The Federal Government will examine what can be done to prevent the children of new immigrants from joining criminal gangs.

Key points: Newly established inquiry comes amid criticism of Malcolm Fraser's immigration policies

Newly established inquiry comes amid criticism of Malcolm Fraser's immigration policies Joint Standing Committee on Migration will look at screening process when people are given Australian visas

Joint Standing Committee on Migration will look at screening process when people are given Australian visas Children's Commissioner in Victoria voices concerns about potential marginalisation

The newly established inquiry comes amid criticism of Malcolm Fraser's immigration policies, with Immigration Minister Peter Dutton saying the former prime minister made mistakes with his refugee intake.

The Joint Standing Committee on Migration will look at the screening process when people are given Australian visas, support services when they arrive in Australia, and whether visa can be revoked if migrants become involved in gangs.

The inquiry's chairman, Liberal MP Jason Wood, said he has been lobbying Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Mr Dutton about concerns regarding gang violence in his Melbourne electorate.

"When we look at the Apex gang in particular, we're having young people getting involved in exceptionally serious crimes," he said.

"If we don't look at this, they're going to end up in adult prisons and they'll be converted. And experience tells us they'll either become extremists or become even more violent."

He said that his focus was Melbourne, but was worried about violence spreading to other areas of the country.

"We need to ensure when people come to our country and they don't commit offences … and if they do, we take the strongest action possible against them," Mr Wood said.

"We need to look at this before it actually goes right across the country."

When pressed on concerns about further marginalisation of migrant youth, Mr Wood said "we have to call a spade a spade".

Dutton says mistakes were made under Fraser government

Mr Dutton says similar issues emerged with refugees brought in during Mr Fraser's prime ministership in the 1970s and 80s.

Under his leadership between 1975 to 1982, Australia welcomed about 200,000 immigrants from Asian countries — including nearly 56,000 from Vietnam alone.

More than 2,000 Vietnamese people who arrived by boat without documentation were also granted entry under policies initiated by the Fraser government.

But Mr Dutton said mistakes were made.

"The reality is Malcolm Fraser did make mistakes in bringing some people in, in the 1970s, and we're seeing that today," he said.

"We need to be honest in having that discussion. There was a mistake made."

Dutton using Fraser as distraction: Shorten

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten accused the Immigration Minister of "bagging a former Liberal prime minister" to distract from a discussion on 457 visas and skilled migration.

"Immigration has been part of the success of the Australian development," he said.

Mr Shorten said there was bipartisan support for the inquiry and did not believe the Coalition was intending to cast aspersions on any ethnic group.

"I do support the federal inquiry and Australians should be reassured that both Liberal and Labor want to see a crackdown on gang crime," he said.

"I do recognise that ordinary people do feel scared and that sometimes in the media we have a debate about the offender, but not enough about the victim.

"We have got to stand up and speak up for victims who have experienced the trauma of crime and that's why this inquiry is important, and whatever we can do to help the victims of crime is fundamental to keeping the community safe."

'Racist undertones' in media coverage of new arrivals in Victoria

The Children's Commissioner in Victoria has voiced concerns about the potential for marginalisation.

Liana Buchanan said the inquiry needs to look at providing better services for new arrivals, and cautioned against exaggerating the issue.

"We've seen some really unfortunate racist undertones, if not explicit racism in some of the community conversation and media coverage of these issues in Victoria," she said.

"I'd hate to see that replicated at a national level."

The inquiry will begin to hear from the public early next year.