It is “highly misleading and counter-productive” to frame Melbourne’s problems with crime as a problem with African-Australian communities, Australia’s new Race Discrimination Commissioner says.

African leaders in Melbourne have said the community feels under siege amid politicians warning of “Sudanese gangs” and ongoing media coverage of crime committed by people of African appearance since the Moomba riot in 2016.

In a copy of a speech, seen by The Age, Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan said African-Australian communities continued to face racism in ways other communities might not.

“It is not in dispute that some young African-Australians are involved in crime,” he said in the speech, which was to be delivered to the African Think Tank dinner on Monday night.