A New Model for Economic Integration of ‘Refugee Doctors’ in the UK: Opportunities and Costs of New Policy Initiatives

Abstract

Policy initiatives and support programs for refugee doctors are regarded as helpful mechanisms for facilitating their economic integration in the UK. The inclusion of refugees in the formal labor market of host countries is one of the durable solutions promoted by the UNHCR and implemented in novel models in the countries’ domestic policies. The Introduction of the Medical Support Worker Scheme is the most recent support program aiming to improve refugee doctors’ economic integration during the unprecedented demand for medical workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article investigates the long-standing support program before the pandemic as well as the most recent policy initiatives for refugee doctors’ economic integration in the UK. The paper uses secondary data from literature and big datasets such as the Labour Data Survey and primary data from focus groups collected from the participants who are members of the Lincolnshire Refugee Doctors Project (LRDP). It performs a qualitative analysis of the perceptions of refugee doctors on their economic integration in the UK labor market. The analysis of the data shows mainly positive perceptions of the support program and the guidance and training offered by the organizations like LRDP. The findings also suggest that there are existing impediments to the economic integration of refugee doctors deriving from structural and procedural obstacles as well as from the global health crisis. The paper addresses this issue and makes recommendations for key policymakers in the UK to improve their integration process.