As Australia’s population grows, becoming a more diverse than ever, narratives about immigration are framed by both advocates and critics – these narratives shape the public’s perception of immigration in their own way.
A study by Australian National University examined if people favoured or opposed immigration based off what was presented to them about the topic.
The study, which surveyed more than 5,000 people, found Australians often have “inaccurate [and] contradictory perceptions of migrants.”
“[I]ncluding falsely believing that there are more migrants in Australia who are unemployed or hail from Pacific or Middle Eastern backgrounds than is actually the case.”
The report also found that most respondents would prefer less immigration, and that media narratives about migrants “tend to be more effective at influencing public opinion than facts.”
Atikah Hurley spoke to co-author of the ANU report, Alyssa Leng, and Michael Bayliss, Staff Communications Manager for Sustainable Population Australia.
