A loud debate about migration is happening in Australia. It spills from news reports and political speeches into quiet conversations and noisy social media feeds, often dominated by talk of housing shortages, racism, and fear. But behind the heated debate and sweeping statements, a more human question remains: what is daily life truly like for the people living at the heart of this discussion?
A panel conversation, hosted by The Indian Sun, moved beyond the noise to share real stories and ideas about building a stronger Australia together.
Racism on the streets
For Bina Shah, CEO of IAEC Education Migration, the reality of racism is not just a topic for debate, it’s a personal memory. She recalls a simple moment, chatting with friends on a Melbourne street corner.
“Someone with white skin… just walked past us, abusing and saying, ‘You stupid Indians, what are you doing here?'” Bina shares. Her reaction was one felt by many: fear. “We are physically so small that we are always scared to confront them. We just have to… save ourselves and move away.”
She believes racism has always been present but is now more visible because of social media. “It’s not only against Indians,” she notes, pointing out that prejudice exists even within communities. “But of late, because it’s being talked about… it has become more visible.”
From a research perspective, Dr Surjeet Dhanji, an academic fellow at the Australia-India Institute and an honorary postdoctoral fellow at the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne, describes racism as part of daily life in Australia. She points back to the pandemic years when migrants, especially Chinese and Indian students, were singled out. “We felt we were being told to ‘go home’.” .
While progress has been made since the end of the White Australia Policy, she argues structural racism still exists. “We would not be having this debate if it had gone away totally.”
The migrant business journey
Sudhir Juneja is a business and marketing professional and a community leader. He co-founded the Western Gymkhana Club and the Point Cook Business Association, leading initiatives such as Building Community Together and I Love Point Cook. On the challenges migrants face when starting businesses, he says it’s more about adapting than encountering hostility. “The biggest challenge is understanding local business rules and culture. You need to immerse yourself to serve a wider community effectively.”
Juneja believes every migrant wave faces resistance. “Greeks and Italians probably went through the same thing before us,” he said. “It’s always about the new entrant facing resistance from the old.”
Integration versus assimilation
A common accusation is that migrants don’t integrate. But what does integration really mean? Dr Eshan Arya, an educator and leadership expert, makes a vital distinction.
“Assimilation demands erasure; you’re erasing things out completely. Integration allows for coexistence, that’s the key difference,” he explains. For him, integration is about “active citizenship.”
“You can wear a kurta, speak your language at home, and still show up at a local fundraiser, volunteer, or help your neighbour move house. That’s the essence of Australian mateship.”
Juneja, points to the logo of his local sports club as a symbol of this balance. It blends Indian and Australian colours. “The beauty about Australia is that we can live here and flaunt our Indian flag with pride. Show me one other country where you can do that, and no one dislikes it.”
Shah has a crucial perspective: integration is a two-way street. “The locals or Australians who are here need to do their bit also to be able to integrate with us.” She sees hope in the way Australian friends now joyfully participate in Indian festivals like Diwali.
She also adds that second-generation children are growing up with both cultures, celebrating festivals, learning cricket and footy, and participating in mainstream life. “As Indian parents, we are doing more than we can to give them a rounded personality.”
Missing in politics
Despite being the fastest-growing ethnic group, Indian Australians remain underrepresented in politics. Says Dhanji, “When you have problems or issues like the racism we want to talk about, we’re not at the table to make the decisions that affect us.”
Part of the problem, she suggests, is a lack of unified leadership within the diverse Indian community itself, which is fragmented into many regional and cultural associations. This makes it hard to speak with one strong voice. She also criticises political tokenism, where parties make superficial efforts to engage migrant communities just before elections.
“We are tired of tokenism,” she says.
Housing and blame
One of the hottest topics is housing. Are migrants causing the crisis? The panel’s answer was a clear no.
“By buying homes, we are fulfilling the Australian dream and actually solving the housing problem by providing rentals,” says Juneja.
He argues, “A migrant’s first aim is to buy a home… When you buy an investment property, guess who lives in that? So we are actually solving the housing crisis.”
Arya explains it in simple economic terms. “The real problem is the supply curve. Supply is decreasing.” He lists the real issues: “zoning bottlenecks, a decline in the construction workforce, and very slow planning approvals. These are structural supply constraints. This is simply misplacing blame on migrants.”
Dhanji adds a powerful fact. “During COVID, all the migrants had gone home, yet housing prices were still going up. So the migrants weren’t here, but there was a shortage… Let’s not blame the easy target.”
The road ahead
When asked what needs to change, the panelists are united: integration must be a two-way street. “It’s not only migrants who must adapt,” Shah says. “Australians also need to engage with us.”
For Juneja, hope lies with the second generation of migrants who are entering Australian politics with a better understanding of the system. He is frustrated with some first-generation leaders who, he feels, bring divisive political baggage from India.
Arya urges governments to invest in “proactive cohesion building” and for community leaders to “actively build bridges” between all groups.
The discussion closed with a reminder that Australia is not alone. “People in India and Australia are watching what is happening in Europe,” says Juneja. “When migration policies fail, alarm bells ring everywhere.”
At a time when migration dominates national debate, the voices of those living it daily offer a more nuanced story—one of resilience, belonging, and the constant work of building bridges.
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