After Coming In, Settling In: An Analysis of Early-Stage Acculturation Preferences of Male Syrian and Iraqi Asylum Seekers in Belgium

Antoine Roblain,Laurent Licata,Assaad Azzi,Bachar Malki

doi:10.5334/irsp.49

Antoine Roblain, Laurent Licata + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.5334/irsp.49

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Abstract

Despite the current societal emergency, little is known about the acculturation processes undergone by Syrian and Iraqi asylum seekers. The present paper investigates their early-stage acculturation preferences in relation to their perception of majority members’ acculturation expectations and to their settlement intentions. 103 Syrian and Iraqi male asylum seekers were recruited during the peak of the 2015 “refugee crisis” in a provisional reception centre and completed a brief questionnaire. Results showed that asylum seekers reported a high willingness to participate in the host society and to adopt the host culture, while maintaining their culture of origin. Moreover, as predicted, asylum seekers’ settlement intentions and their perceptions of majority members’ acculturation expectations were key predictors of their own acculturation preferences. Implications for integration policies are discussed.

Highlights

Despite the current societal emergency, little is known about the acculturation processes undergone by Syrian and Iraqi asylum seekers
We emphasized the possible influence of two factors on these preferences insofar as both of them reflect relevant specificities of the asylum seekers’ situation in the host country: their settlement intentions and their perception of majority members’ acculturation expectations
As suggested by Carling and Pettersen, one possible interpretation of this result is that asylum seekers who intend to settle in the host country for a long period tend to expend much effort to adapt to the host country

Summary

Introduction

Despite the current societal emergency, little is known about the acculturation processes undergone by Syrian and Iraqi asylum seekers. The aim of this article is to provide a socio-psychological perspective on Syrian and Iraqi asylum seekers’ integration processes by highlighting their acculturation preferences and potential determinants of these preferences at an early stage of their settlement in the host country. In a pre-migration context, Yijälä and Jasinskaja-Lahti (2010) found that potential migrants from Russia to Finland commonly endorse an integration strategy Based on these results, we could expect that male Syrian and Iraqi asylum seekers should intend to adopt the host culture, participate in the host society, and maintain their origin culture. In line with recent research trends (e.g. Geurts & Lubbers, 2016), the present study raises the question of how the intended length of settlement influences asylum seekers’ attitudes and, more precisely, their early-stage acculturative preferences

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