Introduction: This article explores how systemic injustices and social inequalities affect refugee and asylum seeker integration, thriving, and mental health in London. This is pertinent as the United Kingdom currently operates a ‘broken’ asylum system with unfair policies and a ‘tough’ immigration rhetoric which makes it extraordinarily difficult for asylum seekers and refugees to achieve community integration, have a good…

This chapter explores how the author, using the same training as that of actors and performing artists, explored techniques to promote embodied language learning in her facilitator practice for the Sorgente project. The aim was to create a sense of belonging among a young refugee and migrant group in Dublin, Ireland; the practice was framed with the concept of ‘duty…

Students of different ethnic backgrounds (e.g. refugees, immigrants) who also have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are considered as a ‘high risk’ group within the school context, whereas teachers do not realise how deeply the teaching process is embedded within their students’ own cultures or the stigma or bullying they might face. The aim of the present study was…

This introductory chapter provides some key definitions of the concepts informing the Sorgente study. First, the chapter defines performative language teaching as an embodied pedagogy. Performative language pedagogy is illustrated in terms of its roots, main influences and orientation towards using the arts in language education. Second, it grounds the discussion in contemporary research, exploring the impact of the arts,…

Currently, refugee Ukrainian learners are attending German mainstream schools, leading to an even more diverse student population. Given that the German school system is committed to provide inclusive education for all, this study aims to examine how teachers address Ukrainian students learning needs by means of differentiated instruction. To this end, a qualitative study was conducted in which eight elementary…

The article presents its own view on a partial solution to the problem of social and psychological adaptation of teenagers who, as a result of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, have become forced migrants. Based on the conducted social-pedagogical experiment, it was found that social and psychological deafness is typical for forcibly displaced teenagers from Ukraine…

This paper investigates how young refugees settled in rural Norway and Denmark experience their new places of residence. We find inspiration in the idea of ‘contradictions of space’ (Kinkaid [2020]. “Re-encountering Lefebvre: Toward a Critical Phenomenology of Social Space.” Society and Space 38 (1): 167–186.) in exploring how young refugees navigate issues in rural life from housing, education, work and…

This chapter presents an overview of an innovative early childhood education curriculum that is designed to address the unique needs of children and communities affected by trauma, violence, and displacement. Little Ripples Early Childhood Education program operates in several refugee camps in Chad, Greece, and Tanzania, and in villages located in eastern Cameroon. Little Ripples provides quality, play-based education for…

Following the so-called refugee crisis, unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) from Eritrea were portrayed negatively in Europe. Although such portrayals are often amplified by media and policy discourses, the main reasons for this negative view were a lack of understanding of URMs’ subjectivities, the institutional silencing process they face in their everyday lives, and the ways they show agency in such…

This chapter describes the delivery and impacts of a zine workshop delivered to members of the Sorgente project. The Sorgente project utilised multiple arts-based practices in order to investigate the teaching and learning of additional languages with migrants and refugees in Ireland and Italy. The zines emerged as a theme in response to the first research question of the project…

Preparation for university studies is key to enabling adult refugees and asylum seekers to reestablish their educational and professional careers in the host country. While refugees’ transition to higher education (HE) is embedded in multiple transitions regarding social position, educational career, and migration, related identities may compete. We investigate how this is manifested in stigma consciousness and precarious student self-identification…

The sudden and unexpected war in Ukraine led to a large flow of citizens displaced abroad. Almost half of them are preschool-and school-age children. The peculiarities of their adaptation to the educational environment of another country necessitates the study of the main aspects of adaptation in these conditions. The aim is to identify the psychological and pedagogical aspects of adaptation…

The aim of this article is to seek an answer to the following question: Do religion teachers have the opportunity to learn and develop skills in the areas necessary to support refugees from Ukraine? If so, how should this be done? To address the issue, the problem of intercultural relations was first presented in a synthetic manner, based on the…

This study aims to examine the relationship between the spirituality level of the Syrian refugees and their sociocultural adaptation and to determine which demographic characteristics these two variables differ according to. The relational survey model, which is one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the research. The Spirituality Scale developed by Şirin, the Sociocultural Adaptation Scale adapted to…

The ongoing war in Ukraine has caused that millions of people, mainly women and children, were forced to flee their country. Poland, as a country bordering Ukraine, accepted the most refugees. In consequence, Ukrainian school-age children started studying in Polish schools but preparing Polish primary schools (schools which educate children who are 6/7–15 years of age) to accept such an…

Russia’s war on Ukraine has displaced millions. For autistic children this resulted in the loss of services based on applied behavior analysis (ABA). To develop a model of culturally competent, high-efficacy, family-centered, and fidelity driven ABA services for displaced Ukrainian families in Czechia, this study piloted a package teaching caregivers to build skills with their autistic children. Using a multiple…

This book investigates the use of performative language pedagogy in working with refugees and migrants, exploring performative language teaching as the application of drama, music, dance and storytelling to second language acquisition. Documenting a community-based project - funded by the Irish Research Council and conducted with three groups of refugees and migrants in Ireland and Italy - the book explores…

Aim: According to studies, self-efficacy and health literacy impact Syrian refugees’ quality of life. However, it is unclear how these factors influence quality of life for Syrian university students. This study aims to determine health literacy, self-efficacy, and quality of life for Syrian refugee students and investigate how health literacy and self-efficacy affect quality of life. Methods: This cross-sectional study…

The article presents the results of a study of the peculiarities and difficulties of educational and social inclusion of Ukrainian children with special educational needs who found protection from the war in the Czech Republic. The sample was formed according to the criteria we defined. The results obtained using a semi-structured interview testify to the social significance of the outlined…

Vocational qualification is generally regarded as a guarantee for sustainable gainful employment of refugees. Since the increased refugee migration in the year 2015, the field of vocational education and training in Germany has diversified considerably. However, despite high employment ambitions and existing qualification needs, refugee women have, so far, hardly ended up in qualified gainful employment or regular vocational training. This…

Critical pedagogy has become a crucial element in managing post-migration societies, especially concerning the social cohesion dilemma that diversity creates. Through an ethnography of critical music pedagogy with refugee youth that emerged from an activist context in the city of Dresden, Germany, this article demonstrates what is at stake for empowerment. Music pedagogy that aspires to be critical remains a…

This article explores the role of policy in influencing refugee educational and occupational aspirations and how this translates into promoting or hindering certain integration paths. 29 refugees in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland were interviewed and asked about their educational and occupational aspirations. Three policies were identified as having an important influence on their aspirations formation namely, asylum policy,…

Various problems experienced by children of foreign families who immigrated to Turkey from different countries for various reasons have been frequently discussed in learning environments recently. Among these, primary problems such as individual differences, cultural differences and language problems at school come to the fore. PICTES (Supporting the Integration of Syrian Children into the Turkish Education System) project (2016-present) is…

Introduction: Children in Europe and Norway grow up in an increasingly culturally diverse society. As of 2022, 20% of children in Norwegian Early Childhood Education (ECE) institutions have a minority background. It is essential for parents and ECE professionals to work together to ensure a good start for these children. The partnership between the ECE institutions and parents is a…

Host country education can be crucial for the social integration as well as labour market outcomes of refugees and asylum seekers. To meet the same admission criteria for studying at German higher education institutions (HEI) as other international student applicants, refugees and asylum seekers can attend pre-study programmes at preparatory colleges or language centres of HEI. According to the self-determination…

Background: Practitioners who support unaccompanied minors (UAMs) come from different professional backgrounds and often are not appropriately trained to address children’s complex mental health needs. This gap informed a training programme across all accommodation centres in Greece. Methods: The aim of the Train-of-Trainer (ToT) national programme was to upskill trainers from 17 organisations to cascade knowledge. Training was interprofessional, trauma-informed…

The article examines the impact of the present military conflict in Ukraine on the education of its children. It analyzes the effect of the war on the essential characteristics of education as a human right in four educational settings: on Ukrainian territory, in occupied territory, in reeducation camps in the Russian Federation, and in selected European countries hosting Ukrainian war…

On arrival in the European Union, most migrants who apply for asylum stay often for extended periods of time in asylum centres, putting parenting practices under pressure. Despite an increased interest in the functioning of migrant families, the perspectives of migrant fathers remain marginalized in practice, policy, and scientific research. Very little is known about how migration impacts fathering practices…

Students with a refugee background are a vulnerable group in education. Adverse experiences and unsafe circumstances that they encounter prior, during and after their flight can place a great burden on their mental health and psychological well-being. Little is known about the psychological well-being of young refugee students in kindergarten and early years of primary school. The current study examined…

Introduction: As a result of the large-scale arrivals of refugees and migrants, Germany is facing the challenge of providing inclusive education pathways not at least for a successful integration into the labor market. In our research project laeneAs (Ländliche Bildugnsumwelten junger Geflüchteter in der beruflichen Ausbildung/The Rural Educational Environments of Young Refugees in Vocational Training), we focus on educational barriers…

The article describes the experiences of social workers in Poland supporting refugees from Ukraine who came to Poland after the outbreak of the war in February 2022. Social work is a profession that supports vulnerable people in need, including those experiencing war. A social worker is a professional who “can help translate policy into workable projects, help design and evaluate…

This paper addresses the inclusion of Ukrainian schoolchildren who were forced to leave their homes because of Russian military aggression. The research is aimed at identifying the specifics of the inclusive process regarding the children of war and analyzing the features that are different compared to traditional approaches to the inclusion of forced migrants. Building upon the results of a…

The book aims at a thorough investigation of critical dimensions of the socio-economic and labour market trajectories and prospects of young people Not in Employment, Education and Training (NEETs) in disadvantaged areas of the Mediterranean Southern Europe, namely in island, coastal or peripheral regions of Greece, Cyprus, Italy and Spain. Moreover, it aims at linking youth’s social situation and dynamics…

The secondary analysis focuses on teachers’ perspectives on welcome culture (Willkommenskultur) in German schools for pupils who have fled from Ukraine. The following research question was pursued: What aspects of the welcome culture become apparent in statements of teachers? Data from five group discussions with individuals from primary and secondary schools and an educational institution in Rhineland-Palatinate were analyzed. Participants…

In recent years, young people's economic and employment possibilities have been compromised, especially in the case of vulnerable populations such as unaccompanied foreign minors who migrate to Spain and enter the guardianship system. The aim of this study was to identify this group's most representative training trajectories, and determine the risk and protective factors involved in their insertion to the…

This paper investigates whether unconditional cash transfers can keep refugee children in school and out of work. We raise this question in the unique context of Turkey, which hosts the world's largest refugee population (including 3.6 million Syrians). Refugees in Turkey are supported by the world's largest cash transfer program for refugees, the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN). We exploit…

This research note presents the key findings of a small-scale, mixed-methods international study which explored the challenges and opportunities of online schooling for the educational inclusion of Newly Arrived Migrant and Refugee Students (NAMRS). The study was conducted in 2022 in England, Germany and the Netherlands and the findings are based on the analysis of the experiences of NAMRS, their…

Over the last two years, the prolonged massive school closure due to COVID-19 has provoked significant constraints for refugee children. The present study aimed to investigate the perceptions of Greek pre-service teachers on refugee education during the COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire was addressed to 32 native university students (n = 32) who attended Education Departments in Western Macedonia in Greece.…

Introduction: This article addresses digital and social inclusion of adults with potential low digital skills. The article presents a case study of how digital learning activities (DLAs) as a service to refugees, immigrants, senior citizens, and young adults neither in education, employment, or training (NEETs), are delivered outside the formal educational system by two libraries and one civic organization in…

The educational integration of Newly Arrived Migrant and Refugee (NAMR) children and youth in a host country is complex. It requires educational systems responding to their diverse needs. Some of these needs are exacerbated by NAMR young people and their families’ limited understanding of the host country’s policies, structures, and procedures. Amidst these complexities, policy makers, practitioners, and other stakeholders…

Art-based interventions, such as classroom drama workshops (CDWs), increasingly form part of a collection of mental health-promoting activities introduced in school settings. While research points to the potential benefits of CDWs for the mental well-being of refugee and migrant adolescents, the mechanisms to such improvement are less understood. In this article we respond to the need for qualitative evidence of…

Background: Despite a world-leading educational system, an achievement gap in educational outcomes exists between children of refugee background and native-born peers in Finland. To offer targeted support for children at schools, we need to be able to reliably assess and understand the interplay of the aspects of children’s cognitive, social, and mental health functions that may explain the underachievement of…

This article seeks to fill the research gap on the psychosocial and integration needs of unaccompanied children and the challenges they encounter to reach autonomy and social integration. To address this issue, the study utilized a qualitative research survey interviewing 18 field professionals, which indicated that the key challenges include insufficient preparation, institutionalization, uncertainty about the future, asylum procedures, and…

This study explored supportive relational processes for immigrant children's well-being between peers, teachers, and parents in the development of school-based creative interventions in European multi-ethnic societies. Within the present study, we integrated the perspectives of teachers and parents to broaden the dominant focus on the assessment of individual symptomatology within the existing body of studies of school-based interventions studies. As…

Establishing a life in an asylum country presents an exceptionally daunting challenge, particularly for women. In asylum countries, women encounter numerous hurdles like healthcare, language barriers, economic empowerment, childcare, education, cultural adjustment, legal issues, and more. This chapter comprehensively analyzes reception conditions and integration practices in the Portuguese asylum system from a gender perspective, covering seven critical areas: housing, financial…

This study reports how participants in an MA course on language education for refugees and migrants in Greece engaged in meaning-making during their teaching placements. The reflections of 33 trainee teachers (elicited in 2021–2022) were thematically analysed using ecological theory. These show how participants negotiated the transition between the ‘ecologies of ideas’ of the postgraduate programme and the locus of…

The study aims to examine the relationship between school functioning, physical activity (PA), sex, Body Mass Index (BMI), age, and resilience in Ukrainian children who migrated to Poland due to the war. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022, focusing on 248 children aged 10–15 years. The findings suggest that school environment, including enjoyment of school and strong support from teachers,…

The number of students with special educational needs (SEN) is growing rapidly. This study compared the correlations between the share of students identified with SEN and student diversity (socioeconomic status and ethnicity) at the school level in three countries. We used the principal questionnaire from the 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) to examine data from principals in three…

This study explores the experiences of Ukrainian refugee children in Estonia following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 with a focus on their daily functioning, challenges, and resilience. Three main themes emerged from interviews carried out from October through December 2022 with 11 refugee children aged 10 to 16. First, the adaptation process was related to various challenges including…

Children and adolescents with a refugee background are at high risk for traumatization. Once they arrive in safe countries, schools are the institutions where teachers are responsible for caring for them sensitively and competently. Furthermore, schools are organized in learning groups consisting of multiple peers of the same age, which provides excellent opportunities for social learning and experiences of social…