Author Identifier (ORCID)
Obed Adonteng-Kissi: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9324-7138
Abstract
Increasing restrictionism and xenophobic policies in Western host countries curtail and endanger immigrants' civil and political rights as well as socio-economic well-being. This study is guided by the critical race theory (CRT), which provides a very important structure to critique social work practice with immigrants from a human rights lens and unpack the intersections of race, racism, and power. The objective of this study is to explore immigrants' perspectives on social work practices that prioritize human rights in Australia. To achieve this, a total of twenty-seven participants were interviewed, including eight social workers and nineteen immigrants of African background service users. The participants were purposefully selected from the cities of Brisbane, Townsville, Melbourne, and Sydney. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using NVIVO software, employing a thematic analysis approach. The findings of this study demonstrate that immigrants' subjective understanding of human rights highlights the importance of inclusivity, equality, non-discrimination, fairness, empowerment, and respect within social services.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
7-1-2025
Volume
55
Issue
5
Publication Title
British Journal of Social Work
Publisher
Oxford Academic
School
School of Arts and Humanities
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
First Page
2541
Last Page
2559
Comments
Adonteng-Kissi, O., Baffour, F. D., Mabefam, M., Meribe, N., & Archibong, E. (2025). Human rights perspectives in social work practice with African immigrants in Australia: 'It starts with respecting them and making them feel like humans'. The British Journal of Social Work, 55(5), 2541–2559. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcaf060