Family Reunification Research Articles

The phenomenon of street children in Harare, Zimbabwe, presents a significant social challenge, necessitating effective family reunification strategies. This research paper explores methods to reintegrate street children in Harare into their families, using Rational Emotive Behaviour Theory as a theoretical lens. The study utilised a qualitative research approach, employing a phenomenological research design. The population comprised ten social development officers involved in integrating street children into their families of origin. A purposive sample of ten social development officers located in the Harare Metropolitan Province participated in the study. A semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect data, which was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings underscore the critical need for innovative strategies that prioritise the effective reintegration of street children into their families. Key findings highlight the root causes of street children's homelessness and the use of several innovative strategies, such as family conferences, community engagement, psychosocial support, counselling, and providing families with resources as essential for the effective integration of street children into their original families. Based on the findings of the study, counselling and psychosocial support, community engagement, family conferences, and addressing the underlying causes of street child homelessness are recommended. The study contributes by deepening our understanding of the complex factors that lead to children being on the street and how addressing those factors could ensure effective integration of street children into families. It serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, social development officers, and researchers seeking to tackle the issue of child homelessness and family reintegration.

BackgroundThe Yazidi people are a Kurdish religious minority group who have been persecuted by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The complexity of the trauma the Yazidi people endured, and a limited understanding of their illness belief models have created challenges to providing culturally sensitive psychiatric care. The purpose of this study was to use focus group methodology to understand Yazidi refugees’ experiences, to provide culturally informed mental health care.MethodsTwo in-person focus groups were held in Calgary, Alberta with Yazidi refugee women from Iraq and Syria (N = 6, N = 7) to assess perspectives on mental health, preferred coping strategies and perceived barriers to care. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. Focus group design and facilitation were done in partnership with Yazidi cultural brokers and interpreters. Focus groups were conducted in English and interpreted in Kurmanji. The focus groups were recorded, coded, and subjected to qualitative content thematic analyses. The analysis was guided by an interpretivist epistemology and informed by pragmatism, to situate participants’ perspectives within their social context while generating culturally informed insights for psychiatric care in Canada.ResultsExperiences with psychiatric symptoms (e.g. grief and loss, somatization, depression, trauma) were identified. Family reunification and community support were emphasized as preferred coping methods. Perceived unrealistic expectations of refugees post-migration, social isolation and language difficulties were acknowledged as barriers to care.ConclusionProviding appropriate psychiatric care to Yazidi refugee women requires a culturally informed approach. Findings in this study support the need for culturally sensitive mental health interventions in refugee populations post migration.

International law has evolved to oblige states to treat children with disabilities with dignity and respect. Yet, where children with disabilities present as migrants, they face compounding challenges that are both physical and legal. This article explores key issues in general migration, including the discriminatory application of migration health rules, access to citizenship and birth registration, family reunification and access to education. There follows an account of particular challenges that face children with disabilities in forced migration and enforcement settings. The article touches briefly on the identification of disability, the vulnerabilities of these children to human trafficking and harms inherent in immigration enforcement mechanisms. The potential and limitations of protective mechanisms available in international law are explored using selective case studies most relevant to the author’s research work. Drawing on compilations of jurisprudence by university scholars and key not-for-profit organizations, the article includes some reflections on treaty body oversight of state party responses to migration, disability and human rights protection. The overarching aim is to interrogate and critique the operation of international legal mechanisms and the extent to which state practice is compliant with norms of international law. In this respect, the piece aligns with a broader project to improve international law and practice around disability, human rights and displacement.

Background/Rationale: Transnational caregiving may be influenced by religious beliefs and cultural traditions that frame elder care as both a moral and religious obligation. While migration alters caregiving dynamics, religious teachings and cultural expectations remain central in guiding transnational caregiving practices. This study examines how Christian Nigerians who have immigrated to Canada navigate caregiving responsibilities within a transnational context, integrating their religion, cultural values, and the practical realities of crossing borders. Methods: This study employed a predominantly qualitative narrative approach, drawing on in-depth interviews with Nigerian Christian immigrants (N = 10) providing transnational care. Data collection involved a pre-interview survey and semi-structured interviews, providing the opportunity for participants to share their lived experiences. Thematic analysis was used to identify recurring themes related to the role of religion and culture in caregiving, ensuring a comprehensive exploration of participants’ perspectives. Findings: Caregiving is shaped by religious duty and cultural obligation, reinforced by biblical teachings and cultural values. Participants view elder care as a moral responsibility, tied to spiritual rewards and familial duty. Despite migration demands, family-based care remains preferred over institutional care, with social stigma attached to neglecting elders. Conclusions: Religion and culture remain integral to transnational caregiving practices, sustaining caregiving responsibilities despite migration-related realities. While religious teachings provide moral guidance and emotional support, cultural expectations reinforce caregiving as a collective and intergenerational duty. Policies and resources are needed that support transnational caregivers, ensuring they can fulfill their caregiving roles while adapting to new sociocultural environments. Policymakers should prioritize the implementation of policies and programs to support transnational caregivers, including family reunification measures, caregiving-related travel provisions, culturally tailored eldercare services, diaspora–local collaborations, organized caregiver support groups, and financial mechanisms such as tax incentives for remittances dedicated to elder care.

BackgroundThis study describes and compares the utilisation rates of specialist mental health and addiction (MH) services between different refugee groups and the New Zealand (NZ) resident population.MethodsUsing linked data in Statistics NZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure, we identified 23,709 individuals with an asylum seeker or refugee visa who stayed in NZ for at least 6 months. Logistic regression models compared the use of MH services between different refugee groups (quota refugees, convention refugees, family reunification, and asylum seekers). We conducted cox regression hazard models to investigate the time to the first service use between refugee groups and a sample of NZ resident population, including NZ-born and overseas-born individuals.ResultsAdjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, neighbourhood deprivation, and time spent in NZ, we found that asylum seekers, family, and convention refugees were less likely to utilise MH services than quota refugees. The following groups had higher odds of utilising MH services: females compared with males (OR = 1.46, 95%CI = 1.35, 1.59) and those living in more deprived neighbourhoods compared with less deprived areas (OR = 1.27; 95%CI = 1.18, 1.38). Quota refuges were more likely to use MH services compared to the NZ-born group (HR = 1.94, 95%CI = 1.86, 2.03). Convention, family and asylum seekers were less likely to utilise MH services than the NZ-born population (HR = 0.82; [95% CI = 0.76, 0.89], HR = 0.54; [95% CI = 0.46, 0.64], and HR = 0.71, [95%=0.59, 0.86], respectively). We found that quota refugees’ primary source of MH service use was NGOs whereas for other refugee sub-groups, it has been District Health Boards.ConclusionThe use of MH services differed between refugee groups. Quota refugees were more likely to utilise services, mainly from NGOs, with women and those who lived in the most deprived areas more likely to use MH services. These results have policy implications, such as improving early service accessibility for all refugee sub-groups.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-025-13151-4.

This paper examines how national identity, geopolitical factors, and the 2015/16 refugee crisis have shaped immigration policies in Germany, Sweden, and Hungary, highlighting the broader European divide on immigration. Germany, known for its humanitarian values, initially adopted an open-door policy under Chancellor Merkel but later shifted toward more restrictive measures due to rising populism, security concerns, and resource limitations, particularly through the 2020 Immigration Act. Sweden, once a model of liberal immigration policies, faced challenges in social cohesion and integration, leading to a tightening of asylum rules and family reunification restrictions. In contrast, Hungary, under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, has maintained a hardline anti-immigration stance, using the crisis to reinforce Hungary’s national identity and reject EU solidarity efforts. The paper also explores the EU’s principle of solidarity, as outlined in Article 80 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which calls for fair burden-sharing. However, the Visegrád Group’s resistance highlights how national interests often outweigh EU-wide agreements, revealing the limits of EU cohesion and the complexities of balancing national security, identity, and humanitarian obligations. The paper concludes by advocating for more flexible immigration policies that can address both domestic and broader geopolitical challenges.

Substance use treatment completion does not mediate the relationship between family treatment court participation and reunification: Results from five courts in the Southwestern U.S.

One of the most important duties of modern societies towards children, is to ensure their right to grow up in a safe family environment – preferably in their own family. This universal value governs the organization of the Polish care system, the foundation of which is the temporary care of a child deprived of proper living conditions in their own family. The aim of child’s stay in foster care is to serve the purpose of rebuilding the stability of the family and returning it to the child, or – should this prove impossible – regulating the child’s legal situation and initiating the adoption procedure.The research intends is to identify and define factors directly related to the child placed in family foster care and the foster families themselves, which are important for the effectiveness of the implementation of the process of restoring the child’s own family. The study covered 1,482 children growing up in foster families in the province of Silesia, who in 2015-2019, returned to the care of their own families.The study provides a better understanding of the factors related to a child in family foster care which impacts the effectiveness of the implementation of the reintegration process. Research results indicate that the type of foster family in which the child was placed is important for the implementation of the reintegration process. On the other hand, pursuing family reunification too quickly poses the risk of unsustainable reintegration. The experience of being separated again from one’s own family and placed in foster care affect almost one in four children. The study also showed that variables related to the child in family foster care, have a statistically significant impact on the effectiveness of the implementation of the reintegration process.

ABSTRACT Transnational grand/parent migration is an essential source of care for many migrant families that often comes into conflict with legal, political, and economic dynamics shaping a state's rules for reunification. This article critically analyses neoliberal multicultural discourses of grand/parent immigration in Canadian parliamentary debates and committee proceedings around the ‘Super Visa’ programme from 2011 to 2021. Grand/parents are portrayed in the Hansard as indispensable care providers that enhance the social, emotional, cultural and economic lives of immigrant families. However, the ‘super visa’ renders grand/parents permanently temporary through its high sponsorship costs, long waiting times, perpetuation of visitor status and sponsor dependency. Neoliberal multicultural discourses simultaneously prioritise skilled economic immigration and characterise migrant grandparents as ‘risky’ burdens on social services. We map how these paradoxical constructions of sponsored grand/parents as ‘desirable’ and ‘undesirable’ are used to celebrate grandparents’ contributions but also justify further restrictions to permanent grand/parent sponsorship via the family class. By shifting grand/parent immigration from permanent reunification to the super visa, we argue that these discourses obscure deficits in state provided services like childcare and immigrant integration, while also devaluing grand/parents’ care labour as ‘unproductive’, exposing how the state's multicultural values champion family reunification only insofar as it enables economic productivity.

ABSTRACT Child protection (CP) in Australia and other jurisdictions utilise a non-retributive framework – i.e. practitioners are not tasked with punishing those who abuse or neglect children. Within this framework, practitioners utilise many restorative principles, such as prioritising, where possible, family reunification. However, research suggests lay people may experience retributive impulses in response to child abuse. This may lead to public expectations of retribution against those who maltreat children, and this misaligned expectation may contribute to poor public perceptions of CP. In this mixed-method study, we examined first year psychology students’ understanding and beliefs about retributive versus restorative interventions in CP. First, we probed self-reported views of retributive and restorative goals. Then, across two experimental studies, we examined how these motives change in specific scenarios by manipulating retributive and non-retributive factors in a CP scenario and examining their effects on justice reasoning. Results demonstrated consistent effects of restorative factors on justice judgments. However retributive factors and hindsight bias also influenced lay people’s perceptions and reduced support for restorative practices in CP. Implications for CP practice and directions for future research and are discussed.

Family reunification and mental health

This research investigates the effects of patriarchal systems within the nationality legislation of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, particularly regarding how these laws restrict women's rights to grant nationality to foreign spouses within transnational familial arrangements. Despite having a constitution with the principle of equality, all three countries’ nationality laws are discriminatory, violating gender discrimination in breach of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which provides that women and men should have equal rights in matters of nationality. The research conducts a comparative legal study regarding the existing laws of these countries, and focuses on the gaps regarding the correlation of differential treatment of women and men in the transnational transmission of nationality. The research reveals that such legislation continues to represent unfavorable and harsh social systems rooted in social orders which are male dominated, as it inflicts social and emotional suffering on women in transnational marriages. Women frequently confront dilatory bureaucratic obstacles to family reunification which results in protracted separations and struggles with fragmented identity. This research highlights the need for legal reforms in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh in order to comply with CEDAW and remove discrimination against women concerning the right of nationality. The research advocates for amending the existing legislation to remove discrimination and harmonize with international standards.

ABSTRACT The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar have emerged as effective mediators in the Russia-Ukraine war, focusing on issue-specific negotiations, particularly prisoner of war (POW) exchanges and family reunifications. Against the backdrop of an intractable conflict with limited traditional mediation options, both Gulf countries have leveraged their strong diplomatic ties with Moscow and Kyiv to establish themselves as credible intermediaries. These efforts are analysed through the concept of niche diplomacy, examining how small states can amplify their global influence by focusing their foreign policy resources on specialised areas. Using a comparative framework, three key variables – timing and implementation of mediation, mediator style and underlying interests – are used to assess the distinct approaches of the UAE and Qatar. The findings demonstrate that Abu Dhabi and Doha have used mediation not only to address humanitarian concerns but also to reinforce domestic legitimacy, elevate their international standing and promote more pragmatic geopolitical interests.

Human migration is a major social phenomenon, which shows in the most effective way the changes occurring in the contemporary world. The difference in the level of development in different regions, the increase in international economic interdependence, progress in the field of mass media and transport, respect for the right of immigrants to family reunification, the increase in armed conflicts that lead to the appearance of an ever-increasing number of refugees and displaced people, are among the factors that generate population mobility. The phenomenon of international migration has always existed through transhumance, invasions, colonizations and crusades. There is no example in the history of any country that did not benefit from a dynamic demography that reflected to some extent on the economic or political situation of the country or that was constituted by an absolutely homogeneous population.

Foster care in Italy represents both a caring opportunity for the child and a growth opportunity for the parents. Given these premises, the paper presents a study on nine case studies of “emerging” foster care practices in Italy, carried out within the framework of the Child Guarantee initiatives. The research highlights the potential of collaboration between foster families and birth families in contributing to a rebalancing of the power dynamics between the two families. This potential, consequently, contributes also to the development of “positive parenting” in the process of family reunification, and, where appropriate, the return of the child to the birth family. This approach supports respect for the temporary nature of foster care.

This paper explores the gendered dimensions of migration in Nigeria,examining how socio-economic drivers, experiences, and policyimplications differ for women and men. Drawing upon feminist migrationtheory and neoclassical economic perspectives, the study analyzes gender-specificmigration patterns, assesses the impact of existing policies, andidentifies support mechanisms for migrants of different genders. Byadopting a qualitative research approach, the study draws on empiricaldata, policy documents, and interviews to highlight the unique experiencesof different genders in migration. The findings reveal significant disparitiesin the motivations and vulnerabilities of male and female migrants,emphasizing the need for gender-sensitive policies, with women oftenmotivated by factors such as family reunification and escape from violence,while economic opportunities primarily drive men. The migration journeypresents distinct challenges for each gender, with women facing heightenedrisks of exploitation and violence. Post-migration, women often encounterbarriers to labour market integration and face challenges in balancingfamily responsibilities with economic pursuits. The study emphasizes theneed for gender-responsive migration policies that address the uniqueneeds and vulnerabilities of female migrants, promote gender equality, andensure equitable access to opportunities for all migrants.

In the United States, families experiencing housing instability are more likely to have their children placed in the foster care system and face substantial barriers to reunification. Supportive housing has emerged as a promising intervention to improve child welfare outcomes for these families; however, evidence regarding its effectiveness remains inconclusive. This meta-analysis examines the impact of supportive housing on child welfare outcomes, focusing on whether it reduces foster care placements, facilitates family reunification, and decreases homelessness and subsequent child welfare reports. A systematic search across 11 academic databases and the gray literature identified relevant randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies examining the effects of housing interventions on reunification and child removal outcomes in the United States. Fifteen studies met inclusion criteria, and analyses were conducted using robust variance estimation meta-regressions. Supportive housing showed minimal impact on preventing child removal, homelessness, or new child welfare reports. However, families receiving supportive housing had significantly higher odds of reunification (OR = 1.96, 95% confidence interval [1.67, 2.31]) than families without supportive housing. Supportive housing is essential for helping housing-unstable families involved with the child welfare system achieve reunification. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Bring them home, keep them home is research based in New South Wales (NSW) Australia, that aims to understand successful and sustainable reunification for Aboriginal families who have children in out-of-home care (OOHC). This research is led by Aboriginal researchers, and partners with Aboriginal organisations. It is informed by the experiences of 20 Aboriginal parents and family members, and more than 200 practitioners and professionals working in child protection and reunification. This paper traces the evolution of Bring them home, keep them home which is now at the forefront of influence for NSW child protection reforms. Using specific examples, it highlights the role of research advocacy and resistance in challenging and disrupting systems in ways that amplify the voices of Aboriginal families and communities and embeds these voices as the foundation for radical innovation for child reunification approaches. The paper shares lessons being learned and insights for Aboriginal-led research with communities in the pursuit of restorative justice, system change, and self-determination. Providing a framework for liberating Aboriginal families from child abduction systems, this paper seeks to offer a truth-telling and practical contribution to the international efforts of Indigenous resistance to child abduction systems.

Purpose: Recent research has explored the collateral effects of incarceration on families. This study extends this research by exploring the psychological and emotional effects of visitation on family members of people incarcerated. Design: Data come from in-depth interviews with 35 participants who experienced an immediate family member’s incarceration. Transcripts of these interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings: Results of a thematic content analysis show complex harms families suffer before, during, and after visitation and identify their sources. Findings further show how families became accustomed to a custodial environment and gradually draw on informal peer support networks developed over repeated visits to prison to mitigate the negative effects of visitation. Conclusions: Policy interventions should focus on enhancing connections between incarcerated persons and their families. Policies should also prioritize respect, privacy, and meaningful engagement during visitation. Additionally, standardizing and improving the communication of rules that visitors must follow, the processes they must traverse, and the correctional officers who manage both would mitigate the psychological and emotional suffering of family members. Finally, family reunification programs should begin during incarceration to prepare individuals to engage with their families in healthy ways prior to their release and return home.

Given Canada's child care deficit, economic migration remains contingent on the unpaid care work of grandparent migrants, particularly grandmothers or ‘flying grannies’, who arrive through temporary pathways such as the super visa and often juggle multiple transnational caring obligations. However, routine pauses to the parent and grandparent sponsorship program render humanitarian and compassionate applications one of the few options available for grandparents seeking permanent residence. Yet this discretionary tool and grandparents’ multiple caregiving roles continue to be understudied. This socio-legal study, therefore, unpacks narratives of care in 171 humanitarian and compassionate grounds cases involving grandparents who applied to, considered applying, or were referred by judges and immigration officers to apply for the Super Visa. Drawing on Ellermann , we argue that the types of care that are valued and, subsequently, which ‘exceptional’ cases are granted permanent residence, reflect a human-capital citizenship logic and membership status. The subjective criteria used by judges and other ‘gatekeepers’, especially when determining the best interest of any child and hardship, reveal multiple tensions, inconsistencies and a limited notion of care that entrench stereotypes based on race, gender, culture, class and other vectors of social location. Ultimately, family reunification is deemed conditional, and grandparents are rendered temporary.