Melbourne Airport said an alleged incident of racism against a US comedian was being investigated by government authorities.
Comedian Eric André posted on social media on Monday that he was singled out after arriving at Melbourne Airport’s Terminal 2 and placed in a separate queue for a security check.
“I don’t want to be humiliated or racially discriminated against at these airports anymore,” said André.
“Shame on the people at Melbourne Airport for allowing this stupid procedure to take place. I doubt it will make the world a safer place for anyone in Melbourne or Australia.”
In the social media post, André asked future employers to organize a police or security escort for him at the airport because he no longer feels safe in the terminal.
Melbourne Airport said in a statement that the allegations were contrary to the airport’s philosophy and that the relevant authorities had launched an investigation.
“Melbourne Airport does not tolerate any form of racism. We welcome all passengers to Melbourne and expect everyone to be treated equally,” a Melbourne Airport spokesman said.
“Upon learning of Mr Andre’s complaint, we immediately requested the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), the government agencies responsible for processing all international arrivals into Australia, including at Melbourne Airport, to investigate the incident.
“These authorities have now given Mr Andre an answer.”
Melbourne Airport said it had been informed by government authorities that André had not been arrested or questioned at any time.
André claims he was sniffed by a sniffer dog at Melbourne Airport. (ABC NEWS: Emma Machan )
In response to the allegations, the ABF stated that it had no involvement in the incident.
“We have confirmed that this was not an Australian Border Force sniffer dog or any interaction,” the ABF said.
“Here at the ABF, we are really proud of our diverse workforce, particularly at (Melbourne Airport), and the work they do – both with people and dogs – to keep the country safe.”
DAFF stated in its response that all travellers would undergo biosecurity screening upon entry to Australia.
“As part of these processes, each traveller must complete an entry card and their luggage may be x-rayed. They must also undergo individual checks and unpacking of their luggage or a general screening with the help of our highly trained dog,” said a spokesman for the agency.
“Every traveller entering Australia will experience some or all of these control measures.”
Allegations of racial profiling at Australian airports are nothing new
This is not the first time that Australian airport staff have been accused of discriminating against passengers based on their skin colour.
Indigenous artist Jandamarra Cadd said he was racially profiled and “interrogated” by ABF staff upon his return to Australia from a diplomatic trip to Indonesia in 2017.
In 2022, Senator Lidia Thorpe alleged that she was racially discriminated against by flight crew while boarding a plane at Canberra Airport.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry says that all travellers could be subject to the same screening procedures. (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry)
It is also not the first time that André claims to have been the victim of racist discrimination while travelling.
In 2022, André and fellow comedian Clayton English filed a lawsuit following incidents at Atlanta Airport, claiming they were both stopped by police officers due to racial profiling.
A district court in Georgia dismissed the lawsuit in 2023 due to lack of evidence; the decision is currently under appeal.
The Ministry of the Interior sets the general aviation security requirements and outcomes, with each airport establishing individual policies and protocols.
“Security screening procedures may vary at different Australian airports. Each airport has its own screening procedures which meet the Government’s requirements to achieve the required level of security,” the Department of Home Affairs website states.
“Selection for security clearance will not be based on gender, ethnicity, religion or employment.”
Missing data conceals possible racial profiling
Tamar Hopkins, a researcher on racial profiling, said the lack of Australian data makes it extremely difficult to assess the extent of racial profiling in institutions across the country.
“Australia is about 25 to 30 years behind the UK, US and Canada in collecting data on racial profiling,” Dr Hopkins said.
“By not collecting this data, we remain in the dark about the extent of racial profiling that is taking place in Australia.”
When asked whether it collects data on random security checks of passengers, Melbourne Airport stated that the processing of all international border crossings is the responsibility of government authorities.
According to Tamar Hopkins, there is a lack of available data on racial profiling in Australia. (ABC News: Rudy DeSantis)
Dr Hopkins said anecdotal evidence suggested patterns of racial profiling in Australia that may extend across multiple industries.
Although racial profiling is effectively prohibited by the Race Discrimination Act, there are few institutions that have actually enshrined clear prohibitions against it in their policies.
Dr Hopkins said organisations need to take the lead and implement methods to randomise their screening processes to rid them of human bias.
“These prejudices occur throughout the population, in all people, regardless of their individual ethnic background. Anyone can become a victim of racial profiling, consciously or unconsciously,” she said.
“I really think that given the extent of unconscious bias in society, it is the duty of organizations to remove the opportunity for individuals to express prejudice.”
She stressed that the police strategy of conducting random and group breathalyzer tests was one way to reduce unconscious bias.
