Between niche conservatism and institutionalised expectations: how international organisations frame policies of migrant and refugee education

Integration of refugees into host countries' National Education System (NES) is becoming increasingly popular. According to recent scholarly research, efforts to integrate refugees into the NES have proven tough. Existing research on refugee children from both the global south and rich nations has identified a variety of educational barriers for refugee children. Recurrent livelihood-related movement habits are one of these barriers. Urban refugee families migrate often within and outside of the city in quest of better living conditions, disrupting their children's integration into public schools. This study uses qualitative methods and a case study research design to focus on urban refugee children in Maputo and Nampula. Integration of refugee children into host countries' NES is crucial because it has the potential to improve their academic or school continuity, stability, access to high-quality education, local integration, and social development.

Although international organisations (IOs) are recognised as important actors in education, their involvement in vocational education and training (VET) remains underexamined. This article reviews the current state of research on IOs in VET, focusing on the ILO, OECD, UNESCO, and the World Bank, through an integrative literature review of 174 publications. The analysis identifies three roles attributed to IOs, highlighting crucial research gaps for future investigation. First, IOs are seen as important knowledge producers on VET, demonstrated by the implicit use of IO data in academic research. However, literature that explicitly analyses how IOs produce VET knowledge is largely missing. Second, IOs are described as organisations capable of formulating specific VET agendas. While there has been a particular interest in the World Bank’s views on VET, research that analyses and compares how other IOs develop their ideas on VET remains rare. Third, IOs are recognised as actors of VET policy transfer. Although existing research highlights the complexity of international and local factors in IOs’ attempts to influence national VET policies, more comparative case studies are needed to analyse concrete IO engagements. Addressing these gaps would contribute to a research agenda that takes into account the multifaceted agency of IOs in VET.

Objectives The workshop is based on results from the Nordic project CAGE (Coming of Age in Exile) and aims at creating a better understanding of how health, education and employment jointly play a role in the process of integration among young refugees. Results on patterns and trends regarding education, employment and health across the Nordic countries based on the unique Nordic register data will be presented along with analyses of Nordic health reception policies as well as qualitative studies on educational and labour market policies and practices related to young refugees in Norway and Finland. The Nordic countries are sharing quite similar general welfare schemes and other cultural and historical roots, but at the same time displaying different integration policies. By comparisons of some of the differences between otherwise similar countries we can identify possible effects of policy decisions and disentangle some of the complex processes forming the health and welfare trajectories of the young refugees that have arrived during recent decades. Nordic CAGE researchers have collaborated since 2015 in studies on similarities and differences between national health and welfare policies with a focus on their significance for refugee health and integration; these results have served as a framework for generating hypotheses and interpreting findings from studies on the different trajectories of the young refugees. Results from time and cohort analyses of comparable register data from each country have been further explained through the policy studies as well as the qualitative studies focusing on the experiences and perceptions of key actors involved in the integration processes. The workshop will include 5 short presentations (45 minutes in total) - the first introducing and motivating the focus on the interactive dynamics of health, education and employment followed by 4 presentations based on new evidence from the CAGE project. The participants will be invited to discuss the learnings from the Nordic results in an international perspective and their implications for integration policies for different groups of refugees in Europe (15 minutes). Presentations: Integration of refugees: the interactive dynamics of health, education and employment - a Nordic project, by Signe S Jervelund, 9 min.Educational trends, patterns of employment and selected health indicators among young refugees: results from a Nordic comparative analysis based on register data, by Andrea Dunlavy, 10 min.A healthy start: A comparative analysis of health reception policies for asylum-seeking and refugee children in the Nordic countries, by Camilla Michaëlis, 8 min.Young refugees' pathways in(to) education - Teacher and student voices: challenges, opportunities and dilemmas, by Ketil Eide and Hans A. Hauge, 9 min.Two-way labour market integration? Perspectives on youth with a refugee background and employers in Finland, by Eveliina Lyytinen, 9 min. Key messages Welfare policies related to refugees need to take into account the interrelations between inclusive health care, successful education and entrance into the labour markets. Multidisciplinary, international comparative studies can provide important new evidence on the role of different migration policies for the health and social trajectories of young refugees.

The term ‘culture’ is an open one. Various meanings can be attached to it. This chapter focuses on the connection of certain aspects of ‘culture’ to what is perceived as individual and collective identity. The example of a German ‘guiding culture’ serves as a point of departure to address the following questions: First, how can ‘culture’ in general be defined, and how is it linked to what is perceived as individual or collective identity? Second, do we need policies defending a particular culture, and (how) can a ‘guiding culture’ be justified? Third, what has—international and national—law got to do with it? Fourth, what lies beneath cultural defence politics, and which lessons can be drawn from a more thorough understanding of these underlying motives? It is suggested to add a needs-based view to the debate about the integration of migrants and refugees in a society.

Foreign immigration is one of the most important recent changes in Italy. As a consequence, similarly to the traditional European receiving countries, the process of integration of immigrants has also become a crucial political issue in Italy. Labour market insertion of migrants is one of the key points of integration. In this chapter, we aim to provide a broad and updated overview of the migrant situation in the Italian labour market. Empirical evidence suggests that the crisis almost equally hits foreigners and Italian workers, without affecting the structural difference of treatments of these two groups. One of the aims of this work is to evaluate if the gap in terms of integration in the labour market and employment probability between foreigners and Italians has widened or decreased, considering that the labour market is probably the main channel of the integration process. The analysis is structured using a multinomial logit model and some contingency descriptive statistics exploiting, together with regular socio-demographic variables, regional and macro-area differences. The data come from the Italian Labour Force Survey (LFS) provided by ISTAT – Italian National Institute of Statistics – a quarterly survey with a rotating sample that provides an extensive overview of Italian labour market actors. Results show that foreigners have a greater employment probability than Italian natives, a probability that turns out to be better for those who arrived in Italy between 2000 and 2004. Nonetheless, foreigners are largely employed in low-paying or underqualified jobs, returning a low-profile picture of foreigners' integration in the Italian labour market.

The study of international organizations (IOs) has been described as lacking theoretical depth. However, the field actually has a more solid theoretical foundation than some of its critics allege. Moreover, the variety of approaches has entailed multifaceted knowledge of the internal workings as well as the global effects of IOs. Three theoretical traditions have emerged, dealing with institutions, organization, and governance. Institutional analysis has a central position in political science. In the study of domestic institutions, three major schools—rational choice institutionalism, historical institutionalism, and sociological institutionalism—have emerged. Organization theory represents a change of focus from the ideational structures studied by institutionalists to more material and human structures. Whereas both institutional and organizational approaches were originally formulated for domestic structures, institutionalists have been more receptive to exploring domestic-international analogies and contrasts. Even if both institutional and organization theories pay attention to process— institutionalizing rules and practices as well as organizing collective entities are long-term processes— IO studies inspired by these approaches tend to focus on relatively stable structures, asking questions concerning the establishment, persistence or change, and impact of international institutions and organizations. A third, more recent perspective focuses on continuous processes of governance, involving international organizations as well as other types of actors.

Civil war experience in the Syrian home country, insecurity and critical life events during migration, or adverse events in the receiving country might affect refugees' mental health. This paper addresses the effects of psychological distress and mental disorders on refugees' labor market integration in Germany between 2016 and 2021. We employ survey data from about 2700 young Syrians, delivering information on individuals' experience of migration and arrival in Germany in 2016. The survey data were successfully merged with register data, delivering detailed information regarding individuals' process of labor market integration and employment status from 2016 to 2021. Overall, the labor market integration of young refugees improved remarkably over time. In 2021, about 69% of the study population was integrated in a wider sense, and 30% was employed in fulltime contracts in 2021. However, the results indicate long-lasting effects of PTSD and mental disorders on individuals' labor market integration, whilst individuals' characteristics related to migration and arrival lose relevance over time and hardly affect labor market integration around five years after arrival. High PTSD scores in 2016 indicate a significantly reduced full-time employment probability in 2021. Anxiety and depression show significant negative effects on individuals' labor market integration, but with a less severe impact compared to a PTSD diagnosis.

Abstract: In scientific research, the development of FinTech Innovations is often associated with an increase in the level of financial inclusion of households. A common problem with traditional financial intermediaries and financial systems in general is that certain categories of individuals, for various reasons, do not have access to financial services or can only use a limited list of them. An example of financial exclusivity in this case is the inability of a person to obtain a loan on acceptable terms. Financial inclusion involves the inclusion of an individual in the system of financial relations with access to a wide range of financial services. The system of financial relations of households covers both internal financial relations formed in the household itself between its members and in relation to the management of personal finances of a person, and external ones, including financial relations of the household with the state, enterprises, financial institutions, and other households. The problems of financial inclusion are the subject of research by both individual scientists and various international institutions and organizations, including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Alliance for Financial Inclusion, and the Global Partnership for Financial inclusion). In addition, statistics on financial inclusion are collected and analyzed by international organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and development, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, the Financial Stability Board, and others.

The tsunami of forced migration caused by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 poses a significant challenge to the socio-economic systems of host European countries, in particular Germany and Poland, which are the two main destination countries for displaced Ukrainians. Despite relatively similar statistics on the number and demographic structure of Ukrainian forced immigrants, the two countries differ significantly in terms of the level of labour market integration of refugees, which is a key factor determining their social integration and economic outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to study the peculiarities and common features of the integration of Ukrainian forced migrants in the labour markets of Germany and Poland, taking into account the pre-war experience of these countries in attracting Ukrainian economic migrants. Methodology. The study is a comparative analysis of the pre-war and forced migration trajectories of the two countries based on data from the German and Polish statistical services and Eurostat in 2010-2022. Results. The article discusses the redistribution of the main demographic characteristics in the profile of Ukrainian migrants in the post-war period, which led to an increase in the share of women with higher education in the demographic structure of migrants. These demographic differences, coupled with the peculiarities of European labour markets, have affected the employment prospects of Ukrainian refugees in European countries of destination. The pre-war experience of temporary labour migration from Ukraine and social ties between refugees and members of the diaspora were recognised as factors that facilitated the integration of Ukrainian refugees. The analysis showed that in addition to the geographical and cultural proximity between Ukraine and Poland, the circular labour migration model that dominated relations between Ukraine and Poland contributed to the rapid integration of Ukrainian refugees into the labour market after the outbreak of full-scale war. The lack of German language skills is the most common reason for the lower participation of Ukrainians in the German labour market compared to the Polish one. In Germany, favourable labour market conditions combined with integration policies facilitate access to the labour market for Ukrainian refugees in the long term. Practical implications. By examining the previous circular seasonal migration of Ukrainians over the past decade and their labour market integration in specific destination countries after the outbreak of war, this paper provides a broader perspective for the study of the transition from forced to permanent migration. Value/Originality. Given the global growth of both seasonal labour migrants and forms of movement, the key findings of the study provide a better understanding of these changing categories of mobility and their implications.

Managers of Global Change addresses a long-standing question in international relations scholarship: “Do international organizations (IOs) matter?” In answering this question, the authors narrow down the focus of their study to bureaucracies (IBs) within IOs. International civil servants have largely remained outside of international relations research, even though IOs have long been recognized as actors capable of autonomous action. The book centers on IBs and their influence on behavior of states and other actors and evaluates this influence systematically, using an impressive wealth of information presented in case studies. The authors begin the book with a review of the literature that has previously examined the role and effect of IOs. They note that the current state of this research leaves the study of IBs and their influence on the periphery, despite numerous studies of IOs. The authors emphasize that their framework shares similarities with two theoretical approaches that have been used to analyze IBs: principal-agent theory and sociological institutionalism. Yet, there are also important differences. One shortcoming of the principal-agent approach that the authors try to overcome is its focus on variation in IBs’ behavior stemming from differences in principal-agent relations. As a result, principal-agent theory is less useful when variation in IBs’ choices is observed under similar principal-agent relations. In addition, this approach fails to analyze the preference formation in IBs. In the case of sociological institutionalism, the authors credit this perspective for advancing the study of IBs as autonomous actors in international politics, but critique the failure to separate IBs from IOs. The authors argue that the study of IBs as autonomous agents requires a more precise conceptualization in order to distinguish the influence of IBs—groups of international civil servants—from that of IOs—institutional structures encompassing collectives of member states, normative frameworks, and IBs. Rev Int Organ (2011) 6:105–108 DOI 10.1007/s11558-010-9087-0

[L]aws created to protect workers often hurt them. … More flexible labor regulations boost job creation. World Bank (2007, 19) The effects of labour law may be more indeterminate than previously thought. … … [T]here is evidence to suggest that the economic effects of labour laws are not just highly varied and complex … but also that they may be efficiency- enhancing in certain contexts … Deakin and Sarkar (2008, 481) INTRODUCTION The laws that regulate the labor market – that intangible domain where transactions for labor take place – have not escaped the gaze of indicators. Since the turn of the century a multitude of labor market indicators have been produced within a strained ecology of international organizations concerned with the performance of labor markets. In some cases these organizations are concerned only with one dimension (the “efficiency”) of labor market regulation, notwithstanding the complex multidimensional character of labor law, its origins in social policy, its indeterminate economic effect (Deakin and Sarkar 2008), and indeed notwithstanding its original purpose of injecting equity into an otherwise unequal relationship. Plotted on a continuum, the international organizations involved in the transnational shaping of the legal norms and institutions that regulate the labor market are poles apart in their mandates and worldviews. These organizations range from a powerful private international organization, funded almost entirely by private enterprise, with an agenda that pushes for labor markets governed primarily by private ordering and market principles to a public international law organization that promotes a coordinated regulatory framework enabling equitable participation in the labor market. This divergence of views among international organizations undermines the development and coherence of legal norms and standards for worker security and creates a fractious transnational legal order that has implications for the domestic debate on labor market regulation.

Introduction. Financial inclusion in Ukraine is an important component of the country’s economic and social development. It provides availability and access to financial services and products for the entire population, regardless of their social status, financial condition and geographical location. Here are some key aspects of financial inclusion in Ukraine: banking sector, mobile money and electronic payments, development of macro-financial institutions, growth of financial literacy, regulation and protection of consumer rights, reduction of financial vulnerability, increasing role of international cooperation. Financial inclusion in Ukraine is an important factor for increasing the country’s economic well-being and stability. However, there are challenges, such as ensuring access to financial services in rural regions and increasing the level of financial literacy of the population, which require attention and solutions for the further development of this direction. The purpose of the article is to determine the features of the current state of financial inclusion in Ukraine, as well as to present the main trends of its development. Results. The article analyzes the difference between the concepts of “inclusion” and “inclusiveness”, presents their main features and differences, which further makes it possible to dis tinguish between these categories when studying the current state of economic processes. The main trends in the development of financial inclusion in Ukraine are determined based on the trends in the development of financial and economic inclusion in the world. The main features of the current state of economic inclusion in Ukraine are presented. Conclusions. According to the results of the study, it is proven that today, the state of financial inclusion in Ukraine shows a certain progress and expansion of access to financial services. However, there are still certain challenges and tasks that require attention and solutions for the further development of this direction. The main conclusions regarding the state and trends of the development of financial inclusion in Ukraine include the following: growing access to banking services, growth of electronic payments and mobile money, development of macro-financial institutions, focus on improving financial literacy, strengthening cooperation with international organizations. The presented research results make it possible to determine that financial inclusion is an important factor for increasing the economic well-being and stability of Ukraine. The presented trends show some progress in this direction, but it is necessary to continue work to ensure access of all citizens to financial services and further improve financial inclusion in the country.

Recent international relations scholarship has adopted the perspective of organizational ecology (OE) to explore a range of questions related to organizational emergence, strategy, and death. These studies draw attention to organizational competition as the mechanism underpinning important transformations in global governance. We argue that existing work in IR that uses OE has overlooked the importance of another strand of sociological theory that focuses on dynamics of mutualism between organizations. We illustrate the importance of mutualism by focusing on a crucial case: the evolution of different “populations” of organizations working in environmental governance during its critical 1970–1990 period. Our analysis demonstrates that as the environmental consciousness of the 1970s took hold, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) increasingly captured new resources and stimulated new attention to the issue. Rather than viewing these new actors as competition, existing international organizations (IOs) sought to incorporate and legitimate INGOs, promoting their growth. And in turn, INGOs sought to support and legitimate the activities of the existing IOs, promoting growth of Secretariats and treaties. Our account offers an important organizational-level story that shows that dynamics of mutualism help account for the increased complexity of global governance.

The 2015 crisis of refugee policies saw an upgrade in the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as service providers for the migrant population in Greece. CSOs attempted to substitute for the government’s failure to provide a migration policy designed for the social integration of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers (MRAs). As a result, they have been overseeing a majority of services related to the integration of MRAs in the labour market. This paper aims to enrich the underdeveloped so far discussion on the role of CSOs in the integration of refugees and asylum seekers (RAs) into the Greek labour market. This will be attempted by adopting a qualitative approach. The paper is based on 34 interviews done in 2019, involving refugees, asylum seekers and representatives of third-sector organizations, namely non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and grassroots solidarity initiatives (GSIs) provide various activities that seek to improve the employability of refugees and asylum seekers and help them navigate the employment policies. The article concludes that the lack of a follow-up to the various actions, the fragmented funding schemes and the absence of a clear integration policy from public actors and support from the public administration lie behind the relatively limited role played by CSOs for refugees and asylum seekers in labour market integration.

The integration of refugees into German society is the focus of a number of different policy discussions. Successful integration into employment and participation in vocational education and training (VET) are essential requirements. In order to get employment in the German labour market, refugees often seek vocational training, their needs and particularities must be considered when designing VET programmes for people with a refugee background. As a result, in some cases, different educational perspectives to those applicable to other students may need to be adopted. Therefore, quality indicators were identified for the design of vocational training programs for people with a refugee background. The aim of this study is to analyse the extent to which the identified quality indicators are accepted at the level of vocational schools. This study is located in acceptance research in the sense of school development. It was conducted in North Rhine-Westphalia, the federal state with the highest quota of assigned refugees in Germany. Due to their management function, school principals were consulted as experts for expert interviews. As a result, it was possible to reveal that from the point of view of school principals, the importance and necessity vary greatly among the identified quality indicators. Regarding the school development, there are indicators that are located at the macro or meso level and cannot be influenced by the school itself. The indicators could be assigned to different levels of acceptance, ranging from high to low acceptance. This article presents the results in detail and interprets them in VET context.