American actor and comedian Eric André claimed he was the victim of racist discrimination at Melbourne Airport.

In a video posted to Instagram on Monday, the Emmy-nominated host of The Eric André Show said he had been travelling through Melbourne for work in recent days and was “pulled out of a queue and placed in a special line” where he was “thoroughly sniffed” by a guard dog.

“This is one of many times I have been the victim of racial discrimination at the airport,” the comedian claimed, saying the incident occurred while he was travelling with Qantas International through Terminal 2 at Melbourne Airport en route from Los Angeles to Brisbane.

He warned his non-white followers who traveled through this terminal: “They search black, brown and indigenous people.”

In a statement to the Guardian, a Melbourne Airport spokesperson said: “Melbourne Airport does not tolerate racism in any form. We welcome all passengers to Melbourne and expect everyone to be treated equally.”

“Upon learning of Mr Andre’s complaint, we immediately asked 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 Melbourne Airport – to investigate the case. These agencies have now provided Mr Andre with a response.”

A representative of the Australian Border Force responded in the comments to Andre’s Instagram post, saying they were not involved in the incident. They wrote: “Here at the ABF we are really proud of our diverse workforce, particularly at @melbourneairportau, and the work they do – both humans and dogs – to keep the country safe.”

Representatives of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication.

On Instagram, André asked anyone who would hire him for a job in Australia in the future not to let him walk through Melbourne Airport alone: ​​”Provide me with a police escort or some sort of security escort or let me fly directly to Brisbane or Sydney. I don’t feel safe at Melbourne Airport.”

He said of the security dog ​​program: “It has nothing to do with security, it has everything to do with racial harassment.” He also asked his followers for recommendations for discrimination lawyers in Australia.

“I don’t want to cut my hair and wear a three-piece suit and be treated like a first class citizen,” he continued. “I shouldn’t feel like I’m unacceptable when I enter a country. Shame on the people at Melbourne Airport who have to undergo this stupid procedure.”

André did not immediately respond to The Guardian’s request for comment.

At the time of publication, Andrés post had received more than 41,000 likes and 2,300 comments, with many followers posting supportive messages and sharing their own experiences.

Australian actress Zoe Terakes posted: “This sucks mate. I’m sorry. Love you all.”

Adam Briggs, one half of the political rap duo AB Original, wrote: “As your guardian angel of racist Australia; welcome!”

André had previously spoken about being a victim of racial profiling at airports, and in 2022 he sued Clayton County in the United States over an incident with police at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport that the county described as a “consensual encounter.”

At the time, he said: “I have the means to draw national and international attention to this incident. It is not an isolated case.”