Division of Defence/ AAP
In current months we’ve seen photos of Afghan folks, fleeing their nation and searching for refuge in Australia.
However folks from Afghanistan have an extended historical past in Australia. From the 1860s to the Thirties, they helped develop the outback with their camels. Additionally they arrived in the course of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan within the Seventies and 80s, and after 1996, when the Taliban started persecuting ethnic and non secular minorities.
Learn extra:
Incomplete technique and area of interest contributions — Australia leaves Afghanistan after 20 years
As of 2016, there have been are about 47,000 Afghanistan-born folks in Australia, the vast majority of whom arrived as refugees.
Outstanding Afghan-Australians similar to heart specialist Homa Forotan, journalist Yalda Hakim and martial arts actor Hussain Sadiqi have highlighted the numerous contributions Afghan refugees have made to Australian society.
Nevertheless, regardless of the profitable integration of some, our analysis exhibits different Afghan refugees nonetheless face severe challenges in Australia, even after receiving their citizenship.
Our new examine targeted on former Afghan refugees who are actually Australian residents to know what integration challenges they nonetheless face after changing into residents.
We surveyed 102 folks, interviewed 13 and carried out two focus teams (one for males with eight members and one for ladies with 5) throughout 2020 and 2021. Our examine was primarily based on the Afghan group in Perth. On common, members had been dwelling in Australia for greater than eight years.
Almost 90% need to keep without end
Our survey analysis suggests respondents are settled in Australia – they need to be right here and really feel a connection to their new residence.
About 87% “positively” or “most likely” need to dwell in Australia for the remainder of their lives, and just one.6% wished to maneuver to Afghanistan if it turns into a peaceable nation.
Almost 90% of these surveyed mentioned they wished to remain in Australia without end.
Royal Australian Navy/AAP
This isn’t shocking, as a result of the scenario in Afghanistan has been unstable over the previous 4 many years. As well as, on the time of our survey, america declared it was planning to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. Due to this fact, returning residence to the nation was not a practical possibility.
Greater than half of these surveyed (56%), thought-about each Australia and Afghanistan as their homelands, and 20% nominated solely Afghanistan and 22% nominated simply Australia as their homeland.
The members thought-about security and stability as essentially the most engaging characteristic of Australian society.
Greater than half not happy with work
Employment emerged as a significant situation for these surveyed. Solely 42.5% of Afghan-Australians had been happy with their present employment, and 17.4% of respondents had been both unemployed or doing unpaid voluntary work. That is in contrast Australia’s general unemployment price of lower than 5%.
Afghan interviewees reported difficulties discovering work that suited their expertise.
James Gourley/AAP
Many members additionally confronted issues find employment of their chosen fields or having their abroad {qualifications} recognised. As Sadiq, a chemistry graduate and former highschool instructor explains:
I’ve to review eight years if I need to be a instructor [in Australia], however I don’t have time. I’ve to work and earn money to help my household in Afghanistan. That’s why I’m working in development area now.
Afghan girls had been over-represented of these unemployed, making up almost 84% of that group, in addition to having decrease degree of schooling and better degree of English language obstacles, in comparison with males. Zari, a Hazara lady in her 20s, informed us her hijab was severely limiting her employment choices.
I haven’t been capable of finding a job primarily due to my hijab. Even some employers have mentioned this to me instantly. My uncle is an proprietor of a enterprise in Perth, however even he doesn’t rent me for my hijab […] That’s why I’ve to search for a job solely in Afghan group.
Sanam, one other feminine interviewee, doesn’t put on a hijab and describes herself as “trendy”. However she however reported discrimination at work, and being ignored for promotions.
You’re a foreigner within the office, irrespective of how a lot you attempt to be much like them.
‘The place are you from?’
Interviewees additionally reported being uncomfortable about revealing their identification both as Muslim-Afghan or as former refugees. This was significantly the case within the wake of the September 11 terrorist assaults. As Ali, a 39-year-old participant informed us:
At first, folks would ask me, ‘the place are you from?’ And I might say, ‘Afghanistan’. Then they’d say, ‘Oh, Taliban’, or ‘Are you aware Osama Bin laden?’ So, I realised that I don’t have to inform them the reality. Since then, every time anyone asks me the place are you from, I say Tajikistan or Uzbekistan.
Saed, 41, informed an identical story:
My youthful brother is a [university] scholar […]. Someday I used to be working with him in a development mission and the person that we had been working for requested my brother, ‘What do you examine?’ My brother replied, ‘Piloting’. Then the person mentioned,‘Oh. Okay, you intend for hijacking’. It actually made me unhappy […] and I made a decision to not inform folks my nationality anymore.
There was important, unfavourable media and political consideration on “boat folks” for the reason that Nineties. Interviewees reported this has had an impression on public understanding of why refugees come to Australia. Sara is in her 60s and has been dwelling in Australia for over 30 years. She had a pharmacy in Afghanistan within the Seventies, however needed to flee because of the Soviet invasion.
It’s all the time been so troublesome for me to clarify folks that we had been fleeing from violence. We didn’t depart our nation voluntarily, however we had to try this. Folks right here don’t know something about struggle […] they only blame refugees for coming to Australia.
Looking for acceptance
Adjusting to a brand new society shouldn’t be a simple journey for everybody, significantly for refugees who’ve been compelled to flee violence and trauma.
Learn extra:
We studied Afghan refugees for 3 years to seek out out what life is like for them in Australia
Since arriving in Australia, our members have undeniably obtained help from the Australian authorities. As residents, they’ve the identical rights as different Australians and the overwhelming majority regard Australia as residence.
Nevertheless, our examine confirmed how former Afghan refugees proceed to face severe challenges. This not solely contains fulfilling employment, free from discrimination, however a way of belonging as effectively. This means that whereas they’re legally Australian residents, they aren’t absolutely accepted of their new residence.
Affiliate Professor Vicki Banham is Affiliate Dean in College of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan College
Omid Rezaei doesn’t work for, seek the advice of, personal shares in or obtain funding from any firm or organisation that might profit from this text, and has disclosed no related affiliations past their tutorial appointment.
