Educational trends, patterns of employment and selected health indicators among young refugees

Abstract

Abstract Background Although the health and integration of young refugees is a top policy priority within the Nordic region, refugees continue to experience health and social inequalities relative to other immigrants and native-origin majority populations. This project explores how such inequities develop during the formative years among refugees who migrated as children, and how they relate to migration and welfare policies in different Nordic contexts, which vary considerably in terms of their generosity. Methods National administrative registers were used to compare key indicators of education, labor market participation, and health among young refugees living Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The primary study population consisted of refugee children who were granted residency in the Nordic region as children (0-17 years) between 1986 and 2005, and were followed up through 2015. Results Overall, refugees in Denmark and Finland had the poorest primary and secondary educational outcomes, even when country of origin and age of arrival were considered. In all countries, the gap in secondary educational attainment between refugees and the native-born majority population was of a much greater magnitude than the corresponding achievement gaps in higher education. Refugees in Denmark had the lowest proportion of labor market participation and the highest proportion of NEET (not in employment or education) at age 30 relative to refugees in the other Nordic countries; yet this difference was greatly diminished when secondary educational attainment was considered. Results also showed higher rates of early retirement pension receipt at age 30 among refugees in Denmark than those observed among refugees in other Nordic contexts. Conclusions Policies that facilitate introduction into the educational system and secondary education attainment among refugees should be given greater priority in order to promote labor market integration and health in young adulthood.