Abstract

The paper examines stressors affecting involuntary and voluntary African
migrants in Australia and how they cope with stress. Using semi-structured interviews, the
paper examines the experiences of 30 African migrants in Australia. Most participants used
a diversity of strategies including the reliance of divine intervention and family –usually
constructed by alliance rather than kinship -to cope with stress. The key contribution of the
paper is to go beyond traditional integration strategies to highlight the significance of faith
and family as remedies to ‘deliver’ the migrants from the obstacles to effective resettlement
and psychological healing.