Melbourne-based Indian Australian community members have expressed mixed reactions to the recent surge in immigration debate across Australia, as political parties vie for their votes ahead of key elections. The issue has attracted increased attention amid plans from Labor, the Coalition, and One Nation to reduce the country’s net overseas migration intake.
Kusum Mirchandani, a high school teacher who has lived in Australia for more than two decades, highlighted feelings of hurt within the Indian community following last year’s nationwide anti-immigration March for Australia rallies. She noted the rallies increasingly targeted Indian migrants, reflecting their status as Australia’s largest migrant group, which she described as unfair and upsetting. “We’ve been here 21 years, and it’s only lately that these things are coming up,” Mirchandani said.
The growing prominence of immigration in political discourse coincides with data showing that the Indian-born population in Australia surpassed the British-born population last year. This demographic shift is influencing electoral contests, particularly in Victoria, where a state election is scheduled for next month. Redbridge polling indicates that state Labor holds a narrow lead over the Liberal Party among Indian Australian voters, a margin that widens when voters are presented with the choice between Labor and One Nation.
Mirchandani, who supports Labor, identified education and healthcare as her top priorities in the upcoming state election, and said she has ruled out supporting One Nation in the 2028 federal election due to the party’s restrictive immigration policies. She expressed concern that One Nation’s plans to limit family reunions would negatively impact Indian Australians, many of whom have relatives in India, including aging parents.
Technology consultant Satish Devarakonda similarly emphasized broader concerns beyond immigration policy. Living in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, he described the current political and economic environment as a challenge for any incoming government, pointing to Victoria’s slow recovery from the COVID-19 downturn. For Devarakonda, the cost of living and economic stability are critical, while travel to India to visit family remains a vital, though often delayed, priority. His family plans to travel to India in December for the first time in nearly two years to attend a wedding. “Travel is not a luxury for a migrant. Travel is a necessity to go and see family, and that’s taken a bit of a beating,” he said. A past Liberal voter, Devarakonda remains undecided about his choice in the state election.
Commenting on political trends within the Indian Australian electorate, Kos Samaras, a former Labor strategist and current director of Redbridge, pointed to polling data showing Labor’s advantage. According to Samaras, Labor’s support among Indian Australians, ranging between 53% and 56% on a two-party preferred basis, helps the party secure its safest seats in Victoria. He noted that Labor’s stronger performance tends to cluster in electorates with significant Indian Australian populations.
As immigration continues to be a prominent topic ahead of upcoming elections, the Indian Australian community remains an influential and nuanced voting bloc, balancing concerns around family, economic prospects, and societal inclusion.