More Australians anxious over immigration amid push to ban Gaza war refugees, new poll shows

A new poll found about 44 per cent supporting a pause on Palestinian refugee arrivals, while 42 per cent saw immigration as a negative

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Palestinian children collect belongings from a building targeted in an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza’s Maghazi refugee camp on Tuesday. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 8:00am, 28 Aug 2024Updated: 8:06am, 28 Aug 2024

More Australians view opposition leader Peter Dutton’s stance on banning Gaza refugees as a necessary national security measure rather than a political ploy, a new poll has shown, underscoring the growing public anxiety over immigration and its impact on national unity.

Dutton, the leader of the conservative party coalition, has for the past two weeks pushed to stop issuing Australian visas to refugees fleeing the war to prevent the admittance of Hamas sympathisers and criticised the Anthony Albanese government for its screening of such visa applications. Other lawmakers have decried his efforts as racist and divisive.

The controversy comes as public sentiment over Canberra’s stance on the Gaza war deteriorates in the lead-up to a federal election, amid an outcry over Islamophobia and antisemitism.

The latest Essential poll, which was released on Tuesday and focused mainly on Dutton’s refugee ban and immigration, found that 54 per cent of Australians believed the opposition leader “genuinely cares about national security” while 46 per cent said “he is more interested in driving division for political purposes”.

Newly constructed blocks of flats are seen in the Sydney suburb of Mascot in June. Photo: AFP

The poll also found that around 44 per cent of respondents supported a pause on Palestinian refugee arrivals, while 30 per cent were opposed and 26 per cent were undecided.