Racism and migration

Australia is facing significant social challenges.

Racism, division and polarisation are rising.

This is impacted by pressures from rising prices, international conflicts and global trends.

In relation to this assessment:

• Recent human rights advances = where governments have positively advanced human rights
• Urgent human rights issues = where serious human rights concerns exist and are not being addressed sufficiently
• Other priority human rights issues = where further action is required to address known human rights challenges

Recent human rights advances

• The Australian Government funded a range of initiatives to address racism, including funding the Australian Human Rights Commission to develop the National Anti-Racism Framework and the Racism@uni survey and report. The Government funded Special Envoys on antisemitism and Islamophobia who have recommended actions to address racism.
• The Australian Parliament has passed laws strengthening protections against hate speech and prohibiting hate symbols.
• Australian governments established the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.
• The Australian Parliament established the Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs inquiry into racism, hate and violence directed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• The National Agreement on Closing the Gap, signed by all governments in Australia, commits to eliminating racism and increasing cultural safety within government structures, systems and institutions. Much work remains to meet these commitments.
• Australia recently welcomed the one millionth refugee and humanitarian entrant since 1947, demonstrating a strong commitment to humanitarian assistance. Australia provides good support to people who receive humanitarian visas.

Urgent human rights issues

• Antisemitism is rising especially since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack and war in Gaza. The horrific Bondi Beach antisemitic terrorist attack in December 2025 followed a wave of antisemitic attacks including arson attacks on synagogues and a child care centre.
• Islamophobia and racism against Palestinian and Arab communities has been rising especially since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, the  war in Gaza and the Bondi terrorist attack. In February 2026, police in Western Australia arrested a man over an alleged terror plot against mosques.
• Racism experienced by First Nations peoples is rising, especially connected to the failed Voice Referendum. In January 2026, a homemade bomb was thrown into a crowd of Aboriginal people and supporters in an alleged terror attack.
• The Australian Government has not committed to implement any of the Commission’s National Anti-Racism Framework which was delivered to government in 2024 and provides a whole of government approach to prevent racism. There is strong community support for the Framework and from the Special Envoys into antisemitism and Islamophobia.
• Anti-immigrant sentiment is rising. Migrants are being scapegoated for cost of living issues. The March for Australian rallies targeted migrants and singled out Indian migration. Some political leaders have called for discriminatory migration policies and targeted Muslim migration.
• Australia’s policies towards people who arrive by boat seeking safety are amongst the harshest in the world. These policies include boat turnbacks, mandatory detention including of children and offshore processing. Recent changes allowing the deportation of people to Nauru create further human rights risks. There is limited transparency on arrangements between the Australian and Nauruan Government, or of conditions of treatment in Nauru.

Other priority human rights issues

• Federal discrimination laws, including the Racial Discrimination Act (RDA), need to be reformed and harmonised to provide more effective protection and a focus on prevention. Reforms to make laws more consistent will make them easier to comply with for employers and others. A positive duty to prevent discrimination should be introduced across all federal discrimination laws. A positive duty in the RDA to prevent discrimination would significantly shift the approach to addressing racism among employers, universities and others.

Find out more

For information about the purpose and methodology of this assessment, please visit our Australian Human Rights Assessment 2026 page.