Infusing sociocultural perspectives into capacity building activities to meet the needs of refugees and asylum seekers.

Abstract

Recent decades have witnessed a significant increase in the number of armed conflicts internationally, ranging from outright warfare and mass violence to sporadic civil unrest and long-term unstable postconflict situations. These experiences have had their greatest impact on the poorest communities in the poorest countries. According to the United Nations, roughly 20 million people have been killed in armed conflicts in 150 developing countries since the Second World War and currently there are close to 55.2 million forced migrants globally. The majority of victims have been women and children (Siriwardhana, Ali, Roberts, & Steward, 2014; Boyden, De Berry, Feeny, & Hart, 2002). Research has also shown that close to half of those displaced, 22.4 million people, are children and adolescents. Furthermore, it is estimated that one in every 230 persons in the world is a child or adolescent who has been forced to flee his or her home (Siriwardhana, et al., 2014; Boyden et al., 2002). Recent statistics indicate an increase in the total number of refugees and asylum seekers over the past 4 years. For example, in 2011, there were approximately 10.4 million new refugees around the world, and in 2012, the number of refugees increased to 10.5 million. This trend continued in 2013 as the number of refugees and asylum seekers grew to 11.7 million, and in 2014, to 14.4 million. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR, 2015) report, by mid-2015, the number of new refugees and asylum seekers had reached an estimated 15.1 million globally.The above statistics represent the highest numbers of refugees and asylum seekers in 20 years. The UNHCR (2015) report also shows that the main factors contributing to the increase in the refugee population is war (e.g., Syria and Iraq), civil unrest/ organized crime (e.g., Mexico and Central America), and the outbreak of armed conflict or social deterioration in countries such as Afghanistan, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, and Ukraine, to name a few, which have resulted in massive migrations of refugees and asylum seekers globally. Currently, sub-Saharan Africa is host to approximately 4.1 million refugees, Asia and Pacific are host to 3.8 million, Europe is host to 3.5 million, Middle East and North Africa, 3.0 million and the North America (e.g., United States and Canada) are host to 753,000 refugees, as shown by figures from mid-2015. Research has also shown that there is a downward trend in the number of refugees who are able to return to their home countries, which is an indication that refugees will continue to live in exile with no prospects of returning home (UNHCR, 2015).According to the UNHCR (2015), close to 1 million individual asylum applications were registered in 155 countries or territories during the first half of 2015. This is significantly more than during the corresponding period of 2014, which had 558,000 applications registered. It is estimated that Germany received the highest number of new asylum applications, with 159,900 during the first 6 months of 2015, in addition to 173,100 asylum applications already registered from 2014. Overall, the impact of forced migration and displacement of children and families points to the need for a holistic effort to assist such individuals. The challenges are global and diverse, which call for creative perspectives on how best to assist this population in their effort to find a safe environ- ment, one that is conducive to positive outcomes for all involved in the host country, especially school-age children.Method for Literature ReviewInclusion and Exclusion CriteriaFor the purpose of this systematic review, the population of interest comprised refugees and asylum seekers who had been affected by conflict and violence, externally displaced, and living in any country. The focus of the review included studies addressing the experiences of refugees on their journeys to host countries and challenges related to social integration and refugee resilience. …