Australia’s dispiriting slide to the racist bottom 
Posted By Mirko Bagaric on October 5th, 2007
Disgraceful, is a polite way to describe Australia’s near record breaking slide to the racist bottom following the decision by the Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews to massively cut the number of people with black skin that will be permitted to settle under the refugee program.
The portion of Australia’s refugee intake from Africa has been slashed from 70 per cent to just 30 per cent over the past two years.
Our racist regression is highlighted by contrasting the relative silence to the Andrew’s decision, to the howls of protest that met claims of anti-integration in relation to sub-Saharan immigrants by a Macquarie University law professor only two years ago.
Professor Andrew Fraser stated that people from the sub-Saharan region have a lower than average IQ and were more prone to commit criminal offences.
Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews earlier this week stated the reason for cutting African refugee numbers was because ‘I have been concerned that some groups don’t seem to be settling and adjusting into the Australian way of life as quickly as we would hope … and therefore it makes sense to slow down the rate of intake from countries such as Sudan’.
Andrews, who is obviously a fan of Fraser, added the ‘level of education [of Sudanese] … is a lot lower than for any other group of refugees’.
This is code for endorsing some of Fraser’s sentiments. Moreover, it is far worse to do something, than simply to say it.
In end, Andrew’s anti-African migration policy is racist, pure and simple. Less African’s will now be permitted to secure refugee protection Australian for no other reason than that the they were unlucky enough to be born in a violent, underdeveloped part of the world and their skin has ‘too much’ pigment.
Sure there is some evidence to suggest that some recent settlers from Africa have broken some laws in Australia (as in fact have people from all ethnic origins), but it is offensive to deny another individual the right to protection because someone with their same skin color has misbehaved in Australia.
Now that Minister Andrews has all prospective citizens sitting a values test, it is time that he also took in a few fundamental lessons about the nature of the human condition and important moral norms.
People by their nature are often afraid of, or at least unsettled by, that which they do not know. Thus, a natural inclination in some people is to shun people who don’t conform to their normal cultural stereotype. But sometimes making the world a fairer place commands that people get beyond their comfort level.
Such is the case with accepting people from all parts of the world. The differences that do exist between cultures and races are merely superficial and mask the underlying sameness of the human condition.
Recent scientific studies into human well-being show we all have the same basic needs and our well-being is promoted by the same type of things.
Sure some Sudanese might express themselves in slightly different ways, prefer different music and eat different food but these no more differentiate them from the rest of us than does the fact that most of us follow different football teams.
In the end, the things that are conducive to human well-being and which we should all be aspiring to are universal, and include self-esteem, optimism, close relationships, healthy bodies and communal support and acceptance. Myths about happiness include that religious faith is detrimental to it.
As individuals we should all be working towards achieving the things that will advance our well-being. As communities we need to foster an environment where each individual can tenably strive to achieve these goals.
Sudanese want exactly the same things as nearly all other Australians – for them and their families to have an opportunity to flourish as best they can given their talents, resources and level of commitment.
This can occur if we embrace notions of cultural dilution and enrichment, as opposed to cultural hegemony.
From this, Australians will also benefit. While, Sudanese and other migrants have much to learn from Australian values and culture, we also have lots to learn from their traditions and practices – as we have from the dozens of other ethnic groups that have enriched our community.
A version of this was published in the Geelong Adveriser on 5 October 2007