Lexi Webster
The Sudanese population in Australia has grown rapidly over the last two decades, with over 24,000 Sudanese refugees settling in the country during this period. The South Sudanese community in Australia is relatively new, with most people arriving between 2001 and 2010, fleeing drought, famine, and war in their homeland. In the 2011 census, 3,487 people reported being born in South Sudan, with the largest number living in the state of Victoria. The South Sudanese population in Australia faces various challenges, including intergenerational conflicts between traditional cultural values and the need to adapt to new social norms, as well as negative media representation and racist attitudes from some segments of Australian society.
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What You'll Learn
- Sudanese Australians face racist attitudes and violence from white Australians
- South Sudanese refugees face challenges adjusting to Australian social structures
- The South Sudanese community in Victoria is the largest in Australia
- The South Sudanese population in Australia has grown to over 24,000 in two decades
- % of people born in South Sudan who live in Australia are Australian citizens
Sudanese Australians face racist attitudes and violence from white Australians
According to the 2011 census, there were 19,369 people born in Sudan living in Australia, with the largest number residing in the state of Victoria (6,085), followed by New South Wales (5,629), Western Australia (2,722), and Queensland (2,582). People of Sudanese descent now live in almost every capital city in Australia, with notable populations in Melbourne (5,911), Sydney (5,335), and Perth (1,993).
Sudanese Australians have faced racist attitudes and discrimination from white Australians, including members of the police force, politicians, and the media. This has occasionally escalated to violence and even murder. In 2007, Liep Gony, a 17-year-old Sudanese Australian, was killed in a random attack by two white men, one of whom had expressed a desire to kill a Sudanese man. The murder was initially attributed to Sudanese gang crime by the press, leading to a political backlash that resulted in a significant reduction in visas available to Sudanese individuals.
Racism towards Sudanese Australians is often fueled by negative media representations and stereotypes that associate "Africanness" with criminality, lack of civilization, disease, and poverty. This has contributed to a moral panic around supposed gang crime in Victoria between 2016 and 2018, with the press and politicians employing racialized language and distorted reporting of incidents involving Sudanese Australians. These discriminatory attitudes and practices have historical roots, as racism against various ethnic and minority groups has existed in Australia since British colonization, impacting Indigenous Australians, European, Asian, and other racialized communities.
The settlement of Sudanese refugees in Australia has posed challenges due to cultural differences and identity dilemmas. Second-generation Sudanese Australians, particularly the younger cohorts, navigate the tensions between their original cultural values and the expectations of Australian mainstream culture, often resulting in intergenerational conflicts within families and difficulties in fitting into new social norms. Negative media portrayals of Sudanese Australian youths further complicate their integration and adjustment into Australian society.
To address these issues, the police have implemented community engagement strategies, such as the expansion of the Police Liaison Officer initiative, to proactively build relationships with emerging communities, including Sudanese Australians. However, there have been allegations of racist policing practices, with a racial discrimination action launched against the Victoria Police in 2013, alleging the use of targeted street policing strategies against Sudanese Australians.
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South Sudanese refugees face challenges adjusting to Australian social structures
According to the 2011 census, there were 19,369 people born in Sudan living in Australia, with the largest number residing in the state of Victoria (6,085), followed by New South Wales (5,629), Western Australia (2,722), and Queensland (2,582). In the same census, 17,186 people indicated that they were of full or partial Sudanese ancestry. Over the last two decades, more than 24,000 South Sudanese refugees have settled in Australia, making the Sudanese population the fastest-growing humanitarian group in the country.
South Sudanese refugees face unique challenges when adjusting to Australian social structures. The process of adapting to a new culture while maintaining their customs and values can be difficult, and many struggle to navigate the expectations of Australian society. The pressure of having an institutional power overseeing their acculturation can be particularly challenging due to previous experiences of government domination in their homeland. Negative media representations of South Sudanese youth in Australia have also intensified in recent years, contributing to a low level of trust within the community.
Intergenerational conflicts arise as younger South Sudanese Australians are influenced by different values, which can lead to tension within families and make cultural integration more difficult. The history and experiences of their parents can also impact younger South Sudanese Australians, affecting their ability to fit into new social norms and adapt to Australian culture.
South Sudanese refugees face challenges in the Australian housing sector, with the high cost of housing impacting their economic, social, and cultural integration. They may also encounter mental health issues related to violent trauma experienced in South Sudan, further complicating their adjustment to a new country.
Despite these challenges, most South Sudanese migrants report satisfaction with their lives in Australia. Community leaders within the South Sudanese communities work to foster unity and support, leaving divisive tribal politics behind. While South Sudanese refugees face distinct settlement challenges, many demonstrate resilience and adaptability in their new home.
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The South Sudanese community in Victoria is the largest in Australia
The South Sudanese community in Australia has faced many challenges in recent years, from negative media representation to cultural dissonance and systemic racism. Despite these difficulties, the state of Victoria is home to the largest number of South Sudanese Australians in the country.
The 2011 census recorded 19,369 people born in Sudan, with 6,085 living in Victoria, constituting the largest number in any state. This number included people from both Sudan and South Sudan, as the two countries only separated in 2011, shortly before the census. The 2011 census also recorded 3,487 people born specifically in South Sudan, with the largest number, 1,118, living in Victoria.
South Sudanese Australians have settled in the country primarily as refugees fleeing conflict in their homeland. The largest numbers arrived between 2003 and 2006, with 77% of Sudanese-born Australians in the 2006 census having arrived since 2000. The journey to Australia is often distressing, and the process of settling into a new environment can be complex. South Sudanese refugees face multiple challenges in adjusting to Australian social structures and service systems, and younger South Sudanese Australians struggle with intergenerational conflict as they navigate the different values of their culture of origin and those of mainstream Australian culture.
Negative media representations of South Sudanese youth have also posed significant challenges to the community's integration into Australian society. In the period from 2016 to 2018, Sudanese Australians were the focus of an intense moral panic around supposed gang crime in Victoria, with the press and politicians employing racialised language and distorted reporting of incidents. This negative press affected the community's ability to find rental housing and employment, and children were questioned about gang involvement at school.
Despite these challenges, the South Sudanese community in Victoria continues to be the largest in Australia, and organisations like the South Sudanese Community Association of Victoria and the Community of South Sudanese and Other Marginalised Areas (CSSOMA) work to support and advocate for the community.
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The South Sudanese population in Australia has grown to over 24,000 in two decades
The South Sudanese population in Australia has grown to over 24,000 in the last two decades, making it the fastest-growing humanitarian arrival group in the country. South Sudanese Australians are individuals of South Sudanese ancestry or birth who reside in Australia.
The South Sudanese community in Australia is relatively new, with most people arriving between 2001 and 2010. This community is largely based in Victoria, which is home to 13,532 people of South Sudanese ancestry, including 3,121 born in South Sudan. Melbourne has been a major destination due to its established community and social networks. The community is young, with the largest age cohorts being 0-14 (40.2%) and 15-24 (22.4%). They have high levels of English language proficiency, although some may still require in-language resources or support.
South Sudanese refugees face multiple challenges in adjusting to Australian society, including intergenerational conflicts between traditional cultural values and the need to fit into new social norms. Negative media representations of South Sudanese youth have also intensified in recent years, creating obstacles to positive adjustment and integration. Additionally, South Sudanese Australians suffer from racist attitudes and violence from white Australians, politicians, and the media.
Despite these challenges, notable South Sudanese Australians have emerged, including fashion models Duckie Thot, Subah Koj, and athlete Gout Gout. Melbourne lawyer Kot Monoah has also served as chairman of the South Sudanese Community Association of Victoria.
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75.1% of people born in South Sudan who live in Australia are Australian citizens
According to the 2016 Census, 75.1% of people born in South Sudan and living in Australia were Australian citizens. This is a significant proportion of the Sudanese population in Australia, which has grown to over 24,000 people in the last two decades. The settlement of South Sudanese refugees in Australia has been a complex process, with many facing challenges in adjusting to new social norms and Australian culture. Language barriers are also common, with only 4.4% of South Sudanese-born Australians speaking English only at home. This figure is even lower in Greater Brisbane, where only 3.5% of South Sudanese-born residents speak English exclusively at home.
The journey to making Australia home for South Sudanese refugees is often distressing, and negative media representations of Australian South Sudanese youths have intensified in recent years, creating challenges for positive adjustment into mainstream society. In addition, second-generation South Sudanese Australians face intergenerational conflicts as they navigate the different values of their culture of origin and mainstream Australian culture.
Despite these challenges, South Sudanese Australians have made significant contributions to their new country. According to the 2016 Census, the most common industries of employment for South Sudanese-born Australians were child care services (10.0%), aged care residential services (8.1%), meat processing (5.8%), and other social assistance services (5.4%). The personal weekly median income for South Sudanese-born Australians was $458, with a family median weekly income of $980 and a household median weekly income of $994.
In terms of education, 18.5% of South Sudanese-born Australians had completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, while 16.1% had achieved a Certificate III or IV, and 12.9% had attained an Advanced Diploma or Diploma. These figures vary slightly for South Sudanese residents in Greater Brisbane, with 22.4% having completed Year 12, 15.8% holding a Certificate III or IV, and 13.7% obtaining an Advanced Diploma or Diploma.
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Frequently asked questions
While I cannot find a definitive answer, the Sudanese population in Australia has grown to over 24,000 in the last two decades, making it the fastest-growing humanitarian arrival group in the country.
Victoria has the largest Sudanese-Australian community in the country. There were 6,085 Sudanese-born people in the state in 2011, and 3,121 South Sudanese-born people in 2021.
According to a 2016 report, 18.5% of Sudanese-born people in Australia reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment.
