Refugee Resettlement Research Articles

The role of private sponsorship on refugee resettlement outcomes: a mixed methods study of Syrians in a mid-sized city with a linguistic minority

ABSTRACT Given the growing number of refugees worldwide and the disproportionate burden borne by low- and middle-income host countries, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has been seeking to expand pathways for refugees by relocating them to higher-income countries; as such, it put forward Canada’s program of private refugee sponsorship as a model to follow. Despite praise for Canada’s program, many countries hesitate to adopt it due to limited evidence on the integration outcomes of private refugee sponsorship. We address this knowledge gap by examining the case of Syrians resettled in a mid-sized city in Quebec, the only French-speaking province in Canada, using a mixed methods approach. We document the sponsorship experiences of Syrian refuges, and we estimate the effect of private vs. government sponsorship on their resettlement outcomes while controlling for pre-arrival characteristics. We find that private sponsorship offered refugees more diverse, intensive, enduring, and valued support compared to government sponsorship. Consistently with these results, our estimates show that private sponsorship could be an effective strategy for resettling refugees in medium-sized cities with respect to employment, housing, social networking, and a sense of belonging to the city, with the potential exception of acquiring the domestic language.

The Role of the State in Community-Led Welcome: Lessons from Homes for Ukraine

AbstractCommunity-led routes to welcome refugees and migrants, such as community sponsorship, are often viewed as the devolution of the state’s resettlement and integration responsibilities to non-governmental actors. Yet, there remains a significant role for the state. This paper outlines the role of central, regional, and local government in community-led welcome by drawing from learning from Homes for Ukraine in the UK and the engagement of UK local authorities in the scheme using theories of the multi-level governance of migration. Launched in March 2022 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Homes for Ukraine allows sponsors to ‘name’ Ukrainians to host in their homes for a minimum of 6 months. While the public and community support for the scheme was unprecedented, our analysis shows the state plays a key role in the scheme. The central government retains overall control of the scheme’s governance by regulating immigration status and the funding parameters for support. Local authorities have specifically defined responsibilities, including checking sponsors’ suitability, wider integration responsibilities, and acting as a ‘backstop’ in case of placement breakdown or beyond the lifetime of the support programme. Ultimately, we suggest that whilst community-led welcome widens the scope of actors involved in resettling and integrating newcomers, it cannot be viewed solely as a community alternative to government-led refugee resettlement and integration. Instead, we propose a conceptualisation of community-led welcome as an approach to resettlement and integration which requires effective multi-level governance for it to offer a durable solution to refugees and newcomers.

A Home for All: The Challenge of Housing in Refugee Resettlement

When a refugee is accepted for resettlement in the United States, they are assigned to a refugee resettlement office that is responsible for providing for all the initial basic needs that a refugee family may need, including finding and furnishing appropriate housing. Finding and procuring housing is the largest challenge to successful integration that resettlement organizations face. Housing has always been a concern in refugee resettlement because there is no coordinated body at the federal level that provides guidance or housing assistance. Nor is there a federal law to ensure that living spaces are set aside for those who have been accepted for resettlement. Without federal support, refugee resettlement, although ultimately successful, can be disorganized and decentralized leading to a situation that is volatile and open to the capriciousness of shifting political leadership. Drawing upon qualitative research conducted with one refugee resettlement organization, which I call Refugee Resettlement Affiliate Office (RRAO), to elucidate the ongoing challenges to housing integration for those refugees resettled in the United States, I assert that a federal solution is needed in order to ensure the smooth integration into life in the US for resettled refugees. This article articulates the challenges to housing as expressed by those working in refugee resettlement and discusses some potential solutions.

Correction to: Navigating Vulnerability and Integration: Refugee Resettlement from Rwanda to Third Countries under the Medical Needs Category

Correction to: Navigating Vulnerability and Integration: Refugee Resettlement from Rwanda to Third Countries under the Medical Needs Category

Who Welcomes Refugees? Examining Religious and Social Influences on Refugee Service Provision in the U.S. Southeast

The United States is home to one of the world’s largest third-country refugee resettlement programs; however, resettlement services provided through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) are limited, as policies prioritize rapid economic self-sufficiency at the expense of other facets of integration and resettlement needs. Beyond the USRAP, non-governmental refugee third-sector organizations (RTSOs) offer more holistic resettlement services that extend integration support beyond the federally funded resettlement program. Drawing on publicly available information from 203 refugee service organizations in the southeastern U.S., we examine the services offered by official USRAP-funded resettlement agencies (RAs) and local refugee third-sector organizations (RTSOs) in connection to their social affiliations, such as religious and ethnic origins. This research sheds light on the complexities of refugee resettlement and contributes to a deeper understanding of refugee integration efforts in resettlement countries undergoing demographic, political, and identity shifts.

Risk Factors for Non-Communicable Diseases in Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Subsidiary Protection Beneficiaries Resettled or Relocated in Portugal Between 2015 and 2020.

Non-communicable diseases, previously thought of as a problem of high-income countries, now coexist in low- and middle-income countries, including the countries of origin for many refugees traveling to Europe. We aimed to describe the prevalence of risk factors for non-communicable diseases among refugees, asylum seekers, and subsidiary protection beneficiaries resettled or relocated in Portugal between 2015 and 2020 and compare these to the prevalence of risk factors in the 12 months before they left their country of origin. A cross-sectional study was conducted between 2019 and 2020 of all refugees, asylum seekers, and subsidiary protection beneficiaries attending a Lisbon, Portugal refugee center. Behavioral and biological risk factors were assessed using the WHO STEPwise modified questionnaire. A descriptive statistical analysis was conducted, which included 80 respondents, mainly men, with an average age of of 30.3 ± 9.8 years. The prevalence of several behavioral risk factors for non-communicable diseases among refugees, asylum seekers, and subsidiary protection beneficiaries was higher at the time of the study than in the 12 months before leaving the country of origin. Differences between men and women were noted in tobacco (49.1% vs. 25.9%) and alcohol use (43.4% vs. 18.5%) in the receiving country. Overweight and obesity also showed differences by gender (7.5% vs. 11.1% and 39.6% vs. 48.1%). The prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicidalplanning was high, and varied from 6.3% and 20% in the country of origin to 16.3% and 38.5% respectively in the receiving country, however the prevalence of suicide attempts was lower in the receiving country (66.7%) compared to the country of origin (100.0%). Information on health and social determinants is critical to identify priorities and increase access to access to gender-specific health and community level interventions, including mental health, to reduce risk factors associated with refugee relocation and resettlement.

Refugee Resettlement and Preferences

Aid organizations spend considerable time lobbying for aid to be sent to refugees in poorer states, rather than campaigning for more refugees to be resettled to wealthy states. Lawmakers in wealthy countries similarly tend to focus on aiding refugees abroad, rather than resettling more refugees into their countries. One justification raised for focusing on aid rather than resettlement is that refugees prefer to remain in poorer neighboring countries so that they can quickly repatriate when the time is safe. Yet, few have established what refugees’ preferences are. Drawing upon an original data set of a representative sample of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, we find that most prefer remaining to resettling when the details of resettlement are not clarified, but roughly half prefer to resettle if offered certain types of resettlement. We further argue that organizations and states have reason to account for whether preferences are “adaptive.” Such preferences arise when refugees prefer remaining in neighboring countries to resettling only when resettling to other countries is not an option, but would prefer resettling if this option were available. We present a novel philosophical reason for not appealing to adaptive preferences as a justification for not resettling refugees. We further apply a novel experimental method for evaluating whether preferences are adaptive.

Climate, Conflict, and Context: Reevaluating Americans’ Support for Refugees

ABSTRACT As more people are displaced by climate change, public acceptance of migrants is an increasingly relevant geographical and political issue. How willing are Americans to accept climate migrants and how does this support compare to others who are fleeing conflict? We conducted a nationally representative survey experiment (N=1,027) with prompts that varied the context of refugee resettlement, including a control condition without context, those displaced by global warming, refugees from Ukraine, and refugees from Afghanistan. Respondents expressed marginally lower willingness to admit climate migrants and significantly higher willingness to admit Ukrainian refugees. These differences were amplified by partisanship, religion, and race. These results suggest that some migrants experience a more welcoming public than others and highlight a challenge for those who are made vulnerable by climate change.

The Politics of Refugee Resettlement in the Asia Pacific: Belonging and ICT-enabled Transnational Settlement

Abstract This conceptual article examines the interplay of forced displacement and resettlement across the Asia Pacific, situated against the backdrop of unprecedented global displacement, rapid uptake of information communication technologies, and strong border governance regimes. Emphasising the centrality of the politics of belonging, this article distinguishes between refugee resettlement, focused on protection, and the broader concept of refugee settlement as part of a larger project of belonging. Recognising that less than 1 per cent of refugees globally are able to access resettlement pathways every year, we present the implications of ICT-enabled transnational settlement, using New Zealand and Australia’s refugee resettlement programmes to anchor this analysis. By examining ongoing transnational connections, particularly through social media, this article illuminates how refugees can negotiate relationships with nearby and distant places. It outlines a spectrum of opportunities and challenges within resettlement and settlement contexts, transcending traditional territorial boundaries defined by the state and local jurisdictions. This article concludes by considering durable and enduring solutions to forward the possibilities of ICT-enabled transnational settlement as it influences the articulation of safety and belonging in an increasingly interconnected yet unevenly mobile world.

Earthquake hazard and risk profiling for Syrian refugees at country, city, and neighbourhood levels based on their multi-scalar location choice patterns

Earthquake hazards and risks (EHR) for Syrian refugees in Turkey were scrutinised at country, city, and neighbourhood levels in reference to multi-scaled patterns of their location choice (LC). This comprehensive investigation employed thematic analysis to review scholarly studies about the earthquake-related vulnerability and LC of Syrian refugees together with relevant national and international resources subsequent to the February 2023 earthquakes. Findings revealed that multiple LC factors contributed to the refugees’ EHR profile. The absence of national population distribution and refugee resettlement policies, an ineffective and insufficiently inclusive regulatory and mitigation framework to cope with Turkey’s earthquake risks, refugee-related data deficiencies, Syrian refugee influx into earthquake-prone cities, and substandard housing conditions and weak building codes in Syrian settlements may have significantly increased EHR for Syrian refugees in Turkey. This was further compounded by competition for scarce resources, livelihood problems, anti-refugee sentiment, and displacement following the earthquakes.

Lacking Accountability and Effectiveness Measures: Exploring the Implementation of Mentoring Programs for Refugee Youth

A high proportion of refugees coming into the U.S. are under the age of 18, and many continue to struggle to attain basic educational qualifications which may lead to viable economic opportunity. Recently, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) began issuing youth mentoring (YM) grants to support the integration of refugee youth. This paper explores the decision-making processes of resettlement organizations in a vertically complex network of organizations which implemented the YM programs for refugee youth in one large city of Texas. Through a series of semi-structured interviews with program implementers, findings suggest that resettlement agencies remain powerless in making key programmatic decisions, including implementation of the programs and designing accountability and effectiveness measures, which can truly evaluate the program quality. Other findings suggest that across the network of organizations involved in implementation of the YM programs, compliance with federal regulation is prioritized over accountability. The lack of program effectiveness and accountability measures have implications for one of the most vulnerable population, refugee youth. The main recommendation for policy and practice argues for the lead public agency’s increased involvement in defining key outcomes for the program recipients in a vertically complex network.

“Give and take is the key”: Reciprocity leads to psychological well-being of North Korean refugees in South Korea

Social support may facilitate North Korean refugee (NKR) resettlement in South Korea. However, little is known about how NKRs perceive support. We aim to understand how support exchange and reciprocity evolve throughout NKR migration trajectories and how they are related to psychological well-being. From September to December 2019, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 NKRs and 20 of their South Korean (SK) acquaintances. We analyzed data using a grounded theory approach. Prior to arrival in South Korea, NKRs resided in mutually interdependent communities where reciprocation of support was a moral norm. However, support exchange became predominantly unidirectional in South Korea, with NKRs becoming recipients and SKs being givers. Several NKRs expressed discomfort with being dependent on others, preventing them from requesting support when it was needed. SKs also described distress from not receiving minimum levels of reciprocity or gratitude. Some NKRs managed this unease through reciprocating either to the giver or to others in need. Acts of reciprocity were described as sources of happiness, satisfaction, and pleasure, increasing self-esteem. Overall, exchange of support and reciprocity within one’s social network may be important and yet overlooked features of relationships that contribute to psychological well-being of NKRs.

Comparing Refugee Resettlement Services: A New Global Dataset and Typology

Abstract The number of countries participating in resettlement has increased substantially in recent years: since 2010, one-third of resettlement countries officially began offering permanent homes to refugees. The services provided to refugees upon resettlement are surprisingly distinct, even among countries with similar political and economic contexts. Despite the importance of these services, existing scholarship offers surprisingly little comparison of resettlement policies globally. To address this gap, this multi-method project analyses refugee resettlement services in 26 countries that are responsible for 99.9 per cent of all resettled refugees, from 1951 to present. The study introduces an original Global Resettlement Services dataset with 42 indicators that provide a current, reliable, and easily accessible overview of resettlement services in each country. Cluster analysis of these data helped to construct a typology that captures four distinct “types” of refugee resettlement: Limited Provision, Cultural Transition, Core Services, and Flexible Support. The typology provides a framework to help policy-makers, academics, and practitioners increase collaboration, design innovative programmes, and improve existing resettlement services. This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the different approaches to resettling refugees worldwide, with significant implications for advancing theory and improving global refugee resettlement policies.

Navigating Vulnerability and Integration: Refugee Resettlement from Rwanda to Third Countries under the Medical Needs Category

Abstract Resettlement is a limited resource available to only a fraction of refugees. Selection criteria, set by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and receiving States, may impose conflicting demands on refugees to exhibit both vulnerability and integration potential to be chosen, a phenomenon termed “promising victimhood”. Drawing on empirical data from interviews with 21 personnel from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Save the Children International in Rwanda, this article explores how medical needs criteria impact the inclusion or exclusion of refugees for resettlement. It finds that the selection criteria favour refugees with treatable conditions and favourable prognoses, thereby excluding those with chronic or fatal illnesses or patients with poor life expectancy. The article argues that such criteria potentially undermine the humanitarian objectives of the resettlement programme by marginalising some of the most vulnerable individuals. It discusses the implications of these findings for global burden-sharing strategies and calls for strengthening the medical infrastructure in asylum countries. The article concludes by questioning whether resettlement, in its current form, can truly serve as one of the three durable solutions for refugees with medical needs, given that it remains an option for only a select few.

Intentions, Strategies, and Actions: How Refugees Exert Agency in the Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Process from Jordan and Turkey to Germany

Although refugee resettlement is characterized by opaque decision-making of United Nations and government agencies, refugees may exert agency throughout the resettlement process. Tracing the journeys of several refugees through the resettlement and humanitarian admission processes from Jordan and Turkey to Germany, this article highlights refugees’ intentions, strategies, and actions to access and navigate the process in Jordan and Turkey. Defining agency as a combination of intention and action, without reference to a specific outcome, the article argues for a nuanced conceptualization of agency that can be employed in situations where people’s agency is very limited.

The role of the European Union’s securitisation policies in exacerbating the intersectional vulnerability of refugees and asylum seekers

ABSTRACT This article compares the European Union's (EU) reception and resettlement of European and non-European refugees and asylum seekers from an intersectional viewpoint. It does so using data collected during fieldwork in Greece focusing on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV). The goal is to examine, through an empirical and theoretical study, the gendered, racialised, national and religious nature of the EU's approach to its external policies, border security approaches and its constitutive nature based on contingent, relational and non-additive vulnerabilities and inequalities that have been inherited from the EU's colonial past. The study asks how the influx of refugees fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine exemplifies the gendered, racialised, national and religious dimension of the EU's approach to border security. It examines how the EU's approach showcases the paternalistic approach to refugees' vulnerability through essentialisation, which leads to their vulnerabilisation. It looks at the intersectional impact of the gendered, racialised, national and religious constitutive nature of non-European refugees, as well as the gendered, racialised, national and religious notion of ‘others'. Based on the comparison, the article contends that, theoretically, State or EU security and human security policies should not be mutually exclusive. However, as the empirical data illustrate, there are multiple competing ‘insecurities’ which are prioritised over others.

Religious influences on integration within U.S. refugee resettlement

ABSTRACT This study examines how religion influences integration among refugees resettling to Utah, in the western United States (U.S.). In-depth interviews were conducted with 88 refugees an average of 11 years post-resettlement. Qualitative analyses led to identification of key themes, including: 1) belief in a higher power guided integration and 2) religion influences services and relationships in Utah. Additional themes emerged regarding how religion informs integration over time, including: 3) religious conversion, 4) coping with racial exclusion, and 5) embracing religious pluralism. Findings have implications for incorporating attention to religious coping and religious freedom among displaced populations adapting to new environments.

Bridge Builders: Bridging Resettlement Gaps Through a Relationship-Based Volunteer Program

The Bridge Builders (BB) program is an initiative implemented by Refugee Community Partnership (RCP), an organization that centers refugees. This program matches volunteers with refugee families in reciprocal relationships, facilitating integration and social support. Sixteen volunteers participated in semi-structured interviews that elicited their views on the BB program. Volunteers valued the relationship-based model and its interrogation of power structures. They highlighted challenges in accountability and navigating boundaries with their matched families. Volunteers expressed desire for increased opportunities to connect with other volunteers and the broader RCP community. Findings show strengths and challenges of relationship-based approaches in refugee resettlement and integration.

The potential of a rights-based approach to refugee-focused mental health policy in Aotearoa New Zealand

ABSTRACT In accordance with international human rights commitments, individuals with a refugee background have the right to mental health services that are available, accessible, acceptable, and of good quality. However, refugee-background individuals living in Aotearoa New Zealand experience a myriad of barriers at the individual, community, and policy level that impede access to appropriate mental health services. This commentary puts forward the argument that the incorporation of a human rights-based approach to mental healthcare service at a policy level is essential for reducing barriers to care and increasing the accessibility of mental health services. The article provides key recommendations for reforming the current New Zealand Refugee Resettlement Strategy (NZRRS) to include rights-based indicators for children and youth, to monitor accessibility relative to geographic location, to disaggregate data, to extend the 12-month monitoring period and to extend monitoring beyond one mental health visit. Further research is needed to understand how best to implement these recommendations and develop insight into how Aotearoa New Zealand can more effectively uphold the rights of refugee-background individuals with the ultimate goal of developing a mental health system that is more inclusive and responsive to their needs.

Resettlement by algorithm: Can artificial intelligence uphold human rights?

This article focuses on the potential use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the resettlement of refugees and its implications for their fundamental rights. Resettlement is the process of selecting refugees and transferring them to a third country that agrees to admit them permanently. While AI has the potential to improve efficiency and effectiveness in resettlement processes, such as matching refugees with suitable resettlement countries and places, it also poses various risks and raises concerns about human rights violations. The article examines the current and potential uses of AI throughout the resettlement process, including the selection and referral of refugees for resettlement and the facilitation and improvement of integration. The article then analyses the potential impact of AI on fundamental rights. The article concludes by arguing for a cautious approach to using AI in resettlement processes. It emphasises that the use of AI in assessing refugee inclusion and exclusion for resettlement, as well as matching them with different resettlement states, could conflict with fundamental rights. This raises concerns about transparency, explainability, accountability, effective remedies, data protection, and the risk of bias and discrimination.