A Sunshine lawyer from South Sudan has described Federal Immigration Minister Peter Dutton’s comments about illiterate refugees taking Australian jobs as “racially based and xenophobic” and “laughable”.
Kot Monoah, a personal injury lawyer with Slater and Gordon, said Mr Dutton’s comments reinforces “inequalities already faced by refugees” and perceptions refugees are “competitors instead of fellow Australian mates deserving a fair go”.
Fairfax Media reported Mr Dutton saying this morning “illiterate and innumerate” refugees would take Australian jobs or “languish” on the dole and use free health services provided by Medicare.
He was responding on Sky News about a Greens idea to boost the refugee intake to 50,000.
“The comments are unfortunate,” Mr Monoah said.
“(They) reinforce stereotyping (of) refugees and the newly arrived migrants. They are also racially biased and xenophobic.
“These comments are laughable because there are many refugees who are well educated but unfortunately because of war circumstances in their home countries, they flee to avoid prosecution.”
“There are many refugees who are well educated here and have not found jobs in their respective fields of specialization [but work in other fields].”
