Photo credit: The Greek Herald
Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) Chair Peter Doukas OAM has warned that the politicisation of migration risks harming vulnerable communities, urging Greek Australians to draw on their own migrant history and play a greater role in shaping the national conversation.
Speaking to The Greek Herald amid continuing national debate over immigration policy, Doukas expressed concern that political arguments surrounding migration were overshadowing Australia’s multicultural achievements and the contributions of migrant communities.
He argued that established migrant communities, including Greek Australians, had an important responsibility to contribute to the discussion, particularly as successive generations became further removed from their families’ experiences of migration.
Describing the Greek Australian community as one of the country’s most successful examples of multicultural integration, he pointed out its record of social cohesion, collaboration and participation in the wider Australian community.
However, he cautioned that this success could also lead to complacency towards newer arrivals, particularly as younger generations became more distant from their own families’ migration experiences.
Doukas expressed concern that discussions about migration and economic pressures were becoming entangled with broader questions about multiculturalism and settlement.
He stressed that advocating for compassionate migration policies did not mean supporting unrestricted migration.
Doukas argued that migration policy needed to consider a range of factors rather than allowing overseas arrivals to become the central focus of political arguments.
