The idea that Australia is being mobbed by selfish foreigners is both entirely untrue and impossible, according to an immigrant writer who challenges the prevalent anti-immigration rhetoric.
Personal Experience as an Immigrant
Zoya Patel, an immigrant herself, finds the common narrative in mainstream news and from rightwing politicians baffling. She argues that the suggestion that her existence in Australia is in opposition to the success of 'ordinary' (meaning white) Australians is illogical.
Angus Taylor's budget reply speech last week reinforced the belief that Australia is being swarmed by immigrants taking jobs, housing, and culture. Patel points out that white Australians also arrived by boat or plane at some point.
The Difficulty of Migration
Patel emphasizes that migrating to Australia is far from easy. Having grown up watching relatives and friends try to leave developing countries, she knows firsthand that migration does not occur on a whim. The three primary visa pathways—skilled, family/spouse, and student—all require considerable money, proof, and often criteria that benefit the Australian community, such as filling skills gaps or agreeing to live in regional areas. Asylum seekers make up a minority of new arrivals.
The price of entry indicates that those who attain citizenship are committed to their new homes and communities.
Family Contribution
Patel's own family migrated in 1992. Her father, an electrical engineer, secured a position in a regional electricity company after a board meeting confirmed no local options existed. Her mother worked at a local supermarket. They later owned successful businesses, paid significant taxes over 30 years, never needed welfare, and contributed socially—serving on school boards, P&C committees, donating to charities, and employing many people.
Patel notes that while grateful for their Australian life, her parents would have preferred to stay in Fiji, but violent coups based on racist anti-Indian policies compromised their safety and economic security.
Immigration as a Scapegoat
Immigration is not done impulsively; it carries social and economic costs for the individual. Patel argues that Australia's desirability as a target is not due to inherent cultural superiority—the land was stolen and developed on convict labour, relying on immigrant skills throughout history.
Immigrants will always be scapegoats during economic hardship, as their difference makes them easy targets for blame in a political system that uses racist ideologies to drive votes. However, the notion that Australia is being mobbed by selfish foreigners seeking to pilfer riches and take jobs and homes is entirely untrue and impossible given the immigration system's attributes.
Zoya Patel is a writer and editor based in Canberra.
