Area's with high Australian immigration don't feel safe claims poll.
December 18 2009 by Liam Clifford
Study into immigration into Australia shows overall positive opinion although safety concerns raised in poorer areas.
A social survey carried out by Scanlon Foundation, has reported that Australians remained positive about Australian immigration during the global financial crisis, but discrimination and safety fears were heightened in areas with high numbers of immigrants.
The survey polled 2000 people nationally and another 1800 in six local government areas with high immigration. It has resulted in the intriguing findings that people feel safety fears in the areas where high Australian immigration had taken place.
Some of other findings are:
1. 1/10 Australians were not in favor of immigration.
2. 37% people thought that Australian immigration was high.
3. Only 28 per cent of third-generation Australians, and 40 per cent with non-English-speaking backgrounds, in these areas felt safe walking alone at night compared with 62 per cent and 43 per cent nationally.
4. Half of those from non-English-speaking backgrounds in high immigration areas feared becoming a victim of crime against 32 per cent nationally.
The author of the survey, Monash University's Professor Andrew Markus, said "Australia's milder downturn and the lack of politicization of the immigration issue were the main reasons for the result.
"There has been no party campaigning on a reduction of immigration and you haven't had a Pauline Hanson figure who has been trying to blame [immigrant groups] for all of our problems.''
But the survey painted a less rosy picture of perceptions of safety, levels of trust and discrimination in the areas of high Australian immigration surveyed, such as Dandenong and Broadmeadows.
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