These protests want to 'take our country back'. But the real issues run much deeper
But experts have warned that the "anti-immigration protests" stem from misinformation and fear, rather than evidence that migrants are responsible for the country's social and economic challenges.
What is the 'March for Australia'? On 31 August, six events are being planned across Australia as part of the 'March For Australia' protests. Organisers claim "endless migration, weak leadership and political cowardice" have caused Australia to change "in ways most of us never agreed to". SBS News has contacted the organisers for comment.
One flyer read: "It's time to take our country back. It's time to defend our way of life. It's time to defend our culture. Stop mass immigration now."
LISTEN TO While details of the protest on the site are minimal, the group has emphasised one rule for the march — "no foreign flags". Instead, they have called for a "sea of red and blue", with Australian ensigns and Eureka flags. It's still unclear who exactly is organising the march, with several groups allegedly attempting to take ownership. The official March for Australia Instagram account, created this week, has distanced itself from extremist figures like Thomas Sewell, the leader of the neo-Nazi National Socialist Network, who allegedly tried to claim the march as his group's event. A March for Australia spokesperson told SBS News "attempts to hijack March For Australia for other issues, or to make it about any one group, are not in the spirit of the movement that we have taken custody of." "Recent claims have been made by various groups attempting to take ownership of March For Australia or attach their own agendas to it. We wish to make it clear: the organisers are not members of, nor acting on behalf of, any other group." Last weekend, Sewell led a group of masked neo-Nazis through Melbourne's CBD just after midnight. "These protests should be condemned by every Australian," Chatfield said in an Instagram reel.
Right-wing political commentator Rukshan Fernando was among a number of accounts posting they were "looking forward to marching".
Why are these protests happening now? Liz Allen, a demographer at the Australian National University Centre for Social Policy Research, said she is not surprised by the March for Australia protests. "I'm not surprised that people holding such views would mobilise and want to be heard," she told SBS News. "Increasingly, we're seeing Australians fear that they're being left behind and that fear — whether real or simply perceived — is something that we cannot ignore." While anti-immigration sentiment is not new in Australia, Allen said it has evolved. Anti-immigration sentiment is becoming more coordinated and is borrowing international taglines and catchphrases, where Allen says in the past it has been more ad hoc and reactionary.
However, she hesitates to say the sentiment is imported. "Australia doesn't need to import racism. Australia has its own homegrown racism," she said.
Polling by the Lowy Institute in June 2025 found 53 per cent of Australians think the number of migrants coming into the country each year is "too high", up five points from the previous year. Meanwhile, 38 per cent said immigration levels were "about right", and only 7 per cent thought they were "too low". Compared internationally, Australians appear slightly less anti-immigration than other countries. A 2023 Ipsos survey showed 34 per cent of Australians thought the country would be stronger if immigration stopped, compared with a global average of 43 per cent.
But still, half of Australians believed "society is broken" and the "country is in decline".
Misinformation and the scapegoating of migrants Central to the rise in anti-immigration sentiment is misinformation that blames migrants for deeper societal problems.
Common myths driving anti-immigration sentiment include claims that migrants suppress wages, steal local jobs, or inflate house prices — all of which Allen describes as "nonsense".
Professor Daniel Ghezelbash, a scholar of international and comparative refugee and migration law from the University of New South Wales, recommends a "fact sandwich" approach to counter false claims. "When Australia's borders were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, migration was at its lowest level in a century. Yet, housing prices still went up," Ghezelbash told SBS News. 1. Warn about the myth : "Instead of tackling the real issues, some political actors are just blaming migrants as if they're the reason housing has become unaffordable." 2. Point out the fallacy : "They're oversimplifying the problem to distract you from the actual causes." 3. End with the fact: "There are many factors that are driving Australia's housing crisis. And migration is just one very small piece of the puzzle."
But Allen notes there is a large problem in Australia where not everyone is "getting a go", and said this is a sign of a more complex root issue behind anti-immigration sentiment.
Four key drivers behind anti-immigration sentiment Allen highlights four major crises fuelling fear and resentment that can manifest as anti-immigration sentiment: housing affordability, climate change, gender inequality and economic insecurity.
"These big four come together and create a tipping point that undermines the certainty of tomorrow — and with that comes a great deal of fear," she said.
"It's not the fault of migrants, that's not the fault of immigration, but rather a deep-seated fear that someone else is getting or potentially getting an opportunity that you may not have the luxury of obtaining," Allen said. She describes it as "fear of the other", of being "taken over" or "left behind".
"That loss of hope means fear can take over, and that's a very powerful emotion at the heart of anti-immigration sentiment," she said.
The cost: declining social cohesion The latest survey from the Scanlon Foundation in late 2024 found social cohesion in Australia remains at a record low. Social cohesion is measured by attitudes across five key domains: belonging, worth, social justice, participation and acceptance. While most Australians support non-discriminatory immigration policies, the report found anti-immigration attitudes correlate strongly with economic and housing worries, rather than views on diversity or multiculturalism.
It found almost half of Australians (49 per cent) believe immigration levels are too high.
LISTEN TO James O'Donnell, the report's author, said economic stress and hardship remain the greatest challenges to social cohesion. "When people are worried about the economy and when they themselves experience unemployment, financial stress, their attitudes towards migration deteriorate," he told SBS News. "They're more likely to say things like, 'migrants increase house prices' or 'they take away jobs'." Allen said the timing of the March for Australia protests is particularly concerning amid already fragile social cohesion in Australia.
"It's not a fault of immigration, but rather a number of significant social and economic issues that come together and undermine the potential future of the nation," she said.
Allen said the key to countering anti-immigration protests and sentiment lies in restoring hope by addressing the real social and economic problems facing Australia and cutting through misinformation. "The root cause of these issues is fear — and fear is a beast that can quickly corrupt and overtake," she said. "Restoring hope is free of charge. "We can restore hope by tackling the issues that are at the core here: housing, economic security, gender equality, and climate change. "The rest is a distraction."
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