From Boats to Businesses: the Remarkable Journey of Hazara Refugee Entrepreneurs in Adelaide: Full Report

The Hazara are a minority in Afghanistan persecuted by the Taliban, refused education and employment and harassed, imprisoned, and tortured by them. They speak a dialect of Dari called Hazaragi and the clear majority of them are Shi'a Muslims. In response to the persecution that they received in Afghanistan many Hazara fled Afghanistan – joining more than 65 million displaced people in the world today – to seek asylum and protection in other countries. In the past two decades some displaced Hazara reached Australian shores seeking asylum. Many of these arrived by boat, though these were later joined by relatives who arrived by plane as part of the humanitarian immigration program. Despite their horrific stories and experiences of displacement and their desperate and dangerous long journey to Australia, some Hazara have been able to establish a business in Australia. This report tells the story of Hazara refugee entrepreneurs in Adelaide. It is a story of hard work, determination, risk-taking and of overcoming what appear to be unsurmountable barriers. Today these Hazara refugee entrepreneurs in Adelaide strive to provide for their families, to provide employment for others – particularly Hazara refugees – and to contribute to the Hazara community and the broader cosmopolitan Australian community in Adelaide. Fortunate and thankful for an opportunity to establish a new life in Australia, they are optimistic about the future of themselves and their families.