Social welfare group Anglicare Victoria says it fears the reason behind the federal government's cap on African refugees could be prompting racist attacks against Sudanese Australians.
Anglicare and the Anglican Church Social Responsibilities Committee have called for calm and greater community understanding around the issue of Sudanese refugee immigration.
They have also called for better targeted integration programs, including more relevant literacy and numeracy programs, and a greater commitment to developing community youth programs and employment opportunities.
Last week, federal Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews announced the government would cut African refugee numbers to just over 4,000 this year and take in about 9,000 from Asia and the Middle East.
Mr Andrews said there appeared to be problems specifically with African migrants having difficulty in settling in Australia.
Anglicare Victoria chief executive Dr Ray Cleary said this was unfair.
"The federal government's cap on Sudanese refugees based on their divisive claim that they are not integrating well is unfair and may even contribute to racist actions such as those against a Sudanese teenager in Melton recently," he said.
His comments follow an alleged unprovoked attack on a Sudanese-born teenager in Melton on Tuesday.
The high school student was riding home from work when allegedly he was attacked by four men who stole his wallet and phone, and sent racist text messages and phone calls to the boy's brother.
Dr Cleary said Anglicare worked with Sudanese in Gippsland, in Victoria's south-east, and at Box Hill, in Melbourne's east, to help them settle into the communities.
Anglican Church committee member Graham Reynolds said Mr Andrews' comments were very unsettling to some Sudanese who had made it to the safety of Australia, but were working to bring out family members left behind in precarious refugee camps.
"These aren't queue jumpers or gang members. These are people who have sought a better life in Australia, sometimes after spending years on the run from violence," he said.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says Australia needs to turn its focus to accepting refugees from Asia, particularly Burma, rather than from Sudan.
Mr Downer said there were 25 million people classified as refugees around the world each year.
He said Australia took in 13,000 of those every year, which was "very generous" by international standards.
"I think it would be normal for Australia as an Asia-Pacific country to give particular emphasis to Asia and particular emphasis to Burma at this time," Mr Downer told ABC Radio.
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