Revealing the secret: Why is there no traditional mafia in Australia? In-depth analysis of the dual defense lines of rule of law and multiculturalism

Hello everyone, I am the assistant of Australian Encyclopedia. Recently, some friends asked me about“Why is there no mafia in Australia?”This question may seem simple, but it actually involves multiple factors such as Australia's social structure, legal system, history and culture. Today, I will combine official data, expert opinions and actual cases to take you to find out.

---

### 1. Is it true that there is “no gang” in Australia?
First of all, it should be made clear that Australia is not completely free of organized crime. According to a report by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC), in 2022, more than 300 cases related to illegal motorcycle gangs (such as the Hells Angels and the Rebels) were investigated and dealt with across Australia. These organizations were involved in drug trafficking, money laundering and violent crimes.

But compared with the traditional "mafia", they show three significant differences:
1. **Limited size**: The number of members is usually between dozens and hundreds, much smaller than the Italian Mafia or the Japanese Yamaguchi-gumi;
2. Low publicity: Rarely exists through collecting protection fees, controlling neighborhoods, etc.;
3. **Quick Strike**: The Anti-Gang Legislation passed in 2012 allows the police to directly freeze criminal assets, and in 2023 New South Wales enacted legislation to ban gang members from gathering in public places.

---

### 2. The Sword of the Rule of Law: The World’s Most Tough Crime Fighting System
Australia's legal system curbs the growth of gangs in three ways:

#### 1. Zero tolerance law enforcement
- **Joint Law Enforcement Mechanism**: The AFP shares intelligence with state police forces in real time, and the response time for transnational crime investigations is only 48 hours;
- **Financial Monitoring Network**: AUSTRAC (Australian Financial Intelligence Agency) requires banks to automatically warn of transactions exceeding AUD 10,000. In 2023, the number of money laundering cases uncovered as a result increased by 27% year-on-year;
- **Sentence stacking system**: Taking Victoria as an example, the minimum sentence for armed robbery is 7 years. If gang activities are involved, an additional 50% sentence will be imposed.

#### 2. Preventive legislative innovation
- **"Unexplained Wealth" Act**: Suspects must prove the legal source of their property, otherwise it will be confiscated. In 2021, a drug lord in Western Australia had his mansion and 12 sports cars confiscated;
- **Normalization of electronic monitoring**: High-risk personnel are required to wear GPS anklets with a positioning accuracy of up to 1 meter.

#### 3. Ensuring judicial transparency
All criminal case judgments are made public in the AustLII database and can be accessed by the public at any time. This kind of "sunshine justice" has greatly reduced the space for rent-seeking.

---

### 3. Social melting pot: multiculturalism eliminates the soil for crime
#### 1. The “screening effect” of immigration policy
In the Australian skilled immigrant EOI scoring system, **no criminal record is a mandatory requirement**. Among the 2 million immigrants approved in the past decade, 99.6% passed the background check. This high threshold directly filters out potential criminal groups.

#### 2. Community “de-marginalization” project
The government invests A$800 million each year in:
- Employment training for Aboriginal communities (unemployment rate reduced from 21% in 2015 to 9% in 2023);
- Psychological counseling for teenagers (the juvenile crime rate has been declining for five consecutive years);
- Multicultural festivals and events (e.g. Sydney’s Lunar New Year celebrations attracted over 1 million visitors).

#### 3. Social structure dominated by the middle class
The median annual household income in Australia is A$96,000, and the Gini coefficient is 0.33 (lower than the US's 0.48). A stable economic foundation reduces the motivation of the lower-class people to obtain resources through crime.

---

Five major issues related to the "Australian underworld"

#### Q1: Can we see gang fights on the streets of Australia?
Answer: The probability is extremely low. The police implement a "72-hour clearing" policy for gang conflicts - a fight broke out in a bar in Melbourne in 2023, and the two major motorcycle gangs involved had their licenses revoked the next day.

#### Q2: Do international students need to worry about threats from gangs?
A: No need to worry too much, but please note:
- Avoid travelling alone late at night to areas with low safety ratings such as Kingscross (Sydney) or Footscray (Melbourne);
- Stay away from underground casinos, illegal currency exchange points and other gray areas.

#### Q3: Are there “underground forces” in the Chinese community?
A: According to statistics from the Australian Chinese Charity Alliance, the crime rate among Chinese is only one-third of the national average. Chinese restaurants, supermarkets, etc. generally install emergency alarm devices that are directly connected to the police.

#### Q4: What should I do if I encounter blackmail?
Call 000 immediately and remember three rules:
- No private negotiations (the police provide free translation services);
- Do not delete evidence (text messages, surveillance videos, etc.);
- Do not spread panic (Australia’s Witness Protection Act ensures the safety of whistleblowers).

#### Q5: What is the global level of Australia’s public security?
The Economist Safe Cities Index 2023 shows:
- Sydney (4th) and Melbourne (8th) are among the top ten cities in the world;
- The homicide rate is only 0.8/100,000 (compared to 6.3/100,000 in the United States).

---

### Conclusion
Australia is not a utopia, but it has successfully suppressed the survival space of traditional gangs through its dual-track system of "rule of law high-voltage line + social safety net". As John Blaxland, a professor at the University of Sydney, said: "When the law becomes the most reliable weapon of citizens, violent organizations lose their logic of existence."

Thank you for your reading. I hope this article can help you understandThe underlying logic of Australia's social securityIf you plan to immigrate, study abroad or invest in Australia, you may wish to bookmark our website to obtain the latest policy interpretations and life guides!

> Data source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC), Australian Federal Police (AFP) 2023 Annual Report