Source : Perth Now news
Migrants working as doctors, nurses, carers, scientists and farmers in rural Australia wrongly cop the blame for a complex “vicious cycle” fraying social cohesion, research shows.
A declining trust in governments and institutions runs much deeper than immigration in regions, driven instead by the cost-of-living, housing pressures, isolation and poor access to healthcare.
“Migration is often linked to social cohesion because migrants are highly visible and can become a proxy for broader concerns that are harder to identify,” an essay from the Regional Australia Institute states.
The essay, released on Wednesday, said rural residents’ sense of being “left behind” and decreased face-to-face contact were also linked to anti-government sentiment.
Individual stressors contributed to a “vicious cycle” threatening the social fabric, the essay said.
“Someone who is struggling financially, or is in poor health, may become more socially isolated as a result, which may reduce their sense of wellbeing and trust in institutions, while increasing their susceptibility to misinformation.”
It said populist politics and social media consumption stoked negative views on migration.
“Social cohesion has been confused to be a discussion about migration and it is much more nuanced and complex than that,” the institute’s chief executive Liz Ritchie told AAP.
“Unfortunately we’ve been having a race to the bottom in terms of the dialogue around migration.”
While all sides of politics move to change migration settings and cap working visa holders, regional communities have spoken of the essential value of migrants.
Several peak farming bodies told a Senate inquiry in May overseas workers not only fill critical labour gaps, but secure local jobs, boost innovation and enrich rural Australian culture.
“They bring cultural and social perspectives … and foster tolerance and understanding of what’s happening elsewhere in the world,” Tasmanian farmer Michele Lawrence said.
The institute’s report pointed to data showing only 24 per cent of people living in outer regional and remote areas trusted federal government, compared to 35 per cent in major cities.
There was also a much lower satisfaction rate with democracy in the regions, the McKinnon Index showed.
Social cohesion can be defined narrowly as the absence of violence and hatred, or more broadly as a reflection of national wellbeing and a feeling of belonging.
These loose definitions made it harder for Australia to take action, the essay said.
Ms Ritchie said social cohesion should be considered a “national asset”, with investment in infrastructure that forms connections, from libraries and halls to childcare and health services.
“A lot of things lead to to this lack of social cohesion … it is alarming,” Ms Ritchie said.
“It can be turned around, but it takes focus and a government to really step out and genuinely invest in regional Australia.”
