Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the country’s immigration policies on Monday, stressing that migration has brought “a great deal of benefit” to the nation, following nationwide anti-immigration rallies over the weekend.
Speaking to ABC News, Albanese acknowledged that some demonstrators expressed legitimate concerns but warned that far-right groups, including neo-Nazis, were exploiting the rallies to spread hate. “The idea that an open neo-Nazi was able to give a speech from the steps of the Victorian Parliament is something that isn’t the Australian way,” he said. He described much of the tone of the protests as “unfortunate” and, in some extreme cases, “hateful.”
Albanese emphasized that the protests do not reflect the views of the majority of Australians, noting that the country has long been enriched by multiculturalism. “We are a modern nation that has benefited from our diversity, with people of different ethnicities, religions, and backgrounds living in harmony,” he said. Far-right groups, including the National Socialist Network, had organized rallies in cities such as Melbourne and Sydney, chanting slogans such as “Hail White Australia.”
