Housing & accommodation
Music facilitator experiences of working in asylum seeker centres: Complexities, dilemmas and opportunities
Accommodation centres for those seeking asylum present particular contexts in which to facilitate music making. Contextual and systemic difficulties abound. An exploration of a music project within six asylum seeker centres in Ireland is presented with a focus on the experiences of the four facilitators involved. Data are presented from facilitator reflective logs, researcher observations and recorded professional development sessions…
2022
Coping of Young Refugees in Germany: Relations to Gender, Age, and Gender Role Attitudes
Background: Coping is considered to have an important influence on well-being, especially in adolescent refugees dealing with a high amount of stress. In addition, gender differences in coping are a common topic for research and are often attributed to differences in socialization between boys and girls. Aims: The study aims at clarifying the gender differences in coping strategies used by…
2022
Social Engagement and Cultural Adaptation of Young Refugees Through Gaming and Playful Design
The document addresses one of the main themes of the present day, i.e., the problem of forced migration—commonly referred to as seeking refuge. The target user of this study is exiled children who, in most cases, arrive at their destination alone and with few or no primary survival conditions. UNHCR (2015) points out that more than 65 million people worldwide…
2022
A Corpus-Based Comparison of Inclusiveness in L2 Reading Materials for Refugee Children
Despite increased emphasis on the role of inclusive practices and materials in post-COVID-19 classrooms and warnings about implicit biases against disadvantaged groups, the textbook problem has rarely been approached with equity measures in mind. This multimethod study aimed to investigate to what extent L2 reading materials, locally produced and used for refugee education in Turkey and New Zealand, include all…
2022
The Life of Syrian Asylum-Seeking Children in a Temporary Shelter Centre in Turkey: An Ethnographic Study on Primary School Education
This research aims to describe primary school children’s life and education experiences who escaped from the war environment in Syria and took refuge in Turkey. The study was conducted with an ethnographic research design. The study participants comprised fourth-grade students, teachers, parents, and the close social circle of Syrian nationals who stayed in the temporary shelter in Turkey. Observation, interview,…
2022
Accommodation, empowerment and disinvestment—Typical second-language learning trajectories of Syrian refugees in Germany
This paper asks how refugees' second-language learning processes are embedded in their lives in host countries. To address this question, the paper proposes the concept of second-language learning trajectories. These trajectories explain refugees' second-language learning as closely intertwined with learners' self-understanding, experiences and positioning in host countries. Using longitudinal narrative interview data from Syrian refugees in Germany, the paper identifies…
2022
Refugee Reception Re-examined: a Quantitative Study on the Impact of the Reception Period for Mental Health and Host Country Language Proficiency Among Syrian Refugees in the Netherlands
In many European countries, refugees spend their first period after arrival in the receiving country in reception centers. Though this reception period has been heavily criticized, especially in relation to mental health, few scholars examined its impact on refugee integration. Since host country language learning is the main focus for most recent arrivals, this study re-examines the impact of the…
2022
German Language Acquisition of Refugee Children—The Role of Preschools and Language Instruction
Mastering the language of the destination country is key to immigrant and refugee children's educational success. Refugee children typically face the challenge of starting or continuing their educational carrier in a completely new context and in a completely new language. In this study, we examine the role of preschool attendance and formal language instruction in supporting young refugee children to…
2022
Towards more multilingual practices in the mathematics assessment of young refugee students: effects of testing language and validity of parental assessment
The study focuses on the assessment of young refugee students, and the role of language and parents therein. Low achievement at tests can stem from lack of knowledge of the content being tested. However, it can also be due to low proficiency in the language of testing. Additionally, poor communication between refugee parents and schools caused by language or cultural…
2022
Parental Posttraumatic Stress and School Performance in Refugee Children
Refugee children in the Nordic countries have been reported to perform poorly in school and carry a high burden of familial posttraumatic stress. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of maternal and paternal posttraumatic stress on the school performance of refugee children. We used national register data on school grades at age 15–16 along with demographic and migration…
2022
The Playground Perception of Syrian Refugee Children
Drawings by children are key to understanding their experiences in various aspects such as perceptions of playgrounds and the events that happen in them. This study aims to reveal Syrian refugee children's perceptions of playgrounds. In the study, drawings of children who live in two different cities in Turkey were collated. The results showed that children draw slides, swings, and…
2022
Practitioners’ perspectives and needs: Developing skills to support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASCs) in experiencing ‘belonging’ in English educational spaces
This article builds on Yuval-Davis’s (2006, 2007, 2011) theories of belonging, in order to relay how practitioners can support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASCs) in developing a positive sense of belonging in educational spaces in England. To do so, the article synthesises literature surrounding theories of belonging, UASCs’ educational access in England and practices supporting UASCs’ educational attainment and sense of…
2022
Home-Based Early Education for Refugee and Local Children via Mothers: A Model of Contextually Sensitive Early Intervention
Contextually sensitive home-visiting programs can foster positive parenting and enhance child development and learning especially among vulnerable families exposed to armed conflict, forced displacement, and poverty. Developed based on ecological model and family resilience theories, the Home-Based Early Childhood Education (HECE) program provided an 11-week home-visiting intervention to Syrian refugee and local Turkish mothers in impoverished host communities of Turkey.…
2022
Teach us for what is coming: The transition into adulthood of foreign unaccompanied minors in Europe: case studies from France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, and the Netherlands
This report looks at what it is like to be a young person alone and seeking safety in Europe when turning 18. It paints a difficult situation with many shortcomings but also some promising practices. The main finding is there is no legal framework or specific support schemes for unaccompanied minors (UAMs) entering adulthood. This leaves many young people to…
2021
Instating settings of emergency education in Vienna: temporary schooling of pupils with forced migration backgrounds
In the year 2015, Austria was one of the main European destinations of displaced persons. According to education authoritiesaround 15,000 children with a forced migration background of school age who arrived in Austria over the course of a few months from late2015 to the beginning of 2016 called for immediate and partly temporary solutions. Due to Austrian legislation and unlike…
2021
Syrian Refugees in Turkey: (Un)Equal Opportunities in Education
The number of Syrian refugees seeking shelter in Turkey continues to rise as Syria enters its tenth year of violence. The ongoing crisis has resulted in more than 3.5 million registered Syrian refugees (UNHCR 2019). Although multiple social, economic, and security related debates have been studied by researchers in this field, the scope of this chapter focuses on the education…
2021
Policy and leadership discourses in Sweden’s Art and Music Schools: the inclusion of refugee children
Sweden’s Art and Music Schools (SAMS) have assumed some responsibility for facilitating refugee children’s social inclusion. This article investigates how the inclusion of refugee children in SAMS is introduced by leaders as well as how the theme is constructed and addressed as a topic in policy documents (related to the national policy process for SAMS). Two data sets constitute the…
2021
COVID-19 in collective accommodation centres for refugees: assessment of pandemic control measures and priorities from the perspective of authorities [COVID-19 in Sammelunterkünften für Geflüchtete: Analyse von Pandemiemaßnahmen und prioritäre Bedarfe aus behördlicher Sicht]
Background: The containment of the COVID-19 pandemic in collective accommodation centres is crucial to maintain the physical and mental health of refugees. It is unclear what measures have been taken by authorities in this setting to reduce the risk of infection, minimise stressors for refugees during the pandemic and communicate containment measures. Objectives: Assessment of measures that have been taken…
2021
A qualitative study into the reintegration of vulnerable migrant children and families after return to Kosovo: Findings from a follow-up
Vulnerable children's experiences after (forced) return are understudied. Compared with the situation of adults, child-specific safeguards are necessary for their reintegration. The study aims to gain insight into the reintegration and support experiences of vulnerable returnee children after a short and medium term of return in Kosovo. This study has a qualitative design and a thematic analysis was conducted. Thirteen…
2021
An Informal Education Intervention in Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic: Homework Mentorships in a Berlin Refugee Shelter
The Covid-19 pandemic and resulting damage is often portrayed in staggering numbers and statistics. This article offers, by contrast, a personal and qualitative account of employees, volunteers, and young residents at a refugee home in Berlin, Germany. Through the story of a boy who has spent the past 4 years in several of Berlin’s 84 remaining refugee accommodations, we examine the…
2021
Integration into the Labour Market and Skills Training of Migrants in Italy
The right to work is one of the fundamental pillars of the Italian Constitution (Articles 1 and 4); it is granted to everyone as an instrument for the social, economic and material development of the Nation. However, the Italian Government is free to define certain areas of economic initiative (Article 41) that are considered strategic and of high interest. Italian…
2020
Profiling of IDP situation in Luhansk Region, Ukraine
The report “Profiling of IDP situation in Luhansk Region, Ukraine - data-driven approach to durable solutions” was launched by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in December 2020. It was developed as a result of the Profiling exercises piloted in Luhansk region by NRC in collaboration with Luhansk Regional State Administration. The Joint IDP Profiling Service (JIPS) provided technical support in…
2020
Reception Policies, Practices and Responses – Poland Country Report
This country research report, prepared within Work Package 4, is focused on the reception conditions and reception policy in Poland and delivered under the H2020 project RESPOND—Multilevel Governance of Mass Migration in Europe and Beyond. In Poland, reception in legal and institutional terms means assistance for foreigners applying for international protection. Its basic scope is governed by the national provisions…
2020
Integration Policies, Practices & Experiences: Turkey Country Report
This Integration in Turkey Country Report focuses on integration policies, practices and responses to refugee immigration between 2011 and 2019. The report is composed of two main parts. First, the report defines integration according to EU guidelines and specifically as “differential inclusion” (Cases-Cortes et al 2015, p. 79-80). It provides an overview of Turkey’s integration policy discourses, in particular the…
2020
Integration Policies, Practices & Experiences: Italy Country Report
The Italian case is characterised by a considerable delay in the development of a model of integration. Indeed, with a long tradition as a country of emigration, Italy has been culturally less well equipped to face the challenges of a multicultural society. Moreover, the country’s geographical position – which impedes an efficient control of the borders – has incentivised policies…
2020
Integration Policies, Practices & Experiences: Sweden Country Report
This report explores the Swedish integration policies and practices as well as their implementation as experienced by newcomers. Integration refers to the permanent settlement period that sets in after the acquisition of a permanent residence permit, or when one starts mentally adapting to the host society. Through a multilevel governance approach, it highlights how legal, political, and institutional integration frameworks…
2020
Reception Policies, Practices & Responses: Turkey Country Report
This country report includes a detailed analysis of reception policies, practices and humanitarian responses from state actors and non-state agencies in Turkey. Data on policies were retrieved through desk research on policy papers and documents at national and sub-national levels, building on the international and EU framework. The analysis of secondary data includes the elaboration of maps of reception policies,…
2020
Integration Policies,Trends, Problems and Challenges: An Integrated Report of 9 Country Cases
This report provides a snapshot for some of the primary findings, trends and challenges with regard to immigrant integration that have been studied in nine country cases, based on research conducted within the framework of the Horizon2020 RESPOND project. These countries are Sweden, Germany, Italy, Greece, Austria, Poland, the UK, Turkey and Iraq. All nine country reports study integration in…
2020
Integration Policies, Practices & Experiences: Poland Country Report
This report focuses on integration policies towards beneficiaries of international protection in Poland in the period of 2011-2019. It also sheds light on the experiences of integration of the beneficiaries of such protection. The findings of our research indicate that the case of Poland is characterised by lack of official integration strategy. Several legal acts deal with different aspects of…
2020
Integration Policies, Practices & Experiences: United Kingdom Country Report
This report provides an overview of the legal and policy framework of integration policies in the UK and explains the main contours of immigrant integration. The report looks into policies (macro-level), practices of stakeholders (meso-level) and experiences of immigrants (microlevel) in five thematic fields: a) labour market, b) education, c) housing and spatial integration, d) psychosocial health and e) citizenship…
2020
An emancipatory study exploring the educational experiences of unaccompanied children and young people
This research was set within the context of the refugee crisis and children and young people’s (CYP) rights. This study aimed to explore the educational experiences of unaccompanied children and young people (UCYP), a particularly high-risk group who are separated from their parents due to reasons such as war, persecution or violence, and whom do not have the protection of…
2020
Navigating troubled waters: Unaccompanied minors views on education and language learning in Austria
This thesis analyses how young refugees experience learning and living in Austria. It examines their motivation for learning and how their motivation may be influenced by the difficulties they face (e.g.: PTSD, anxiety, very low levels of literacy, language barriers, having never attended a school before or having not attended one in a long time, refugee accommodation, and limited access…
2020
Higher education and solidarity? The integration of refugee students at austrian universities
The refugee streams of 2015 had a tremendous impact on European societies. In context of the influx of refugees, civil society showed large solidarity. Universities did so as well, organizing programs to accommodate asylum seekers and refugees on campus. As solidarity is necessary for social relationships and coordinating life chances in a just way, the effectiveness of such programs can…
2020
Towards a socially just system of newcomer school integration: Syrians in Canada and Germany
The Syrian diaspora of newcomers to Canada or Germany represent the more fortunate refugees escaping from civil war, that is, more fortunate in terms of their arrival into two democratic, socialist-oriented societies as opposed to being housed in refugee camps in neighboring Middle Eastern nations bordering Syria. They are also more fortunate in attending schools where Canadian and German educators…
2020
Contesting language policy for asylum seekers in the Northern periphery: the story of Tailor F
This article is about navigating asylum, employment and language policy in a new country as an asylum seeker. Through the story of one individual, we show that profound inequalities are exacerbated when forced migrants are limited in their choice of language they might study or use. The individual is Tailor F, an Iraqi man seeking asylum, and the country is…
2020
The effect of local discourses adapted by teachers on Syrian child refugees’ schooling experiences in Turkey
This critical ethnography explains how and why refugee children experience schooling in specific ways by examining teachers’ use and interpretation of local refugee accommodation policies. It argues that locals’ understanding of refugee protection framework to host refugees generates discourses such as brotherhood/sisterhood and guest and these discourses have an impact on the schooling practices and teachers’ approaches to educating refugee…
2020
Professional Narratives in Refugee Education: Volunteer Teachers’ Challenges, Needs, Skills, and Accomplishments within the Framework of Non-Formal Education
This paper, which adopts a narrative and autobiographical narrative inquiry, aims to highlight the meaningful stories of four volunteers, including the researcher herself, who have offered language support to refugee students at a refugee camp in central Greece. Narratives are a crucial feature of human existence since they determine our traits, values, and worldviews. The individual stories of a small…
2020
‘I can’t sit here and cry with you, I have to play’. Strategies by very young children in refugee collective accommodation
Little is known about the everyday life of very young children in refugee collective accommodation centres, hosted together with their parents. Access to high-quality provision of early education and care is not implemented. Against this background, the paper explores young children’s everyday life practices in these specific centres. This paper presents findings from an explorative ethnographic research project in refugee…
2020
Gendered Spaces and Educational Expectations: the Case of the Former Refugee Camp “Elliniko” in Athens
This article examines the subjectivity of refugee women regarding education while in a state of prolonged “transit” in squalid conditions and within a context of limited agency. Specifically, we discuss the experience of forced migration and displacement of refugee Afghan women through a focus on processes of education in the context of their “temporary” accommodation in the former Elliniko camp…
2020
Current conditions and issues at Temporary Education Centres (TECs) for Syrian child refugees in Turkey
Since the outbreak of Syrian conflict 2011, Turkey has received more than 3.5 million refugees, including a great number of school-aged children. Providing education to Syrian child refugees has therefore become important in Turkey. To effectively deal with this issue, Turkish government has developed educational policies and legal arrangements. Establishing Temporary Education Centres providing education in Arabic based on an adapted…
2020
Refugee integration in Europe since the 'crisis'
In this working paper we map the literature on refugee integration in Europe as part of our work for the GLIMER project which seeks to understand how localities are responding to the so-called 'refugee crisis'. We present an account of trends in the literature by focusing on some of the outcomes and conclusions of notable recent studies in an attempt…
2019
Improving ESOL provision for displaced adult migrants in Scotland: Key recommendations and findings
ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) provision for asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland is devolved to the Scottish Government’s (SG) education brief and has developed independently of and diverged from UK Government approaches in England. The SG’s ESOL Strategy, now in its second iteration, Welcoming Our Learners (2015-2020), interacts with other policy areas, including Adult Literacies, Community Learning…
2019
What are the challenges for Early Childhood Education and Care practitioners when educating and caring for children who are living in Direct Provision?
The importance of the role of the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) practitioner in the life of the child is understood and acknowledged (Hayes, O'Toole and Halpenny, 2017). This study focused on discovering the challenges Early Childhood Educators face when teaching children who are living in Direct Provision. The Bronfenbrenner bioecological theory was used as the theoretical framework as…
2019
Refugee education: Integration models and practices in OECD countries
The recent refugee crisis has put many OECD countries under considerable pressure to accommodate and integrate large numbers of refugees. Refugee students are a particularly vulnerable group due to their forced displacement, but their needs are not always met by education systems, which can hinder the integration potential of these students. This poses considerable challenges as the integration of refugee…
2019
Turkey's Education Policies towards Syrian Refugees: A Macro-level Analysis
This study discusses the transformation of Turkey's education policies towards Syrian refugees in three major stages. It argues that education policies in these different stages reflect the general perception of and political vision for Syrian refugees by the Turkish state, and that they are also instruments through which this political vision is materialized and declared. The remarkable evolution of Turkey's…
2019
What attitudes toward refugees do future european teachers have? A comparative analysis between France and Spain
(1) Background. The increase in international conflicts and humanitarian crises has led to an increase in the movement of people to Europe. The legal and moral commitments of the European Union require the incorporation and integration of such refugees. In this sense, the school and its teaching staff are a key agent in the challenge of integrating newly arrived students.…
2019
Feasibility of a trauma-informed parent–teacher cooperative training program for Syrian refugee children with autism
Although the number of Syrians affected by the civil war rises, little work has been done to address the needs of Syrian refugee children with autism spectrum disorder. This research aimed to test the feasibility and acceptability of a culturally sensitive intervention developed specifically for children with autism spectrum disorder affected by trauma. Local partners advised the program team on…
2019
Visibility, resilience, vulnerability in young migrants
Young unaccompanied asylum seekers have been portrayed as vulnerable, resilient or both. Those granted residency in Europe are offered support by health and social care systems, but once they leave the care system to make independent lives, what part can these services play? Our review of research with migrants who have been in care in Sweden and the United Kingdom…
2019
Living with difference: Refugee education and school segregation processes in Greece
Global challenges and recent changes in conflict areas in the Middle East, Asia and Africa are reasons for the contemporary forced migration into European countries, which have become places of destination or transit posts for a great number of refugees. Cities have become the focus of the socio-spatial debate, as the main units for receiving refugees, either in state camps…
2019
The crisis on the border of turkey: An analysis of syrian refugees’ education, shelter and healthcare
The year 2011 witnessed a series of social movements against ingrained authoritarian regimes in the Arab world, starting in Tunisia. At least 500,000 people, lost their lives in the internal turmoil that started in Syria on 15 March 2011, when the belated local version of the ‘Arab Spring’ escalated into a violent civil war. In this period, 13.5 million people…
2018