Labor’s recent push to fast-track citizenship ceremonies ahead of the election is yet another spectacular demonstration of their disconnect from the migrant community.

The assumption that this move might translate into a surge of grateful new voters marching straight to the ballot box is laughable. If anything, it exposes a complete and utter lack of understanding of what the migrant experience actually entails.

For those born Australian citizens, the logic might seem sound: grant citizenship, win votes. Simple, right? But the reality of the citizenship process is far more complicated.

There are two fundamental hurdles that have been completely overlooked: newly minted citizens must first enrol to vote, and then they must have some idea of what the parties actually stand for. Labor has addressed neither because, quite frankly, they have no clue about the migrant electorate. Even more, it is borderline insulting that a person who managed to have the strength and courage to move to a different country to start their life from scratch will just trust a bloke who shows up once, briefly, at a citizenship ceremony without a clear role or attachment to the events.

The First Hurdle: Enrolling to Vote

Becoming an Australian citizen does not automatically put you on the electoral roll. You must actively enrol by filling out a form and consenting to it. It is only once you are on the roll that voting becomes compulsory. By the time a migrant reaches their citizenship ceremony, they will likely have been warned by their recently naturalised friends to avoid enrolment at all costs.

The first thing many new citizens learn about Australian elections is not the value of democracy, but the persistent rumours of hefty fines for failing to vote. Some claim the fines run into the hundreds, others whisper that elections are so frequent it’s impossible to keep track. What no one tells them is how many options exist to vote early or by post. And so, the natural response? Avoid the electoral roll altogether.

By the time the citizenship ceremony rolls around, a new citizen’s trusted migrant friendship circle – the same people who have guided them through endless paperwork, ever-changing visa rules, and years of uncertainty – will have already shared a well-rehearsed strategy for dodging enrolment.

I remember my own ceremony in September 2014. There were no politicians, no fancy speeches, no sandwiches – not even a potted plant to commemorate the occasion. The whole thing was stripped-down and efficient, with a collective pledge divided into two groups: those happy to mention God and those who weren’t. But the AEC? They were there in force, manning the exits to ensure no one slipped through without enrolling. Of course, I already knew the escape plan: claim you need the bathroom and run.

The Second Hurdle: Knowing Who to Vote For

Let’s assume, for argument’s sake, that Labor manages to get a portion of these newly minted-citizens onto the electoral roll. Their next challenge? Convincing them to vote Labor. And this is where the whole plan descends into farce.

Most migrants are not embedded in the Australian political landscape. Even those who genuinely love living here take years to adjust to the local way of life, let alone engage with the two-party system. One can qualify for citizenship after just four years of residency – hardly enough time to become fluent in the complexities of Australian politics.

Even those who arrive with a decent command of English struggle. Consuming local news in a second language is excruciatingly difficult. Most migrants stick to news from their home country, following updates in their native tongue. Four years is nowhere near long enough to develop a deep understanding of Australia’s political system – certainly not enough to distinguish between the major parties, let alone know who Tony Burke is. The average new citizen, much like the average Australian, recognises the current Prime Minister’s face and name and perhaps might be able to name their State Premier. Beyond that, it’s a blur.

I speak from experience. Despite my deep interest in politics and my firm conservative stance, I had no idea which party aligned with my values when I first voted. I asked a colleague, an accounting professor at my university, who took one look at me and declared, ‘Oh, you’re definitely Liberal.’ That first election was a disaster. I got utterly lost in the preferential voting system, ignored the how-to-vote cards, and threw a second preference to the Pirate Party because I found the name amusing.

I mastered cooking kangaroo long before I understood the Australian electoral system. Even today, despite my research skills and active Liberal Party membership, I still have to pause and think about preference distribution.

If Labor holds an assumption that migrants will vote en masse for them, it is not just arrogant but absurd. Most won’t bother researching policies or candidates – they’ll take a how-to-vote card and follow it blindly. If Labor is banking on a migrant voting bloc, they’re in for a rude awakening. You can rush people through the citizenship process, but you can’t fast-track political awareness or engagement.

So, Labor’s great citizenship blitz? A spectacular misfire. It is a terrible misjudgment and an astonishing disconnect with the migrant electorate. They may have churned out new citizens in record time, but turning them into informed, Labor-loyal voters or voters at all? That’s another story entirely.