Australians are seen as nothing like the caring, friendly and hospitable mob so often assumed, with an extensive new survey of recent migrants reporting high levels of ethnic or religious discrimination.

As the Abbott government prepares to strike down part of the racial discrimination law, the Monash University study has found many migrants regularly fear walking alone at night or becoming a victim of crime.

The survey, to be released on Monday, is the latest in a series ''mapping social cohesion'' funded by the Scanlon Foundation and the federal government, and the first to allow researchers to compare the experience of recent migrants to the wider Australian population.

It shows migrants settling over the past two decades often feel singled out because of their skin colour or faith - and report a disturbing lack of trust, both in other people and political institutions compared to the rest of the population.