Police confront a major trust deficit when dealing with people born in South Sudan, according to a new survey of our attitudes to races, religions and cultures.

About 81 per cent of people born in Australia report "a lot of trust" or "some trust" in the local police – a figure that is even higher for people from Afghanistan, Iran and India. But the rating among South Sudanese stands conspicuously lower, at just 26 per cent.

Anyaak Abiel, a youth worker with a South Sudanese background, says a lack of communication with police has led to mistrust in the community. Credit:Penny Stephens

South Sudanese are also far more likely to mistrust employers and trade unions, though their trust in public institutions, such as schools, doctors and Medicare is on a par with average ratings throughout the population.

The findings, from a detailed new survey conducted by Monash University, also show people from the South Sudanese community report a very low level of trust in their personal dealings.