A majority of Australians want asylum seekers to be treated fairly, according to new polling. Photo: Region.
National polling suggests most Australians still prefer a compassionate approach to asylum seekers and refugee policy.
Recent research conducted by political consultancy firm Redbridge shows a majority of voters believe Australia has a responsibility to accept refugees and people seeking asylum and that refugees who have arrived in Australia should be treated fairly.
More than 50 per cent of the survey’s respondents support work and study rights for those awaiting the outcome of their refugee determination application.
A majority of voters (67 per cent) believe that people failed by the Fast Track process should be given permanent protection or the right to reapply.
This is a bipartisan view in the survey, with 61 per cent of Coalition voters agreeing that those previously rejected under the old assessment system should be reassessed or granted permanent visas.
Neither do voters want to send people seeking asylum back to dangerous situations, or to pay other countries to take people seeking asylum currently in Australia.
However, the issue is nowhere near a high priority among voters for the upcoming election, with only 1 per cent of respondents placing it at the top of their list.
The research concludes that political parties focussing heavily on immigration or refugee policies at the expense of addressing voters’ more immediate concerns, particularly cost of living, healthcare and housing affordability, risk being punished at the ballot box.
It comes just as the Federal Government struck a deal with Nauru to send three members of the so-called NZYQ cohort of non-citizens to the tiny Pacific nation to be resettled there on 30-year visas.
The three include a convicted murderer. It follows the 2023 High Court ruling ruling that a stateless Rohingya man identified publicly only as “NZYQ” could not be held in detention for life.
The polling also comes in the wake of three refugee and migration bills passed late last year, in which Labor and the Coalition supported tougher moves against refugees.
Commissioned by the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), the national polling suggests voters want fairness over asylum seeker policy to factor in how political leaders campaign on the issue in the upcoming federal election.
The survey of 1508 Australian voters in January suggests that while many Australians agree with tough requirements for those seeking asylum, a majority still support compassionate approaches.
Redbridge Group director Kos Samaras said political leaders would be foolish to ignore the findings and push harder against asylum seekers during the election campaign.
“Our research shows that voters want compassion. They don’t want their government punishing marginalised people,” he said.
“This is a clear message to both major parties – voters are watching, and they expect a fair and humane approach to refugees.”
Mr Samaras is a former Labor strategist who helped run the party’s Victorian election campaigns for 14 years before founding Redbridge.
The ASRC is also urging political leaders to ensure Australia’s policies align with its values of fairness, safety and compassion expressed in the research.
Deputy chief executive officer Jana Favero said news that the Federal Government will start deporting people from our community to Nauru is an example of how out of touch some politicians are.
“People have a big heart, and they want politicians to reflect their values,” she said.
“This polling shows that the current toxic debate weaponising refugee policy and attacking multicultural communities is misreading the nation’s pulse.
“It’s time for our leaders to embrace policies grounded in humanity, not cruelty.”
Other key findings of the polling show that 69 per cent of Labor voters and 80 per cent of Greens voters believe Australia has a responsibility to accept refugees and people seeking asylum.
It also reveals voters prioritise fairness and social connection, with bipartisan support for giving people the right to work (58 per cent) and study (55 per cent) while waiting for their refugee application to be processed.
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