A slight majority of voters believe immigration has made Australia a better place, an exclusive SBS-commissioned Essential Media poll revealed on Monday.
The poll found 51 per cent of respondents thought immigration was "generally positive" for the country, 35 per cent believed it was "generally negative" and 15 per cent were unsure.
The top reason respondents gave for supporting immigration was "it creates economic growth".
51 of respondents think immigration to Australia is "generally positive" for the country. Source: AAP
While the top reason people gave for opposing immigration was "new immigrants often fail to assimilate with the rest of the population".
Throughout the federal election campaign, the Coalition has conflated immigration numbers with congestion in Australia's urban cities like Sydney and Melbourne. But the poll suggested this is not gaining traction. Only 13 per cent of people said they opposed immigration due to overcrowding.
The poll was conducted online from 24 April to 29 April and is based on 1,010 respondents.
Source: SBS NEWS
Full results
Do you think immigration to Australia is generally positive or generally negative for the country?
Generally positive: 51 per cent
Generally negative: 35 per cent
Unsure: 15 per cent
Which of the following do you see as the most important benefit of immigration to Australia?
It creates economic growth: 43 per cent
It creates cultural diversity: 31 per cent
It helps to fill gaps in our workforce: 11 per cent
It helps to solve global problems: 9 per cent
It helps us plan for an aging population: 5 per cent
Which of the following do you see as the most important problem with immigration to Australia?
New immigrants often fail to assimilate with the rest of the population: 37 per cent
It makes it harder for ordinary Australians to find work: 22 per cent
It makes terrorist attacks in Australia more likely: 19 per cent
It makes our communities more crowded: 13 per cent
It makes our communities less safe: 8 per cent
Additional reporting: Gwen Griffith
