Recent African Refugees to Australia: Analysis of Current Refugee Services, a Case Study from Western Australia

In the last decade the number of African refugees arriving in Australia has increased significantly, to the extent to which by 2008 they outnumbered all other refugee and humanitarian entrants to Australia (for example, in 2004-2005 75% of all refugee and humanitarian entrants to Australia were from Africa). Existing service provision models have been found to be ill-equipped to cope with this sudden influx and have struggled to cope with the unique needs of African refugees (trauma, cultural needs, racism and longer settlement adjustment periods – compared to other groups) in particular. This paper is based on a data-base and literature analysis of the numbers, issues and problems faced by refugees in Western Australia. Its major aim is to provide researchers and policy-makers with a resource base from which they can further their understandings of the plight of refugees in developing nations. As such much of the paper is based on analysis of a large amount of literature and data from government agencies, designed to provide an exhaustive overview of refugees, their experiences and gaps in service provision in Western Australia.