main organisations representing ethnic communities and Indigenous people have expressed concern that some measures in the federal budget could discriminate against sections of the population.
The Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia (FECCA) says proposed stricter residency requirements for the age pension, as well as the new foreign worker levy could be discriminatory.
FECCAs concerns come as the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representative body, the National Congress of Australia's First People, argues parts of the budget continue to treat Indigenous Australians unfairly.
FECCA said extending the requirement to 15 years of continuous residency, including five years of a person's working life, would adversely affect many within the migrant and refugee community.
An exception would be made for people who have lived in Australia for at least a decade without claiming any social security payments.
The measure is projected to save the government $119 million over five years.
