Thousands of Africans have migrated to Australia over the past 30 years – bringing with them their culture, customs, stories and hope for greener pastures.
Some came by choice and others fled from their homes and families due to a wide range of factors; including political and religious persecution, economic uncertainty, famine and war. Their stories are remarkably unique. Some are refugees, some are parents, spouses and students, volunteers and neighbours. All of them are part of the Australian immigrant story.
There are very different groups of African-born immigrants who have settled in Australia. Many of the highly skilled and educated migrants, have come from Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Others have come from the educated middle classes of Botswana, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia and Tanzania, whose governments have often decried this ‘brain drain’ to the West. Other high rates of employment are from Burundi, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Ethopia and Eritrea. While the majority of immigration from Africa is through skilled or family categories, a significant number of new arrivals to Australia include refugees or other humanitarian groups.
Immigration to Australia from Southern Africa accelerated in the 1980s. There had been some immigration during the height of apartheid by opponents of the South African regime and Perth received a regular inflow of white Africans, especially from Zimbabwe in the lead up to and following the end of white rule in 1979. Most early immigration from the region involved people of European descent.
Compared to almost any other region, Africa has very few immigrants in Australia. It is the second largest continent and has a population of 160 million. Yet Africans make up only 0.6 per cent of the Australian population. One reason for the low representation of people from other parts of Africa is the almost complete absence of diplomatic and immigration posts. Apart from South Africa, there are immigration posts in only two African countries, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
