The host of The Eric André Show has accused security at Melbourne airport of discrimination, alleging he was pulled from a line and subjected to a sniffer dog search because of his race.
In a video posted on Instagram on Monday, the Emmy-nominated host of The Eric André Show said that he was traveling via Melbourne for work over the past few days, and was “pulled out of a lineup and put in a special line” where he was “sniffed thoroughly” by a security dog.
“It’s one of the many times I’ve been racially profiled at the airport,” the comedian alleged, saying the incident took place while travelling by Qantas International via Terminal 2 at Melbourne airport, en route from Los Angeles to Brisbane.
He warned non-white followers travelling through that terminal: “They are searching 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 we expect everyone to be treated equally.
“Upon being made aware 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 in charge of processing all international arrivals into Australia, including at Melbourne airport, to investigate. Those agencies have now provided a response to Mr Andre.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) told the Guardian that all international arrivals are subject to biosecurity screening. “As part of these processes, every traveller will complete incoming passenger cards and may have their baggage scanned through x-rays, be subject to individual inspections and unpacking of baggage, or by general screening with the assistance of our highly trained dogs,” they said. “Any traveller coming into Australia will experience some or all of these screening measures.”
On Instagram, André asked anyone hiring him for future employment in Australia to not make him go through Melbourne airport alone: “Provide a police escort or some type of security escort for me, or have me fly into Brisbane or Sydney directly. I do not feel safe in the Melbourne airport.”
Of the security dog program, he said: “It has nothing to do with safety, it has everything to do with racial harassment.” He also asked followers for recommendations for discrimination lawyers in Australia.
“I don’t want to cut my hair and wear a three piece suit so that I’m treated like a first class citizen,” he continued. “I shouldn’t be made to feel that I am unacceptable by entering a country. Shame on the people at the Melbourne airport that have this cockamamie procedure.”
André did not immediately reply to the Guardian’s request for comment.
At time of publication André’s post had received more than 41,000 likes and 2,300 comments, with many followers posting messages of support and sharing their own experiences.
The Australian actor Zoe Terakes posted: “This is fucked mate. I’m sorry. Big love.”
Adam Briggs, one half of political rap duo AB Original, wrote: “As your Guardian Angel of Racist Australia; welcome!”
André has previously talked about being subjected to racial profiling at airports, and in 2022 he sued Clayton county in the US over an incident involving police at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta international airport, which the county described as a “consensual encounter”.
At the time he said: “I have the resources to bring national attention and international attention to this incident. It’s not an isolated incident.”
Melbourne Airport Responds to Eric Andre's Allegations
Melbourne Airport said the agencies responsible for processing international arrivals, Australian Border Force and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, have now responded to him.
The airport has stated that it does not tolerate racism and that the incident is being investigated by the appropriate agencies. The ABF has stated that it was not involved in the incident, while DAFF has stated that all travelers are subject to biosecurity screening.
Racial Profiling in Australian Airports
This is not the first time that staff at Australian airports have been accused of racial profiling passengers.
Indigenous artist Jandamarra Cadd said he was racially profiled and “interrogated” by ABF staff on his return to Australia from a diplomatic trip to Indonesia in 2017.
In 2022, Senator Lidia Thorpe claimed she was racially profiled by airline staff at Canberra Airport when boarding a flight.
The Lack of Data on Racial Profiling in Australia
Tamar Hopkins, a racial profiling researcher, said a lack of Australian data made assessing the extent of racial profiling in institutions across the country extremely difficult.
“Australia is about 25 to 30 years behind the UK, the US and Canada in terms of record collecting on racial profiling data,” Dr Hopkins said.
“By not collecting that data, we’re left in the dark about the extent of racial profiling that is going on in Australia.”
When asked whether it collected data on random security checks of passengers, Melbourne Airport said the processing of all international border arrivals was the responsibility of government agencies.
Dr Hopkins said anecdotal evidence suggested patterns of racial profiling in Australia, which could extend across multiple industries.
While racial profiling is effectively banned through the Race Discrimination Act, there are few institutions which have actually introduced clear bans against it in their policies.
Dr Hopkins said organisations needed to take the lead and introduce ways of randomising their screening processes to free them of human bias.
“These biases occur across the population for all individuals, regardless of their individual racial background. Racial profiling can occur by anyone and it can be done consciously or unconsciously,” she said.
“I really think given the level of unconscious bias across society, it is incumbent on organisations to design out the opportunity for individuals to engage in bias.”
She highlighted the police strategy of conducting random breath tests in batches as ways to cut down on any unconscious biases.
Eric Andre's Previous Experiences with Racial Profiling
It is also not the first time André has claimed he was racially profiled while travelling.
In 2022, André and fellow comedian Clayton English filed a lawsuit after incidents at Atlanta Airport, claiming they were each stopped by police officers due to racial profiling.
A Georgia District court dismissed the case in 2023 due to a lack of supporting evidence, a decision which is currently being appealed.
André's experience highlights the ongoing issue of racial profiling in airports and other public spaces. It is important to continue to address this issue and to hold institutions accountable for discriminatory practices. The lack of data on racial profiling in Australia makes it difficult to fully assess the extent of the problem, but anecdotal evidence suggests that it is a significant issue. It is essential for organizations to take steps to address unconscious bias and to create systems that are fair and equitable for all.
