Race plays an undeniable role in shaping the labour market experiences of migrants in Australia, yet it’s a topic that remains conspicuously absent from mainstream discourse. In his new book, Australia: The Racial Caste System, Sushil Suresh confronts this silence head-on, challenging the pervasive myth that skilled migrants seamlessly integrate into professional roles.
“It’s propaganda that most skilled migrants work in professional roles; the reality is far grimmer,” says Suresh, who draws on extensive data and personal accounts to expose how systemic discrimination and racial hierarchies funnel migrants into low-wage roles, regardless of their qualifications or experience. His book critiques migration policies and labour market dynamics, delivering an unflinching examination of issues that are too often ignored.
Suresh draws on extensive research, including Australian Bureau of Statistics data, to trace how skilled migrants are funnelled into low-wage roles despite their qualifications. “The appearance of diversity on the streets and in workplaces feeds into the lie,” he argues. “But any interested observer will find well-educated migrants from the Global South—doctors, engineers—driving cabs or working in jobs unrelated to their education. This isn’t by chance; it’s by design.”
His analysis critiques Australia’s skilled migration program, questioning its ability to address labour market needs and challenging the very definition of “skill.” “Most migrants today hold tertiary qualifications, often from Australian universities. Yet their working lives reflect a system that forces them into alternative paths, often low-status or precarious jobs,” Suresh says. This, he argues, perpetuates White privilege while marginalising non-white communities.
While Suresh acknowledges that individual choice and circumstance play a role—some migrants prefer stable factory jobs or ethnic niches—he views these patterns collectively as promoting systemic inequality. “Many immigrants are just happy to be working in Australia, regardless of the job. But when we step back and view this as a social trend, it becomes impossible to ignore how racial hierarchies structure the labour market.”
Sectors such as health care, transport, and construction are particularly illustrative of these dynamics, Suresh explains. These industries rely heavily on migrant labour, yet roles available to migrants often involve fewer qualifications, lower pay, and limited security. “Even within these sectors, there’s a clear racial hierarchy,” he says. “It’s not just a coincidence; it’s a structural issue.”
Suresh’s book doesn’t offer simple solutions, but it calls for a long-overdue reckoning with the uncomfortable truths about race and migration in Australia. As he says, “This isn’t just about data or policy—it’s about real people, real lives, and the systemic forces that shape their opportunities. Until we confront this, Australia cannot claim to be the fair and equal society it aspires to be.”
Australia: The Racial Caste System is available worldwide on Amazon.
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