THE NEW MIGRANTS

As Australia picks up an ever-increasing number of new migrants from the African continent, attention is now focused on what these relatively young and productive people actually do once they arrive in this great country.

In fact, recent migrants are endowed with a variety of skills that would help to modernize all sectors of the nation’s economy. And Australia is extremely lucky to attract this caliber of migrants. They come as well-trained nurses, teachers, social workers, doctors, lawyers, accountants, and specialist in information technology.

Nevertheless, some with well-sought-after professional skills said they are generally underemployed; and sometimes even unemployed - a challenging proposition for the career-conscious migrants.

Others, mostly female migrants, have found themselves working at the bottom end of the service and manufacturing industry as casual labour.

There is a small but growing army of Africans (mostly male) working in fruit-picking jobs in South Australia and Victoria. And abattoir jobs in New South Wales.

The different experiences of African migrants in the Australian job market reflects a polarization of the society between the rich and the poor; between male and female.

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