President's message | April 2026
In this message, President Hugh de Kretser discusses the current migration policy debate and the launch of what will be the Commission's annual Australian Human Rights Assessment.
- Author: President Hugh de Kretser
Dear friends,
For this message I want to address the current migration policy debate and launch the first of what will be our annual Australian Human Rights Assessment.
Ensuring fair, non-discriminatory migration policies
The last vestiges of White Australia were rightly binned in the 1970’s. Yet today we have politicians who want to bring back forms of this unjust, racist policy.
Much of the current debate about migration levels in Australia is demonising migrants. The March for Australia rallies targeted migration from India. Politicians have targeted Muslims and migration from Lebanon and Palestine. Last week the Opposition Leader targeted migration from countries ‘ruled by fundamentalists, extremists and dictators’ – around 40% or more of the world’s population. They apparently have less likelihood of ‘subscribing to Australian values’ than people from liberal democracies. Applying this kind of test to migration would have ruled out accepting people as diverse as Jewish people fleeing Nazi Germany in 1930’s or people migrating more recently from China.
These attacks on migrants must stop. Scapegoating migrants fuels racism, hate and division in our community and increases the risk of violence. When we talk about Australian values, we should think of fairness, equality, respect, dignity, freedom and looking out for each other – human rights values. We should be promoting these values. A migration policy consistent with them is one that is fair and that does not discriminate on race or religion.
Migration has made Australia stronger, socially and economically. Most Australians know this - over 80% of us consistently support multiculturalism. Diversity makes our nation better.
Launching our annual National Human Rights Assessment
We want to improve the way we measure and monitor how well Australia protects people’s rights. Good information on human rights progress and regress is essential to better protecting people’s rights. It promotes transparency and accountability and helps governments and civil society to better identify risks, set priorities and develop actions.
As part of this, on 29 April I’ll be launching the first of what will be annual assessment of Australia’s human rights record at the National Press Club in Canberra. I’ll be highlighting steps forward and back on human rights and analysing key opportunities and risks, from rising racism to climate change, from the erosion of truth to the need to build trust in our system of government. You can get tickets here or watch online on the ABC.
Hugh de Kretser
President
