This paper examines the ‘most unsavoury reputation’ of Russians in Shanghai, as described in the post-war period by members of the British Consulate to the Australian Consul General and officers of the new Department of Immigration. Shanghai Russians were accused of being Japanese collaborators during the war, Soviet spies, and guilty of various criminal (and immoral) activities. This paper examines whether this general atmosphere of suspicion and intrigue influenced Australian immigration policy and/or the reception in Australia of the 7,000 Russians who ultimately came to Australia via China.