Social and economic impacts on african refugees family

Bishop (Dr) Peter Kekere

6th

June 2014

Social And Ecomomic Impacts on African Refugees Family in

Australia

2 Social and Economic Impacts on African Refugees Family in Australia- Bishop (Dr) Peter Kekere-2014

Title Page

Social and Economic Impacts on African Refugees Family in Australia

Bishop (Dr) Peter Kekere

Christ Apostolic Church Praise Centre Inc

Bankstown

6th

June 2014


About The Author

Bishop (Dr) Peter Kekere is the current General Overseer and Senior Pastor of Christ Apostolic Church

Praise Centre Inc, Australia, He is a Religious, Political, Social Justice, Human Rights and Community

development analyst. Dr. Peter Kekere holds Diploma in Business Management, BA (Hons) Religious

Education, Bachelor of Theology, Bachelor of Community Welfare, MA Social Science, PhD. He was

conferred with an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters, and Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa).

Bishop (Dr) Peter Kekere is the Director of Christ Apostolic Community Care, President of Multicultural

Gospel Band (MGB), Director of All Nations International ( Consultant) Company Inc (ANC). He is a

Social worker, Community worker, Business Consultant, Humanitarian Aid worker, Social Researcher,

Human Rights Activist, and Development worker. He is the President of the Ivorian Community Australia

(ICA), member of the Australian Institute of International Affair (AIIA), member of the Australian

Community Workers Association (ACWA), member of African Professional Australia (APA), associate

member of the Nigerian Association of New South Wales (NANSW)

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my family for offering me the chance of completing this report and the never ending

support they have provided. Also, I would like to thank all my friends for the encouragement and help they

have given me at all times. Without you, this research would not have been possible. I am thankful for

granting me this opportunity. I greatly appreciate the permission, cooperation, and support of the

individuals, and community organization in which this research was conducted.

I have taken efforts in this article written. However, it would not have been possible without the kind

support and help of many individuals. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of them. I take this

opportunity to express my profound gratitude and deep regards to my guide, colleagues, men and women


that support me, and for their exemplary guidance, monitoring and constant encouragement throughout the

course of written this paper.

I would like to express my gratitude towards my wife, my children, my students, my church members and of

course my mates in the academic and social science field and my parents for their kind co-operation and

encouragement which help me in the completion of this paper.

My profound appreciations also go the University of Western Sydney, Bankstown College of TAFE,

Sydney Institute of TAFE and other educational institutions that assisted me and permitted me to use their

available relevant resources, materials, library and online resources and information in the course of

completing my research or for this paper. I cannot emphasize my appreciation enough.

Thank You


Table of Contents Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... 6

Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 7

Research question .................................................................................................................. 7 Rationale of the Research ...................................................................................................... 7 Research design ..................................................................................................................... 8

Literature Review....................................................................................................................... 8 Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 10

Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 10 Theoretical Perspective ....................................................................................................... 10 Justification of method ......................................................................................................... 11 Data collection ..................................................................................................................... 11 Data Analysis ....................................................................................................................... 11

Ethics.................................................................................................................................... 12 Results ...................................................................................................................................... 12 Discussion ................................................................................................................................ 13

Recommendation……………………………………………………………………………..14

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 15 References ................................................................................................................................ 16


Abstract

This research is based on the social and economic impacts faced by the refugee family of Africa in

Australia, in result of the increasing issues of the struggling life of people in Australia. The struggle of

individuals in their day to day survival matters instead of investing in the skills of life; lack of satisfactory

education and expertise associated with the culture of Australia has highly impacted the family as they

struggle to easily understand the Australian tradition, new system, and people. In addition to this, they face

issues such as discrimination and racism, lack of finances, family breakdown, as well as unemployment. It

also includes poor health, drugs, alcohol, and social isolation. This report highlights the research on the

social and economic impact on the African refugee for which primary and secondary research is concluded.


Introduction

Several decades of political and civil conflicts ongoing in African countries has lead to the growing Sub-

Sahara African migration in the many Australian regions (Fozdar and Torezani 2008). All these African

migrants have come from the Ethiopia, Sudan, Congo, Eritrea, as well as many West African regions, which

also include Sierra Leone and Liberia (Fozdar and Torezani 2008).

Intake of recent migrants is mainly highlighted towards black Africans and from the larger intake,the

majority of the migrants has come from the Sudan, this country has faced a vicious as well as devastating

civil war which went on for 21 years, which forced the large number of Sudanese to become refugees and

move into the Australian regions (Fraser 2009).

The aim of this paper is to discuss the qualitative findings related to African refugee in Australia. This report

also highlights the social and political impact over the families, what all challenges they are facing, and

certain recommendations that, could improve their life (Grossman and Sharples 2010).

Research question

Question1: What all social and political impact faced by African refugee in Australia?

Question 2: How Australian reforms are impacted by the coming of Refugee’s?

Rationale of the Research

The rationale behind conducting this research is to support in developing many ideas in the area of research

by undertaking all the required knowledge, skills, as well as research competencies related to the work that

could help in further taking this research (Lee 2007). This research is quite supportive in understanding

about the refugees, and also gives voice to the refugee’s by highlighting their problems. This research is also

supportive in enlightening the community, so that they could have the knowledge of relevant techniques for

addressing the concern of refugee’s (Healey 2003).


Research design

In this research, qualitative method is used, in order to investigate about the various social and economic

impacts over the families of African refugees. Qualitative methods will help to engross performing intensive

interviews with the help of sample respondents, in order to know their perception about the relevant ideas as

well as circumstances (Valtonen 2004). This will permit the researcher to share their thoughts and

experience in this research. Qualitative method used in this research will also offer the efficient

environments in which relevant information could be gathered.

Literature Review

There are very less literatures based on African experiences in the Australian regions, which depicts the

discrimination in employment, as well as lack of understanding about the local work culture of the country.

This literature review has tried to acknowledge the literature progression throughout the period of around

three to five years, but in these years, the community of Africa has increased in the recent period and their

problems have also attracted the various publications to cover about various fields of study that tries to

address the challenges, which are faced by the African refugees (Spinks 2009).

Majka (2001) tries to asset the issues in context of underemployment and unemployment going among the

migrants of Africa in Australia that has resulted into the integration and personal issues. It is significant to

consider various other factors of underpinning that clearly examines the refugee’s employment

opportunities. For instance, Sheikh-Mohammed, MacIntyre, Wood, Leask and Isaacs (2006) tries to

acknowledge about the effects of the civil wars and related other factors such as, famine, dislocation, war,

isolation, and overcrowding, which holds long lasting effects over the refugee adoption and integration into

the wider society of Australia (Windle 2008).


This analysis is appropriate and focuses towards the refugee’s previous life, when they were in refugee

camps and present social, employment, economic, along with integration problems in Australia. The

employment issues presently faced by the African refugees, holds an impact over the adjustments in the

society of Australia. Access of employment is the most important as well an effective way for all the

communities of Africa to connect with the Australian society as discussed by Colic-Peisker and Tilbury

(2005).

The issues that contribute to the lack of employment as per Colic-Peisker and Tilbury (2007), and

experienced through the previous migrant groups, for example, South Americans, Middle Eastern, and

Europeans have tried to change the way as they sued to integrate in the society of Australia. The currently

come African migrants, mainly those affected by the issue of racism in the workplace, as they are black

Africans, and this is because of their cultural backgrounds and physical appearance (Hawa and Khadija

2000). However, given by the fact that, all these ethnic communities in Australia for long periods has,

collectively, and individually acquired the knowledge, skills, and experience that, lead them towards

employment.

Jupp (1994) supports this argument through saying that all the people that came from the refugee

background are usually confronted through problems in the labor market that cannot be easily explained

along through poor skills of the English language, recentness of their arrival, as well as deficiencies in

occupational skills. Refuge also comes across problems of adjustment in the settlement, due to the direct

consequences related to traumatic events, which has forced them to migrate (Nsubuga-Kyobe and Dimock

2000). According to the document, named Refugees and the employment the European context (1993)

mention that, refugee as the group usually suffer through the inactivity, excessive unemployment, under-

employment, non-employment, as well as disguised unemployment (Stevens 2003).


Methodology

Introduction

In this research, qualitative methods are used for investigating the social and economic impact over the

families of African refugees. Qualitative methods will help in collecting relevant data from the participants.

This research will include primary and secondary data collection method. In the primary method, an

interview will be conducted by the community and refugee service providers that provides settlement

services to African Refugees. In order to conduct this interview a staff of the refugee service provider was

approached, and also participation through online survey. The interview was conducted to know the thought

of the participants. Qualitative method is selected as it provides the efficient environment through which

data could be gathered without any problem (Cynthiawoodsong, Macqueen, Guest and Namey 2005).

Theoretical Perspective

This research will try to include communicative theory of planning, which is a theoretical concept, which

focuses over the political communities, public organizations, as well as individual groups within the society

exchange and try to discuss their thoughts, which support them in reaching to the logical solution

(Cynthiawoodsong, Macqueen, Guest and Namey 2005). This theory will be used in the research, as a

communicative act permits to examine the uncertainty between the selected populations. Sequentially, this

study will also help in drawing the Habermas’s communicative theory of action, which tries to engage with

the population study within the discussions on the personal experiences as well as challenging conditions,

which they face and which impact their life (Cynthiawoodsong, Macqueen, Guest and Namey 2005).


Justification of method

Interview and survey method is used in this research for drawing the data about the social and economic

impact on the life of refugees, and how migrants are impacting the Australian politics and the economy. The

interview will also help in knowing the challenges faced by the migrants. This method is adopted as it can

help in deriving clear answers.

Data collection

In order to collect the data, two groups of participants were participated in this research, one is from

individual and African refugees through which their experiences and settlement challenges in Australia were

in an online survey and face to face survey. Another interview was conducted with a staff of a community

organization providing services to African refugees. (Cynthiawoodsong, Macqueen, Guest and Namey

2005).

Participants were engaged through conducting the semi-structured interview through which their thoughts

were drafted in the finding section. Convenient venue was also selected for conducting an interview; time

was selected according to the availability as well as individual data, which was coded

anonymously. Another method selected for collecting the data was the observation method through which

daily operations of the people were observed (Cynthiawoodsong, Macqueen, Guest and Namey 2005).

Data Analysis

The analysis will be explored through the societal questions related to the individual and African refugee.

This study will be supported in both the manual as well as online of the collected information. The online

method will cover up the programs like pdf and the percentage calculated for the purpose of analyzing the

data, which require rating will be analyzed through the online survey Creator program, in order to compare

the means that give the results (Cynthiawoodsong, Macqueen, Guest and Namey 2005).


Ethics

Ethics are important while conducting the research. It starts with the willingness of the participants to join in

the interview session and participating in the survey. The population selected is explored to be the individual

and refugees, and genuine data is collected and results are derived mostly through online surveys, as per the

response of the participants, and that was done through participants consent.

Results

The online surveys were conducted by the individual participants and African refugees as well as staff from

community organization. From the response derived from the participants, it was analyzed that employment,

qualification recognition, financial income, workplace racism and discrimination and family situation are

the major issue which surrounds the African refugee, and emotional well being was the major settlement

barrier. Most of the African refugees face lack of employment opportunities, because they believe that, their

qualification from their home country was not recognized in Australia and work related skills rate was quite

low.

It was analyzed that economy of Australia was also impacted by the refugee, as their overseas qualifications

was not recognized in Australia enough to secure a professional employment which most African refugee

are looking for, and also lack of education of some African refugee family are even impacted the economic

development of the country. Africans were discriminated due to their color, race, and nationality in

Australia.


Table 1: Sample of Demographic data on participant gender responded to the survey.

Genders Ages Ages Ages Ages Ages

Participants 16-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 50+

Percentages 5.9% 17.6% 17.6% 29.4% 29.4%

Males 2 1 3 2 0

Females 1 2 3 2 2

Face to Face Participant Participant Participant Participant Participant

Males 0 0 0 0 0

Females 0 0 0 1 1

Total 3 3 6 5 3

A data analysis, report produced by Esurvey Creator analyzed the perceptions and responses of the

participants is being placed in the appendices

Discussion

The study highlights about the efforts of African refugee as well as extraordinary persistence for adapting

the Australian life. There are many refugees who face the daily struggle of balancing the work, studies, as

well commitments of the family (Ho and Alcorso 2004). The findings of this study confirm about the

hardship faced during the learning of the English language, exploring the relevant work as well as

educational courses along with balancing the traditional structure of the family in relation with the economic

circumstances and new culture (Ho and Alcorso 2004). The study also explores that due to barriers in

language among the African people, they face the issue of lack in employment as well as educational

opportunities (Ho and Alcorso 2004).

For those refugees, who can acquire the skills of language, could easily explore the employment

opportunities, which occur with the results of, employment (Youth Conference Study: Sharing the future

2003).


However, the issue highlighted in this study was the information lacking, which aimed at the migrant

refugees on different courses of education and its importance in the workplace at Australia (Collins 1991).

Another issue faced by the African refugee is the work experience in Australia. This is more reluctant in the

field of semi-professional like community services and administration (Collins 1991). One of the major

issues of concern is the lack of support for refugee families in the context of community support and proper

housing.

Recommendation

In as much as the government of Australia is working very hard to make Australia a better and safer place of

settlement for the refugees, and of course, I mean the African Refugee, and other humanitarian entrant to

Australia, However, I want to commend the effort of the Australian government towards the settlement

services of Refugees in Australia, and the refugee’s service provider organizations for their understanding of

the problems of refugees, and as well as the provision and making available services and information

accessed by refugees.

And on this hand, I would recommend more training and information session on the Australia’s social

adaptation context for African refugees in Australia, and on other hand, I recommend that, the oversees

qualifications of African refugees be recognized in Australia, the provision of the employment equality,

recommended new government funding programs for refugees, the educational awareness of Australian

culture as different from where refugees came from, awareness training for African refugee family, and of

course refugees as a whole to maintain their family, and to easily adapt with the Australia’s ways and

system, I mean the awareness of a social support for the family and the children.


Conclusion

I believed that this research is helpful for the future researchers, as it will help understand the real life

experience faced by the African refugee in Australia. The literary sources provided in the research also

present the certain quotes, which gives clearer pictures of the issues faced by the African Refugees. The

research will be supportive for future researchers to highlight the need for redesigning the resolution policy,

which is important for comprehending the social situations of the refugees and clearly understand their

troubles, which they faced during the settlement time.

While working on this research, I got the opportunity to understand the issues of African migrants, and this

research is also supportive, knowledgeable as it helped me in collecting the perception of different authors

and knowing about the perception of different people, during the time of interview.


Reference Lists

1. Cynthiawoodsong, N, Macqueen, K, Guest, G and Namey, E. 2005. Qualitative Research Methods:

A Data Collector’s Field Guide. Family Health International, and U.S.A.

2. Fozdar, F. and Torezani, S. 2008. ‘Discrimination and Well-Being: Perceptions of Refugees in

Western Australia’. International Migration Review, 42, pp. 30–63.

3. Fraser, K. 2009. Out of Africa and into Court: The Legal Problems of African Refugees. Melbourne:

Footscray Community Legal Centre.

4. Grossman, M. and Sharples, J. 2010. Don’t go there: Young people’s perspectives on Community

Safety and Policing. Melbourne: Victoria University.

5. Lee, B. P. 2007. Habermas' from society to family: Communicative Association, Solidarity and

Emancipation, Department of sociology. University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Degree of Doctor

of Philosophy.

6. Healey, J. 2003. Racism in Australia. The Spinney Press, Rozelle, NSW.

7. Valtonen, K. 2004. ‘From the Margin to the Mainstream: Conceptualising Refugee Resettlement

Processes’. Journal of Refugee Studies, 17(1), pp. 1-70.

8. Spinks, H. 2009. Australia's settlement services for migrants and refugees. Sage.

9. Majka, L. 2001. ‘Working with the vulnerable but meritorious: the non-governmental and public

sectors and African refugees in Melbourne’. Journal of Sociology, 37 (4), pp. 1-56.

10. Sheikh-Mohammed, M., MacIntyre, C. R., Wood, N. J., Leask, J., and Isaacs, D. 2006. ‘Barriers to

access to health care for newly resettled sub-Saharan refugees in Australia’. Medical Journal of

Australia, 185 (11/12), pp. 1-67.

11. Windle, J. 2008. ‘The radicalization of African youth in Australia’. Social Identities, 14(5), pp. 553-

566.


12. Colic-Peisker, V. and Tilbury, F. 2005. Refugees and Employment: The effects of visible difference

on discrimination, Interim Report. Centre for Social and Community Research Murdoch University.

13. Colic-Peisker, V. and Tilbury, F. 2007. Integration into the Australian labour market: The experience

of three “visibly different” groups of recently arrived refugees.‟ International Migration, 45(1), pp.

1-67.

14. Hawa, A. and Khadija, M. 2000. African community are emerging but is Australia?‟ Ethnic

Spotlight, 51, pp. 16-17.

15. Jupp, J. 1994. Exile or refugee: The settlement of refugee, humanitarian and displaced immigrant.

Canberra: Bureau of Immigration and Population Study, Commonwealth of Australia.

16. Nsubuga-Kyobe, A. and Dimock, L. 2000. African communities and settlement services in Victoria:

Towards best practice service delivery models. Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs

of Australia.

17. Stevens, M. 2003. Refugee program takes on new face‟. West Australian Newspaper, 28(5), pp. 1-

67.

18. Youth Conference Study: Sharing the future. 2003. Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia.

19. Collins, J. 1991. Migrant Hands in a Distant land: Australia’s Post-war Immigration

2nd edition. London, Sydney: Pluto Press.

20. Ho, C. and Alcorso, C. 2004. Migrants and employment: Challenging the success story. Journal of

Sociology, 40(3), 237-259.

Social and economic impacts on african refugees family

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