Post-migration Experiences Research Articles

Following the lead of the child: pedagogical considerations to support responsive approaches to play-inspired and playful arts-informed research with young immigrant children

ABSTRACT Despite the proliferation of play-based and arts-informed research, an under-explored area is using both with young immigrant children to hear from them about their distinctive experiences and complexities. This paper draws on an arts-informed and play-based case study with two young immigrant children in Canada to highlight specific data collection approaches, responsive materials, and play and playful art-making pedagogies. The case study found that the use of video recordings, pedagogical improvisations, close observations, and tailored responses enhanced relational co-constructions between the children and the researcher. Responsive materials enhanced the children’s sharing of their thinking, interpretations, and communication and were effective when relevant to the child and acted as a prompt. Establishing a shared studio space for the children and the researcher was important for supporting interwoven opportunities for play and artistic representations. Illustrative examples highlight how these established considerations can be tailored to young immigrant children to help them explore and negotiate complexities including identity and culture, socially and culturally constructed roles, family and community supports, and pre-and post-migration experiences.

Conversation circles – an inventive way to talk about and address migratory related mental health

Abstract Refugees in European countries face psychological stressors stemming from pre-, peri- and post-migration experiences. In Sweden, a mental health promotion program for newly settled refugees “Ways Forward - After the escape”, was tried out to mitigate the consequences of negative migratory experiences. The program included training of course leaders and implementation of conversation circles for participants, i.e., short in-depth courses for smaller groups led by a trained leader. The objective of the program was to equip civic communicators working within the Introduction program for refugees with the necessary skills to lead conversation circles on mental health in cities in the south of Sweden. During 2020-2023, 43 course leaders were trained and 55 refugees participated in conversation circles. The course leader training included 50 hours of training on themes of the program “Ways Forward”; health and well-being, loss and identity, grief and forgiveness, reconciliation and acceptance, stress and stress management, trauma and trauma-conscious care. The conversation circles for participants were given in 3-hour modules x 10 occasions. 1. How did the course leaser perceive the utility of the training for their work with the target group? 2. In what ways has the intervention assisted the participants in navigating their mental and well-being in Sweden? The results showed that course leaders acquired new knowledge and practical skills and tools to lead reflective conversations about mental health related to migration. Participants reported a higher awareness of mental health issues, less stigma, trying out new coping techniques and increased motivation to seek help. Short training courses for civic communicators on migratory mental health increased knowledge and gave new skills and tools to lead conversation circles. Newly settled refugees reported higher awareness, new tools and less stigma to talk about mental health following participation in conversation circles. Key messages • Short training courses on mental health related to migration increased knowledge and gave new skills and tools to lead conversation circles. • Newly settled refugees reported higher awareness, new tools and less stigma to talk about mental health following participation in conversation circles.

High rates of probable PTSD among Ukrainian war refugees: the role of intolerance of uncertainty, loss of control and subsequent discrimination

ABSTRACT Background: Intolerance of uncertainty is a well-known predictor of post-traumatic stress symptoms following a traumatic event. At the same time, it is relatively unknown whether intolerance of uncertainty amplifies the effects of other adverse life events on PTSD symptoms among traumatized individuals. Objective: This article addresses this problem in a study of Ukrainian war refugees’ experiences with post-migration discrimination and powerlessness (loss of control). Method: 4972 forced immigrants from Ukraine took part in the study (90.2% women, Mage = 40.4, SD = 12.5) completing the PTSD-8 scale, measures of post-migration discrimination and loss of control experiences, and intolerance of uncertainty. Results: Almost half of respondents (47.5%) have probable PTSD. Regression analysis confirmed that war-related experiences, as well as intolerance of uncertainty, post-migration loss of control and experiences of discrimination were significant predictors of self-reported PTSD symptoms. Also, intolerance of uncertainty weakly moderated the effects of experienced discrimination and control deprivation on self-reported PTSD symptoms, so that the effects of adverse post-migration experiences were more pronounced among individuals high in intolerance of uncertainty. Conclusions: Understanding the effect of post-migration experiences on war refugees’ mental health is crucial for developing improved acculturation policies and fostering a supportive environment for forced migrants.

Impact of the asylum determination process on mental health in the UK and EU+: a systematic review and thematic synthesis

IntroductionPeople seeking asylum are at increased risk of mental health difficulties due to premigration and postmigration experiences. The objective of this review was to understand how asylum determination process in...

Interplay of premigration crisis exposure and postmigration cultural stress on depressive symptoms among Venezuelan crisis migrants in Colombia.

A growing body of research points to a relationship between exposure to migration-related cultural stress and mental health problems. However, such research is often conducted with the tacit assumption that postmigration experiences are the primary-if not singular-driver of psychological distress. In the present study, we aim to extend the cultural-stress paradigm by examining the influences of both premigration crisis exposure and postmigration cultural stress on depression in a sample of Venezuelan crisis migrants in Colombia. Survey data for the present study were collected from Venezuelan youth (N = 429, ages 12-17, Mage = 14.0 years, 49% female) and adults (N = 566, ages 18+, Mage = 35.1 years, 82% female) in Bogota and Medellin, Colombia between April and June 2023. Both crisis exposure and discrimination were independently related to depressive symptoms. However, when examined in a multivariate model along with discrimination, crisis exposure was not a significant predictor of depressive symptoms among youth, and its influence weakened considerably among adults. Among both youth and adults, a Crisis Exposure × Discrimination interaction term significantly predicted depressive symptoms, indicating that discrimination was a more robust predictor of depressive symptoms among those endorsing lower levels of crisis exposure than among those reporting high levels of crisis exposure. Our research provides new insights into the experiences of Venezuelan migrant youth and adults in Colombia. It provides further support for the importance of drawing from a crisis-informed cultural-stress framework when working with crisis migrant populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

“I Thought I Was Coming to Paradise”: Expectation–Reality Discrepancy among Nigerian Migrants

ABSTRACT There is an increasing hunger for migration in Nigeria. The urgency and desperation to emigrate without a clear path and adequate information about the host country can be disastrous for migrants after arrival in the host country. Most intending migrants have untrue, exaggerated views of life in the West, leading to discrepancies between pre-migration expectations and post-migration experiences. Discrepancies between expectation and reality may affect migrants’ life satisfaction, regret and overall well-being in the host country. This study investigated expectation–reality discrepancy among Nigerian migrants in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK), two major destination countries for Nigerian migrants. The study documented different aspects where Nigerian migrants experience discrepancies between pre-migration expectations and post-migration reality. I showed how Nigerian migrants deal with the initial disappointment. Data were drawn from the qualitative study of the author's PhD research, comprising 31 interviews (17 from the US and 14 from the UK) and migrants’ responses to two Instagram posts on expectation–reality discrepancies. Data were organised and analysed thematically using NVivo (version 12). The study found that 21 participants reported negative expectation–reality discrepancies across four major aspects: finance/occupational mobility, health, aesthetics and sociality. Comments on the social media posts supported these areas of discrepancies. Nigerian migrants reacted to each of the aspects of discrepancies in a unique way. Notable differences were observed between participants’ experiences in the US and UK. The study argued that migrants’ comparison of home and host countries shaped their expression of expectation–reality discrepancy and subsequent reactions.

Social Determinants of Health and Well-being: An Analysis of the Northeast Migrant Workers Living in Delhi

This research article aims to analyze migrants’ health and well-being in the context of Northeast Migrant Workers Living in Delhi. The World Health Organization (WHO) has considered the health of migrants as an important area of inquiry for policy making and the paper is post-migration lived experiences of the workers, which is related to the policy making agenda. An Existing conceptual framework of the social determinants of health and well-being are corroborated. The research design is an empirical work based on the selection of seven urban villages and five residential localities in Delhi. The study population is the Northeast migrant workers working in six occupational groups in the last 1-10 years in the age group 18-44 years with a sample of 120 respondents of both genders male and female including transgender persons. The data was collected through a semi-structured questionnaire followed by in-depth interviews from January 2017 to February 2018 and used qualitative and quantitative data analysis in my research. Among 120 migrant workers, 77.5% reported anxiety, 75.83% life insecurity, 70.83% alienation, 53.33% developed anger, 47.5% vulnerability, 43.33% lack of motivation, 42.5% loneliness, 41.66% feeling of resentment, 40.83% back and joint pains, 39.16% emotional crisis, 38.33% low self-esteem, 35.83% poor concentration, 33.33% self-depreciation, 25.83% poor vision, 2.5% miscarriage. The study shows that the distributions of self-reported health and well-being consequences are unevenly distributed and anxiety is to be found more reported among the migrant workers. The result was cross-checked among the Northeast migrant workers and it was found out that the social determinants such as socio-cultural differences, social discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes against the migrants play important determinants influencing the health and wellbeing of the migrants at the place of destination. Post-migration experience has both positive and negative consequences of health and well-being. The more social networks there are, the better is resilience to adapt to the new environment for better health and well-being and its coping mechanism.

Linking institutional context to the community and career embeddedness of skilled migrants: The role of destination- and origin-country identifications

Migration is one of the most pressing global issues of our time. However, relatively little is known about the factors and mechanisms that govern the post-migration experiences of skilled migrants. We adopt an acculturation- and social identity-based approach to examine how differences between institutional characteristics in the destination and origin country, as well as migrants’ experiences with formal and informal institutions shape their identification with the destination and origin country and contribute to their community and career embeddedness. Our study of 1709 highly skilled migrants from 48 origin countries in 12 destination countries reveals that the institutional environment migrants encounter provides both sources of opportunity (potential for human development and value-congruent societal practices) and sources of disadvantage (experienced ethnocentrism and downgrading). These contrasting dynamics affect migrants’ destination-country identification, their origin-country identification and, ultimately, their embeddedness in the destination country. Our results have important implications for multinational enterprises and policy makers that can contribute to enhancing skilled migrants’ community and career embeddedness. For example, these actors may nurture a work environment and provide supportive policies that buffer against the institutional sources of disadvantage we identified in this study, while helping migrants to leverage the opportunities available in the destination country.

Support Networks of Immigrants in Canada: A Multilevel Multinomial Analysis of Social Support

This study examines the role of support networks in the integration process of Ghanaian immigrants to Canada. Although social support networks have been widely argued to shape the immigrants’ pre- and postmigration experience, their presence and roles are neither self-evident nor constant. Common conceptualizations of social support exchange often perceive support as unidirectional, flowing only from network members to immigrants. This underlies a rather linear notion of support networks among immigrants. Given this, this study investigates the directionality of support regarding emotional, instrumental, and informational support and the extent to which closeness, delineated as familial (kinship), perceived (importance of relationship), temporal (frequency of interaction), and geographic (location) influence these support exchanges. The study employs a multilevel multinomial analysis of 172 egocentric networks in Toronto, Canada, using a social network analysis approach. Results show that geographic closeness was consistently less important than kinship, temporal, and perceived closeness in both emotional, instrumental, and informational support—regardless of directionality. This broadly support the assertions about “death of distance” and that spatiality might no longer be a key influencer within the social support networks of immigrants.

Racial discrimination as a sociocultural barrier to leisure-based physical activity among West African immigrant children: proposing an adaptation model

ABSTRACT Racism is a determining factor for health disparities and has an impact on leisure-based physical activity, particularly for recent immigrants adapting to socio-environmental systems in a host country. The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of the sociocultural environment on active living among African adolescent children and further explore related pre- and post-migration experiences. Using purposive sampling, parents and children from Western-African families were interviewed. A constructivist grounded theory was used to create an adaptation model, which portrayed an idealized representation of internal, external, and transitional factors shaping physical activity engagement and opportunities of the children’s active living. The adaptation model demonstrated the role of structural external factors such as perceived discrimination on leisure participation, with an interconnection with intrinsic motivation and resiliency, while elucidating the moderating effect of transitional factors such as cultural adaptations between pre- and post-migration experiences.

Latino gay men asylum seekers and their mental health

ABSTRACT Latino gay men asylum seekers leave their homeland to avoid traditional male-dominated societies where they endure persistent sexual and physical violence, homonegativity, and discrimination within their communities. These men often arrive in the U.S. with mental health issues brought on by traumatic events experienced in their home countries. In the U.S. Latino gay asylum seekers experience additional stressors due to their multiple identities as an ethnic minority, a sexual minority, and an immigrant. This practice corner addresses the need to explore Latino gay men asylum seekers’ pre- and post-migration experiences in the U.S. and its impact on their mental health. Culturally responsive strategies for clinicians are discussed.

Migration Experiences of Ugandan Workers in Konya-Türkiye

This study aims to explore the migration experiences of Ugandan workers in Konya-Türkiye. Data for this qualitative study was collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 Ugandan workers who live and work in Türkiye. As a result of the thematic analysis, the following three main themes were determined: Pre-migration experiences in Uganda, reasons for migrating to Türkiye, and post-migration experiences of Ugandan workers. The study findings show that some of the challenges Ugandan workers faced before migration continued after migration and this situation created a cycle of challenge. The visibility of Ugandan workers’ migration experiences is expected to contribute to the implementation of culturally sensitive social work practices and social services.

Post-migration journey: Asylum, trauma and resilience, different trajectories - A comparison of the mental health and post-migration living difficulties of documented and undocumented migrants in Belgium.

Research on the impact of post-migration experiences on the mental health of migrant populations has shown a predictive link between post-migration living difficulties and psychological distress. While many studies have focussed on refugees and asylum seekers, there is a considerable gap in the literature concerning undocumented migrants. The aim of this study was to assess the differences in mental health between documented and undocumented migrants in Belgium. It identified the post-migration difficulties encountered by these two groups and measured their impact on their levels of trauma, resilience, anxiety, depression and their assumptive world. This study involved 69 participants, aged 18 to 68 years, who were either documented or undocumented resident in Belgium. Our data collection included the Post-Migration Living Difficulties Checklist for the measurement of post-migration difficulties, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist - DSM-V version for the measurement of trauma, the World Assumptions Questionnaire for the measurement of the assumptive world, the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 for the measurement of depressive and anxiety disorders and the Adult Resilience Measure - Revised for the measurement of resilience. Our analyses showed that the mental health of undocumented migrants was poorer than that of documented migrants, with higher levels of trauma, anxiety and depression, a more negative assumptive world, a lower sense of control and lower total and personal resilience. Our results also revealed that post-migration living difficulties were more severe and more numerous for undocumented migrants, and that they were associated to different themes in both groups. The fact that post-migration experience plays such an important role in the mental health of migrant populations raises significant clinical, political and societal considerations. Furthermore, it would appear that undocumented migrants represent a distinct migratory group with their own specificities in terms of migration journey and mental health.

An “Unsettling” Journey? Hong Kong’s Exodus to Taiwan and Australia After the 2019 Protests

This article compares the considerations, expectations, and realizations of Hong Kongers migrating to Taiwan and Australia. Based on interviews with 22 Hong Konger migrants, we identified some key drivers for Hong Kongers who moved to Taiwan or Australia. The findings add insights into the spatial–temporal nexus of migration and extend the static push–pull model by including migrants’ changing perceptions about the sociopolitical conditions of different destinations. In addition to offering a more nuanced understanding of migrants’ perceptions of and adaptations to the sociopolitical environment of the host society, we highlight that, after moving to Taiwan or Australia, Hong Kong migrants experience a gap between what they imagined at the time of migrating and the reality (political, social, and/or cultural). The imagination of the sociopolitical community in the destination countries before they leave and the gap between pre- and post-migration experiences constitute the “unsettling” characteristic of the recent Hong Kong exodus after 2019.

The Well-Being of Undocumented Migrants in The Netherlands: Learning about Post-Migration Experiences

In this contribution we will shed light on how individual and social post-migration factors affect the well-being of undocumented migrants. Using retrospective interviews, this study involves undocumented migrants who live in the Netherlands and have received psychosocial support. The stories of these undocumented migrants demonstrate that individual and social post-migration factors (such as health and social contacts) are closely entangled. These pathways are not often considered by mental health and psychosocial support organizations. A better understanding of these pathways will strengthen support for as yet untapped factors of change, and be effective in improving the well-being of undocumented migrants.

An institutional ethnography analysis on skilled Chinese immigrant mothers’ experiences in Canada

ABSTRACT This research follows Dorothy Smith’s Institutional Ethnography (IE) approach to explore skilled Chinese immigrant mothers’ post-migration experiences in Canada. Empirical evidence reveals that these immigrant women undertake intensified childcare responsibilities by acting as primary caregivers and educators for their children with reduced familial support after migration. These immigrant women are also compelled to participate in paid work as income producers and supporters with inadequate employment-related support from the host society. These skilled Chinese immigrant mothers’ experiences are constructed by multiple discourses that continue, converge, and compete. Under these discourses, skilled Chinese immigrant mothers experience intensified work after migration, but receive limited familial and social support, which leaves them subservient to the patriarchal demands in both private and public social structures.

Intersectional stigma and the arc of intranational migration: experiences of transgender adolescents and women who migrate within Peru

BackgroundMigration is recognized as a key determinant of health. Yet, limited research addresses the arc of intranational migration and, even less, the experiences of transgender (trans) adolescents and women migrants and the associated health vulnerabilities. Using intersectional stigma as a theoretical frame, this study seeks to better understand the sexual health vulnerabilities and needs of trans women migrants in Peru.MethodsBetween October and November 2016, in-depth interviews (n = 14) and two focus groups (n = 20) were conducted in Spanish with trans women in three Peruvian cities. To explore pre- and during migration experiences, focus groups were conducted in Pucallpa and Iquitos, key cities in the Amazon where trajectories often originate. To assess during migration and post-migration experiences, we conducted interviews in Pucallpa, Iquitos, and Lima to better understand processes of relocation. Audio files were transcribed verbatim and analysed via an immersion crystallization approach, an inductive and iterative process, using Dedoose (v.6.1.18).ResultsParticipants described migration as an arc and, thus, results are presented in three phases: pre-migration; during migration; and post-migration. Intersectional stigma was identified as a transversal theme throughout the three stages of migration. The pre-migration stage was characterized by poverty, transphobia, and violence frequently motivating the decision to migrate to a larger city. Exploitation was also described as pervasive during migration and in relocation. Many participants spoke of their introduction to sex work during migration, as key to economic earning and associated violence (police, clients).ConclusionFindings advance understandings of intranational migration and forced displacement as key determinants of trans women’s health. Dimensions of violence at the intersection of classism and cisgenderism render trans women highly vulnerable at every step of their migratory journeys. Experiences of intranational mobility and relocation were described as uniquely tied to age, intersectional transphobic stigma, engagement in sex work, and multiple forms of violence, which impact and can magnify sexual health vulnerabilities for transgender women in Peru who migrated intranationally.

”Putting words to their feelings”– civic communicators’ perceptions and experiences of an in-depth course on mental health for newly settled refugee migrants in Sweden

BackgroundNewly settled refugee migrants face psychological stressors stemming from pre-, during- and post-migration experiences. In Sweden, mental health promotion is part of the health module in the civic orientation classes for newly settled refugee migrants. Training courses are offered to civic communicators and workshop leaders to facilitate communication about mental health; however, the training is seldom evaluated. In the current study, we aim to explore civic communicators’ perceptions and experiences of an in-depth mental health training course in relation to observed needs among newly settled refugee migrants.MethodWe interviewed ten civic communicators that had partaken in the in-depth training course on mental health. All respondents had prior migratory experience and worked as civic communicators in their native languages. The interviews were semi-structured and data were analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsThree themes were identified: (1) Intertwined mental health needs related to migration, (2) Multi-layered barriers to addressing mental health, and (3) Becoming aware of the mental health journey. One overarching theme was arrived at through synthesizing the three themes ‘Acquired new tools to lead reflective conversations about mental health and well-being’.ConclusionThe in-depth mental health training course led to the attainment of new knowledge and new tools enabling civic communicators to lead reflective conversations about mental health and well-being with newly settled refugee migrants. Mental health needs were related to pre- and post-migration experiences. Barriers to talking about mental health included stigma and a lack of arenas to promote the mental health of refugee migrants. Increasing knowledge among civic communicators can facilitate the promotion of mental self-help capacity and resilience among newly settled refugee migrants.

Informal sport and (non)belonging among Hazara migrants in Australia

ABSTRACT Sport participation can offer migrants a modality to connect with dominant cultural norms and potentially foster interculturalism, yet it is often fraught with exclusion. Little is known about how informal sports that migrants have introduced into countries of resettlement affect their (non)belonging. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork over a 14-month period, this article examines how Hazara men’s involvement in the ethno-specific informal sport of sangarag influences their post-migration experiences of (non)belonging in Australia. The findings indicate that Hazara men’s construction of sangarag as a space and resource for belonging needs to be understood as a response to the challenging circumstances they experience in their settlement journeys. The overt and subtle politics of belonging that govern sangarag reinforce intra-group differentiations, most notably in relation to gender and ability. Further tensions stem from sangarag’s marginal status outside of the Australian sports system, leaving participants to feel unsupported and misrecognised by local institutions. Implications for policy include the need to recognise and support the value that informal sports can have for migrants’ ability to (re)claim a sense of belonging and wellbeing.

Intimate mobilities—International (transnational) marriage and migration: Japanese marriage migrants floating between Japan and Korea

AbstractIn the past decade, intense mobility within Asia has led to increased international marriage (kokusai kekkon) in the region. A growing number of scholars have explored this phenomenon—called the intimate part of Asia—with a focus on foreign brides from emerging economies. Concerning international marriage between Japanese and Koreans, most research focuses on the Korean wives of Japanese husbands who reside in Japan, and little research has been conducted on the Japanese wives of Korean husbands. In this study, the postmigration experiences of Japanese marriage migrant women in South Korea are explored. Semistructured interviews were conducted in Korea with 13 participants. Drawing on the interview data, this article elucidates the trajectories of Japanese marriage migrants, focusing on subjective elements. The participants' accounts demonstrate that their experiences were intertwined with the media, politics, gender roles, parenting ideologies, and family relations. Their various emotional responses underline the ways such factors have shaped their lives.