Abstract
BackgroundThere has been a recent focus on resettlement of migrants and refugee in rural settings in Australia and elsewhere. Rural resettlement is seen as an opportunity to revitalise rural communities, to fill the needs of employers in these areas, and to provide a welcoming community within which new arrivals can integrate and settle. However, challenges to rural resettlement have been identified including difficulties securing employment, discrimination and social isolation. These challenges can affect resettlement outcomes including health and wellbeing, though relatively little research has examined these links. In this paper we explored experiences of people from refugee background settling in a rural Australian town, examining interconnections between social determinants of health (SDH) and integration.MethodsFace-to-face interviews were conducted with 44 participants from Southeast Asia and Africa in a rural setting in South Australia, covering experiences of resettlement and impacts on health and wellbeing. Participants were recruited through existing connections within the community and snowball sampling. Audio recorded data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using framework thematic analysis.ResultsThe study findings revealed a mixture of settlement experiences for participants across a range of elements of SDH and integration. A sense of safety and some elements of social connectedness and support were key enablers for integration and health and wellbeing, with main challenges including limitations in employment opportunities, mismatched education provision, experiences of discrimination and constrained access to services.ConclusionsChallenges experienced by refugees resettled in rural areas can affect integration, health and wellbeing and subsequent onward migration intentions. Attention to broader socioeconomic, cultural and environmental conditions, alongside tailored settlement support policies and practices for individual rural resettlement sites, is required to support integration and health and wellbeing.
Highlights
There has been a recent focus on resettlement of migrants and refugee in rural settings in Australia and elsewhere
In this paper we focus on experiences of people from refugee backgrounds settling in a rural Australian town and examine the interplay between integration and health and wellbeing in this context, in order to inform settlement policy and practice
We report on a study with participants from refugee backgrounds who had settled in a rural town in South Australia, which aimed to examine how integration factors and social determinants of health (SDH) were experienced by new arrivals
Summary
There has been a recent focus on resettlement of migrants and refugee in rural settings in Australia and elsewhere. In this paper we explored experiences of people from refugee background settling in a rural Australian town, examining interconnections between social determinants of health (SDH) and integration. Refugees and asylum seekers flee their countries because of persecution, war and/or violence and many are exposed to torture and trauma [2] These pre migration factors and postmigration factors including challenges settling in a new country like learning a new language, securing employment and making social connections, mean that refugee status is associated with poorer health outcomes, mental health [3, 4]. In this paper we focus on experiences of people from refugee backgrounds settling in a rural Australian town and examine the interplay between integration and health and wellbeing in this context, in order to inform settlement policy and practice
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