‘God is not Unemployed’: Journeys of Somali Refugees in Johannesburg

The Impact of Religious Difference and Unemployment/Underemployment on Somali Former Refugee Settlement in Australia

“…For instance, in New Zealand, approximately half of all Somalis spoke more than one foreign language, which Jelle , Guerin, and Dyer (2006) suggested had relevance in a country with chronic refugee unemployment and an employee market that lacked bilinguals. Meanwhile, in South Africa, Sadouni (2009) claimed that a large group of legally recognized Somali refugees in Johannesburg were able to obtain employment as interviewers for refugee applicants and as translators for the Department of Home Affairs.…”

“…A number of successful resettlement narratives have explored Somalis' innovation and skill in the workforce and in micro-enterprise (Campbell, 2006;Guerin et al, 2005;Jelle et al, 2006;Koshen, 2007;Sadouni, 2009). Somali refugees are claimed to adopt a range of skills once outside Somalia, suggesting that migratory experiences enrich their recourses for stability during resettlement (Sadouni, 2009).…”

“…Somali refugees are claimed to adopt a range of skills once outside Somalia, suggesting that migratory experiences enrich their recourses for stability during resettlement (Sadouni, 2009). In the New Zealand and South African contexts, research has suggested that bilingualism [languages other than English] is a highly transferrable skill that should work to the advantage of Somali settlers.…”

“…Given that the vast majority of Somalis are Muslim (Middle East Policy Council, 2002), shared religious identity is a powerful unifying factor within specific resettled Somali communities (Sadouni, 2009). In the past few years, however, the Somali community, and the Muslim community in general, within Australia has been drawn into a fierce debate about immigration and African Australian minority groups.…”

Intersections of Religion and Migration

“…In her study of Somali Muslim migrants in South Africa, in which she stresses the powerful communal experiences, explicit ethnoreligious identity and close ties of remittances and trade, Samadia Sadouni notes that ethno-national cleavages dominate at the expense of Muslim universalism. 55 One of her Somali informants Square, and the Houses of Parliament. 61 The "Fanfare Kimbanguiste" is one of hundreds of marching bands to participate in this ostensibly secular event organized with an eye on representing the "monumental glory" of London to the world's media.…”