The video on X is disturbing: at an anti-immigration rally somewhere in Australia, a man describing himself as an ethnic Indian says “What I see happening today is not immigration, this is an open-door policy. They are not blending into our culture, they are twisting it.”
His diatribe against fellow Indians was stopped midway as somebody roughly pushed him away. There were boos and cheers in roughly equal measure as he spoke, but the incident has rattled the 845,000-strong ethnic India-born population in Australia that make up a little over 10% of the total population.
The Indians bring critical skills to Australia in healthcare, IT, and engineering but appear to be on the backfoot as conservative radio networks have claimed that 1,544 migrants, equivalent to five fully loaded Boeing Dreamliners, were arriving in Australia “day after day, week after week.”
Government data shows otherwise, putting last year’s immigration figures at 446,000, lower than the 556,000 peak of the year before. But at a time of growing housing shortages and increasing pressure on jobs and public services, the anti-immigrant protests do reflect the sentiment among a section of the majority white population.
Across Sydney, Melbourne and other cities, the so called “March for Australia,” featured often inflammatory slogans, xenophobic messaging, and the presence of far-right elements, including individuals known for promoting neo-Nazi ideologies.
Promotional material circulated before the rallies explicitly singled out Indian migrants as symbols of what organisers described as “unsustainable mass migration.”
The marches were coordinated by known far-right influencers such as Hugo Lennon in Melbourne and Bec Freedom in Sydney. Both have gained notoriety for espousing “remigration” narratives and invoking the discredited “great replacement” conspiracy theory, ideologies widely condemned by mainstream Australian leaders.
In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs’ spokesman Randhir Jaiswal, addressed the issue directly.
“Our High Commission and Consulates General in Australia have remained closely engaged with the Government of Australia and with representatives of the Indian diaspora,” he said. “Prior to the protests, the concerns of our community were shared with the Australian Government.”
He also acknowledged that Australia had formally responded to India’s outreach.
“Senior leaders, from both the Government and the Opposition, publicly reaffirmed the value of multiculturalism in Australia and appreciated the contributions made by the Indian diaspora,” he noted.
“We continue to believe that diversity is strength. Our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia is built not just on shared interests, but also on strong people-to-people ties.”
Australian federal and state leaders denounced the protests as divisive and unrepresentative of Australian values. The country’s Human Rights Commission also voiced concern, warning that the normalisation of racist rhetoric poses risks to social cohesion.
