Recently, a sensational rumour swept through Australia’s Chinese community: “Australia officially cancels citizenship, 100,000 Chinese affected.” The eye-catching headline sparked widespread concern and panic among Chinese Australians. However, following an in-depth investigation by official Australian media, it has been confirmed that the claim is completely false and nothing more than a malicious fabrication.

The rumour appears to have originated from several migration consultancy agencies. Earlier this month, one such agency published a photoshopped image on a Chinese social media platform commonly used by the community. The image featured Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with the alarming caption: “Australia enters black mode, targeting 100,000 Chinese.” The post falsely claimed that the Albanese government was planning to enter an agreement with a third country to deport non-citizens from Australia, and that this would severely affect Chinese migrants and their families.

In reality, the Australian government has no such plans. While Australia has had resettlement arrangements with countries such as New Zealand and the United States in the past, these were strictly limited to specific refugee cases and not targeted at the broader Chinese community.

On 28 February, another agency based in China posted a claim that “Australia has officially announced the cancellation of citizenship,” this time accompanied by a photo of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. The post twisted Dutton’s comments, made in the context of concerns over two Sydney nurses allegedly making antisemitic remarks, where he questioned whether Australia's migration system sufficiently filters for alignment with Australian values. The post misrepresented his remarks to suggest that “it will become harder to migrate to Australia,” attempting to drive users to apply for skilled migration visas through the agency’s services.

In fact, the Australian government has not issued any statements regarding the cancellation of citizenship, nor have any new measures been introduced targeting Chinese migrants. Coalition campaign spokesperson Senator James Paterson called the headline “completely fake, potentially misleading to voters and fear-mongering.”

Experts from several Australian universities have expressed concern over the spread of misinformation in non-English speaking communities. They noted that current regulations are lacking when it comes to identifying and managing disinformation targeting these groups, and the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has not been actively monitoring the social media platforms in question. Although the spread of these false claims remains relatively limited at this stage, experts warn that during an election year, such misinformation could influence marginal seats with large Chinese-Australian populations. The posts, which circulate widely on platforms popular within the Chinese community, could pose a serious risk to voter decision-making.

The REcapture team, which specialises in analysing these platforms, described the posts as "commercially motivated disinformation" — exploiting the fears and anxieties of Chinese migrants for profit.

A spokesperson for the AEC confirmed that while the Commission does not actively regulate the platforms involved, it has the ability to review content and respond to complaints when necessary. The AEC is currently reviewing the posts in question. In the meantime, it urges voters to remain cautious when encountering online information, particularly from unverified sources on social media.

As the federal election draws near, the public is reminded to stay alert to false or misleading content. Chinese Australians are also encouraged to remain vigilant and avoid being misled by such rumours.

If you have any questions or would like professional assistance, please feel free to contact us at Riverwood Migration (Email: enquiry@riverwoodmigration.com). We are committed to providing transparent, expert migration services to help you achieve your dream of moving to Australia.

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