Largest Refugee Group Research Articles

‘Self-reliant’ Refugees as ‘Development Actors’: Dignity or Disavowal of Responsibility? The Case of Eritrean Refugees in Ethiopia

In this article which is based on anthropological fieldworks among Eritrean refugees in Hitsats and Adi Harush camps in North-Ethiopia and out of camp in the capital city Addis Ababa between 2019 and 2022, I report on how the new Ethiopian policy/law environment for refugee response has affected access to formal employment and own business licenses for this third largest refugee group in the country. This policy/law change in Ethiopia was linked to the New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants and the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) it included, which marked a global shift in handling protracted displacement. A move from refugees’ dependency on humanitarian aid to dignified self-reliance through economic inclusion, which in turn would contribute to development in host communities, was envisioned. Ethiopia followed up with ‘Nine Pledges’ that went far in promising economic inclusion for refugees. The revision of the country’s refugee proclamation sought to provide the juridical backing for this new refugee response which, initially, seemed to secure their right to work. However, my findings show that access to formal employment and business licenses is still denied refugees unless they are selected for a joint national-international project with external funding. I therefore argue that, rather than securing self-reliance and with it, refugees’ contribution to development, this new policy/law environment for refugee response in Ethiopia represents – in line with neoliberal governmentality – a disavowal of responsibility for their livelihoods. This study thus counters the general opinion that the law/policy shift in Ethiopia was ‘progressive’.

Understanding the healthcare issues of Afghan refugees settling in rural Victoria, Australia

Introduction: Hazaras have experienced prolonged and repetitive marginalisation, stigmatisation, persecution and conflict as a minority ethnic group in Afghanistan for their linguistic, religious and ideological differences. As a marginalised group they are a product of generally poor socioeconomic and health status with resultant ill effects. Hazaras make up the largest group of refugees who have resettled in Victoria, particularly Shepparton. Part of the reason for this is that the region supports the largest food-based manufacturing industries in the country and so there are good work opportunities for those that do not have recognisable skills with limited English.Aim: To explore the health care issues and challenges of Hazara located in Shepparton, Australia.Results: The literature review identified that the Hazara community have multiple physical and psychological health needs most likely a result of the trauma and torture when in Afghanistan, plus from the often, dangerous journey to Australia and then from what is usually prolonged periods in immigration detention centres. On top of this are the challenges that occur with their resettlement including language and cultural differences and low health literacy as well as lack of understanding of health services in Australia. All creating barriers to access.Discussion: The recommendation is to outline the rationale and process for the development of Health Hub (HHH) for the Hazara community within Community Health @ GV Health, the major community health centre in Shepparton, Victoria. Through fostering strong relationships between the Hazaras and their primary care team in consultation with the Hazara community will, therefore, ensure the outcomes are tailored to their individual needs and help improve their health outcome.

Syrians of today, Germans of tomorrow: the effect of initial placement on the political interest of Syrian refugees in Germany

Syrian nationals are not only the largest refugee group in Germany but also the third largest group of foreigners living in Germany. The naturalization trend among this group has been very pronounced in the last two years and is expected to increase sharply in the coming years. However, little is known about their political interest in German politics.1 Given the importance of “political interest” as an indicator of social integration and future active citizenship, this paper examines the extent to which Syrian refugees are interested in German politics and how local conditions at the time of arrival influence refugees' interest in German politics. We focus on three dimensions of the neighborhood context theory (social networks, economic situation, and political environment) in combination with traditional political participation theory. The empirical strategy relies on the exogenous allocation of refugees across federal states, which can be used to identify the effect of local characteristics on refugees' political interest. We use in our analysis a nationally representative sample in Germany (IAB-BAMF-SOEP-Refugee-Sample). Our findings suggest that ethnic social networks play a significant role in boosting newly arrived refugees' interest in German politics. Moreover, a higher unemployment rate among the foreign population is associated with an increase in political interest among Syrian refugees. We also confirm that a high political interest among the native population in Germany leads to a higher political interest among Syrian refugees. These results show that more attention needs to be paid to the integration of Syrian refugees and underline the need to reassess the efficiency of the distribution policy for Syrian refugees.

The Making of a “Lost Generation”: Child Labor among Syrian Refugees in Turkey

Millions of children are forcibly displaced worldwide due to wars, civil conflicts, and natural disasters. Displacement disrupts the lives of children making child labor a serious risk. However, little is known about this topic due to the difficulty of finding datasets for this population. In this study, we use a large representative dataset of Syrian refugees in Turkey, the largest refugee group in any single country, to examine the incidence of child labor and its determinants. The incidence of paid work is remarkably high among boys: 18.8 percent of 12–14 year-olds and 48.0 percent of 15–17 year-olds are in paid employment. These percentages are considerably higher than the corresponding values we estimate for pre-war Syria at 7.6 percent and 29.0 percent, respectively. We find that children from poorer households with more dependents and younger, less educated, and female household heads and children living in industrialized regions of Turkey and originating from rural Syria are more likely to work. A key finding is that being older at arrival is highly associated with child labor. Difficulties with school integration, on the one hand, and availability of job opportunities, on the other, have created a group of young out-of-school children at work. Placing these children in vocational training that allows them to work while learning a trade under the scrutiny of the Ministry of Education may help protect their well-being.

Migration processes and overcoming borders: ranges of movement

It is indicated that people have been moving from place to place since ancient times. Some move in search of new economic opportunities and prospects. Others are fleeing a life of armed conflict, food insecurity, persecution, terrorism, or human rights abuses and restrictions. Others - in order to avoid adverse consequences of climate change or natural disasters (climate change) or due to other factors. Migration processes directly depend on the ability (or vice versa) of a person to move from one state to another, that is, to cross borders.International society, in the context of the growing scale of such a global phenomenon as the movement of large groups of refugees and migrants, is developing more and more new ways of regulating and simplifying the procedure for crossing borders. The article is devoted to migration processes in the aspect of personal mobility and its possibilities, freedomof movement as an integral aspect of individual autonomy and immigration control of the host country, which is of decisive importance for the fact of migration and the further realization of the rights and freedoms of the migrant.
 It is indicated that several types of national borders are used in the world: 1) open border, 2) conditionally open border, 3) controlled border, 4) closed border. As can be seen from the above examples, there are different degrees of “openness” of the border, the nature of which depends on whether physical passport control exists (and whether it is used). Passport control by the police or immigration officials may be carried out at some types of borders, but nationals of the destination or participating territories are only allowed to cross the border with ID without any additional permits, restrictions or conditions. Thus, it was established that migration processes are accompanied by many stages of movement of a person, one of the most important of which is the crossing of borders, which in turn form the ranges of movement of migrants.

Estimated prevalence rates and risk factors for common mental health problems among Syrian and Afghan refugees in Türkiye.

Türkiye hosts 4 million refugees and asylum seekers, with Syrians and Afghans being among the largest refugee groups in country. There are limited comparative data on the conflict- and displacement-related experiences of these groups and the relation with mental health status. To assess the mental health status of Syrians and Afghans in Türkiye, identify risk factors and explore to what extent differences in mental health conditions are related to potentially traumatic events and post-displacement stressors. Two parallel online survey studies were conducted between April and June 2021 among 798 Syrians and 785 Afghans in Türkiye. Data were collected on sociodemographic characteristics, traumatic events (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire), post-displacement stressors (Post-Migration Living Difficulties Checklist), symptoms of depression and anxiety (Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5, short form). For Syrian and Afghan participants respectively, estimated prevalence rates were: 41.1% and 50.3% for depression; 39.6% and 41% for anxiety; and 41.6% and 46.5% for PTSD. In both groups, significant predictors were female gender, exposure to potentially traumatic events, and structural and socioeconomic post-displacement stressors. Additional risk factors were older age for Afghans and higher education for Syrians. Self-reported symptoms of common mental health problems are highly prevalent among Syrian and Afghan refugees and associated with a wide range of risk factors. After controlling for conflict- and displacement-related experiences, Afghans reported higher anxiety symptoms than Syrians, which is likely related to their legal status in Türkiye.

‘School is light and we are blind’: Afghan refugee parents’/guardians’ beliefs about literacy and language(s)

This article examines four Afghan refugee parents/guardians in Islamabad, Pakistan for their beliefs about literacy and language(s). Semi-structured interviews with each parent/guardian showed that they all highly valued reading and writing as essential life skills. However, while they viewed literacy as having instrumental value, they also strongly believed it shaped and developed a person morally and supported one to think critically. In terms of language(s), all of the parents/guardians wanted their children to learn to read and write in their first language, and believed that speaking only one’s first language was not enough. They believed that the school their children attended should offer classes to teach them to read and write in their first language. In addition, they supported their children learning Urdu, the national language of their host country, Pakistan. All of the parents also mentioned the importance of having their children learn English, as they believed it is an international and useful language in the world. This study offers important findings regarding parents’/guardians’ beliefs about language and literacy from one of the largest refugee groups about which little is known.

The governance of Syrian refugees in the Middle East: Lessons from the Jordan and Lebanon Compacts

AbstractFleeing war, repression, and economic breakdown in their home country, Syrians have become the largest group of refugees in the Middle East. Relative to their own populations, neighboring Jordan and Lebanon have hosted the most Syrians per capita. While both are small, middle‐income, and resource‐poor countries, the perception of their respective governance of Syrian refugees has been diametrically different: While the 2016 Jordan Compact has been hailed as a success story of innovative refugee governance, the Lebanon Compact has never achieved similar recognition. Instead, Lebanon has been criticized for applying a largely laissez‐faire, non‐policy approach to the Syrian crisis. The main objective of this short intervention is to evaluate both compacts 5 years after their signing and to outline a more reflective potential EU policy approach.

Escaping the past and living in the present: a qualitative exploration of substance use among Syrian male refugees in Germany

BackgroundSyrians have been the largest group of refugees in Germany since 2014. Little is known about Syrian refugees` perspectives on substance use. The aim of this study is to investigate the perspective of male refugees from Syria and to foster specific knowledge and understanding of substance use.MethodsWe applied a qualitative study design. Five semi-structured focus group discussions with a total of 19 refugees were conducted in 2019 among the difficult to reach population of Syrian refugees. Audio recordings were translated and transcribed. We used a hybrid approach by integrating inductive and deductive thematic frameworks.ResultsWe identified common themes. Firstly, refugees perceived that substances are widely available and accepted in Germany. Secondly, refugees perceived that rules and norms in Germany differ from rules and norms in the home country and favor availability of substances. Thirdly, substance use is related to the intention to escape the past. Fourthly, substance use is related to living in the present through connecting with others and being part of the community. Finally, mental health professional treatment for substance use is associated with shame.ConclusionsFindings support Syrian refugees` perspectives of substance use as a way of both escaping the past and coping with psychosocial difficulties in the present in a socio-ecological understanding. Understanding the explanatory model of Syrian refugees can inform future interventions to prevent substance abuse and design tailored interventions. Further studies with Syrian refugees in more countries are needed to better understand resettled refugees` perspectives on substance use.

School Integration of Refugee Children: Evidence from the Largest Refugee Group in Any Country

School Integration of Refugee Children: Evidence from the Largest Refugee Group in Any Country

The Making of a Lost Generation: Child Labor Among Syrian Refugees in Turkey

Millions of children are forcibly displaced around the world, making child labor a serious risk. However, little is known about this topic due to the difficulty of finding representative datasets for this population and information on child labor. In this study, we use a representative dataset on Syrian refugees in Turkey, the largest refugee group in any single country, to examine the incidence of child labor and its determinants. The incidence of paid work is remarkably high among boys. While 17.4% of 12-14 year-olds are in paid employment, a staggering 45.1% of 15-17 year-olds receive payment. We find that paid work is positively associated with poverty, proficiency in Turkish, living in an industrialized region in Turkey, originating from rural areas in Syria and living in a household with a young, female, or less-educated head. Family composition matters more for girls' employment than boys'. Boys' (girls') employment increases if their father (mother) is alive – suggesting network effects. Being older at arrival is highly associated with child labor, indicating that difficulty with school integration drives children into employment.

Hope for the future: A qualitative analysis of the resettlement experience of Syrian refugee adolescents and parents

Civil war in Syria has resulted in the largest refugee group and the newest wave of refugees resettling in countries worldwide. Although they have experienced war, migration, and great trauma, resettlement introduces a new set of obstacles including cultural adjustment, language learning, and the development of a new social network. This paper is a qualitative analysis of the acculturation, mental health, and academic experience of Syrian refugee adolescents in the United States. The study is unique in its use of an ecological framework to organize emerging themes, and integrates responses from parents and adolescents to provide a comprehensive understanding of this experience. Moreover, the researchers focus on an important setting for support and intervention: the school system. Implications and recommendations for assessment, intervention, and programming are provided.

La rebelión de los moriscos de la Serranía de Ronda (1570): génesis, operaciones bélicas y dimensiones de un conflicto residual de la guerra de las Alpujarras

Tradicionalmente la historiografía ha prestado una atención prioritaria a la guerra de las Alpujarras, restando importancia a otros conflictos del reino de trascendencia semejante, merecedores de un auténtico análisis global. En el caso de la serranía rondeña, el colectivo morisco de estas tierras se sumaría al conflicto en la primavera de 1570, tras las fatídicas operaciones de Antonio de Luna. Después de una fase de negociones, la guerra, enarbolada por los moriscos más violentos enraizados en la sierra frente a los moriscos rurales reducidos, sería dirigida por Luis Ponce de León, duque de Arcos hasta comienzos de 1571. Durante estos meses la falta de medios con que emprender el conflicto por parte de los moriscos condicionó una auténtica guerra de guerrillas en la que el dominio y conocimiento del territorio fue el principal aliado morisco. El conflicto terminó con la expulsión de los moriscos de sus tierras. Sin embargo, la continuidad de cuantiosos colectivos refugiados en la sierra condicionó su pervivencia en un acusado bandolerismo que coincide cronológicamente con la nueva etapa repobladora.

Conflicts and Relative Deprivation in Ein El Hilweh: Palestinian Refugees in the Shadow of the Syrian Civil War

Abstract About 450,000 Palestinian refugees live in Lebanon today. With the arrival of over 1 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon since the Syrian civil war started in 2011, Palestinians were no longer the largest refugee group in Lebanon, and many newcomers settled in Palestinian refugee camps. Previous research has considered how recipient societies relate to refugees; this study analyses inter-group competition and conflict among refugees from different countries by analysing Palestinians’ perceptions of refugee camp life and attitudes towards Syrian refugees. Focus-group interviews were conducted in the largest camp in Lebanon, Ein El Hilweh. Respondents experienced relative deprivation due to the influx of Syrian refugees, who were accused of taking Palestinian jobs and increasing poverty. Respondents complained of increasing violence and social problems (e.g. radicalization and drug use) due to the demographic changes. Especially women experienced that their freedom of movement had become limited in the camp but found it difficult to consider migration. Increasing desperation had also weakened Palestinian resistance identity and trust in resistance organizations.

The Role of SAARC and EU in Managing Refugees in South Asia and Beyond: Potential for North‐South Cooperation

AbstractSouth Asia hosts more than three million refugees. However, with Europe and the Middle East preoccupied with their own crises, less attention has been paid to South Asia. Due to conflicts in Afghanistan and Myanmar, South Asia continues to host refugees from both within and outside the region. Afghan refugees also form the second largest refugee group after the Syrians in Europe. It is argued in the article that since South Asia hosts so many refugees who would otherwise travel elsewhere, especially Europe, it is key to the balancing‐act that characterises the current global refugee regime. It is therefore important to think of options through which the host countries of South Asia can be supported. In this context, this article argues the need for North‐South cooperation through greater engagement between the EU and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to address protracted refugee situations. Despite criticism on its performance, the importance of SAARC cannot be ignored. This article proposes policy recommendations for SAARC‐EU cooperation.

Threats, Monsters and the ‘Refugee Crisis’

Boaventura de Sousa Santos treated Tilburg University to a colorful and rich pallet of topics during his Montesquieu lecture that prompted self-reflection and critical review of the role of law in our western societies. He argued that the way the law functions today leads to the creation of an abyssal line that creates radical exclusions. Although critical of the role of law and the legal regime in western societies, he encourages us, lawyers of the 21st century, to reform and further develop the law in such a way that it is built on democratic pluralism, interculturality and dignity and as such contributes to a more inclusive society. In this short reflection on de Sousa Santos’ Lecture, I highlight some examples and situations that show how rules and procedures of Western societies can have detrimental effects on large groups of refugees and migrants.

‘When you find yourself keep moving’: adapting to change in A Thousand Rooms of Dream and Fear

In the years following the Afghan communist party’s bloody coup of 1978, Afghanistan has been devastated by conflicts that have killed and displaced millions: its people having accounted for the largest refugee group in the world during the 1990s. With his second novel, A Thousand Rooms of Dream and Fear, the Afghan writer and filmmaker Atiq Rahimi vividly conveys the experience of someone forced to begin life again in exile. In this essay, it is argued that, for this endeavour, Rahimi pays particular attention to the anguish and confusion caused by the loss of one’s sense of personal-identity. However, it is also argued that the author is similarly interested in the empowering aspects of such a loss; in particular, the opportunity for re-examining inherited understandings about who we are. As such, the essay explores Rahimi’s method of setting the debilitating and enabling effects of exile against one another. It concludes by maintaining that Rahimi’s intention, in doing this, is to reveal the dangers inherent in upholding too rigid a conception of personal identity; especially for those who have been divided from the land and culture of their birth.

Aspirations and frustrations: experiences of recent refugees in the Netherlands

ABSTRACTOne year after the so-called migration crisis we investigate how refugees who arrived in these dramatic circumstances are managing their lives in the Netherlands. We choose not to employ the common approach with indicators of integration theories, since we argue that that is a destination-country perspective. Instead we choose the perspective of the refugees themselves who have migrated to fulfil certain life aspirations and who compare the starting point of their trip with their destination in terms of freedom in fields of life. From this perspective, a stream of frustrations becomes visible, which is a result that otherwise remains hidden. This is caused by both disappointments and the particular characteristics of the receiving society. We will illustrate this for the two largest refugee groups who arrived in the Netherland in this specific period, Syrians and Eritreans, and show how they constitute very different examples.

The Syrian Crisis: Rights of Refugees in a Visa Regulated World

The Syrian conflict has been raging for more than five years and it is now the world’s largest humanitarian crisis since World War II. The Syrian refugees are now the largest group of refugees from a single conflict. Millions of Syrians, who managed to survive the deadly conflict, have either been internally displaced or have sought asylum abroad. Also, much of the infrastructure has been devastated during this crisis. Many schools, hospitals, and industries have either been destroyed or are out of service. This fighting, destruction, and death inside Syria continues to explode and shift while the suffering of the people worsens. Those who wish to flee the violence and persecution must seek refuge in other countries. The international community is obligated to protect and assist refugees. Turkey has accepted more Syrian refugees than any other country, but it is failing to protect and ensure the human rights of these refugees. There are simply too many people fleeing Syria for Turkey to be able to properly protect and provide for all of them. Therefore, many refugees seek passage into Europe. By not having strict observations on the borders, Turkey has allowed smugglers to endanger the lives of these refugees. Many of these smugglers send them across the sea to Greece on dangerous inflatable boats and precarious barges. The main reason that Syrians are forced to seek refuge by the unsafe sea route is the strict visa policies of the European countries. These policies usually lead to entire groups of people being denied travel visas when they apply through the legal route. Because the neighboring and European countries are unwilling to deal with this crisis, there is no other way for people to leave Syria and Turkey. This paper’s purpose is to open the eyes of the reader to the largest humanitarian crisis since WWII. It will expose the failure of the international community to protect and ensure the rights of refugees. It will also call on Turkey and the international community to care for the refugees and provide them with the full measure of their rights. This paper will also propose an amendment protocol to the 1951 Convention for the Protection of Refugees.

Addressing the Need for Mental Health Screening of Newly Resettled Refugees: A Pilot Project.

Refugees resettling to the United States are at increased risk for mental health disorders, which can lead to difficulty with adaptation and poor health outcomes. Standardized mental health screening of refugees is often neglected at primary care and community health clinics. A pilot project aimed to initiate early mental health screening for newly resettled adult refugees was implemented at a community health center in Fargo, North Dakota. Current refugee screening processes were evaluated to determine appropriate timing for refugee mental health screening. This took into consideration time, staffing, interpreter availability and the refugee "honeymoon" phase following resettlement. The Refugee Health Screener-15 (RHS-15) was identified as an efficient, valid, and reliable tool for assessing emotional distress in this population and was integrated into refugee health screening practices. The RHS-15 was administered to 178 adult refugees with arrival dates between August 1, 2013 and July 31, 2014. Of those screened, 51 (28.6%) screened positive for risk of emotional distress. Follow-up with primary care provider was completed with 30 (59%) of those who screened positive. Half (15) requested mental health treatment. Although the largest group of refugees during this period of time were resettling from Bhutan, refugees from Iraq had greater incidence of positive screening compared with those from Bhutan. Refugees from Iraq were also found to have significantly higher scores on the RHS-15. Although there are some challenges to implementing a standardized mental health screening for refugees, this pilot reiterates the need for standardized mental health screening of refugees. Routine mental health screening should be a part of the overall comprehensive health assessment provided to refugees nationwide. Considerations should be taken in regards to how refugees from Iraq have even greater risk of mental health disorders compared to other refugee groups.