Refugees In Europe Research Articles

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for Ukrainian Refugees in the Netherlands from Fragmentation to Integration

Introduction:More than 7.8 million people fled Ukraine since the invasion of Russia and are registered as refugees in Europe (as of November 1, 2022). Almost 89,000 of them are registered to the Netherlands (as of November 3, 2022). It is expected that this number will rise. Appropriate and accessible Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) is essential for conflict survivors to address psychological harm from traumatic events and distress both during the escape and after, while trying to adjust to an unfamiliar place. Receiving countries have the obligation to provide MHPSS as part of their international commitment to the right to health. This is recognized in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Nevertheless, the Netherlands is failing to honor this commitment with fragmented services that do not seem to fit support needs. The longer it takes to put a comprehensive approach in place, the greater the damage to the refugees will be. This interactive session aims to shed light on practical challenges and opportunities for the implementation of appropriate, accessible and integrated MHPSS. What is needed to go from a fragmented to an integrated approach?Method:Being active as advisors in the field of Disaster Health and MHPSS in the Netherlands, the presenters review their experienced challenges thereafter opportunities and good practices are explored together with the participants.Results:Experienced challenges include complexity, fragmented organization, lack of ownership and inadequate access to knowledge and information about support needs.Conclusion:More is needed to meet the commitment to the right of health and to provide adequate MHPSS to refugees in the Netherlands and beyond. International exchange and learning can help us to understand and overcome implementation challenges.

Explaining refugee flows. Understanding the 2015 European refugee crisis through a real options lens.

In 2015 the unprecedented arrival of refugees in Europe posed serious challenges for the EU and its member countries on how to deal with such an influx. A key element in better managing refugee flows is to understand what drives these flows in a certain direction. A refugee who comes to Europe has to make trade-offs in terms of cost and benefits, duration, uncertainty and the multi-staged character of the journey. Real options models are a suitable tool for modelling these kind of decision dynamics. On the basis of a case-study, that compares three routes from Syria to Europe, we demonstrate how well the real options analysis is in line with the development of the refugee flows.

Merkel Government’s Refugee Policy: Under Bounded Rationality

As the country hosting the most significant number of refugees in Europe, Germany’s Merkel government’s refugee policy has been repeatedly adjusted and plagued by inconsistencies and management failures. What factors have influenced the formation of the Merkel government’s refugee policy and its two shifts? The traditional rational decision-making model does not effectively explain government decisions’ motivation in complex challenges. This article develops a framework for analyzing “bounded rational decision-making”. It identifies the three factors that influenced the Merkel government’s refugee policy: (a) strict border controls, (b) welcome culture, and (c) welcome culture under restrained policies. It explains the process and logic of their development. Based on the theory of “bounded rational decision making”, the article examines the “key events and problem identification”, “goal selection”, “national interests”, and “political psychology”. We found that in the early stages of the refugee crisis, (a) public opinions and pressure, (b) the pursuit of a positive national image, and (c) a shift in the leader’s psychology led Merkel to shift away from a pragmatic and rational course. These factors led to the first shift in German refugee policy from “hesitation” to a “welcoming culture”. At the end of 2015, however, the shortcomings of the irrational policy were quickly revealed, and the frequency of refugee-related social problems reversed German public opinion, forcing Merkel’s government to seek a balance between humanitarianism and national interests. As a result, refugee policy was adjusted for the second time, returning to a strict refugee examination system. The development of the Merkel government’s refugee policy exposed the shortcomings of the traditional crisis decision-making model. Moreover, it provided a new perspective for rethinking the governance of the refugee crisis.

Dismantling Hospitality - Literary Representations of EU Asylum Policy in Dina Nayeri’s Refuge

When we refer to nation-states receiving refugees as “host” countries, we necessarily evoke notions of hospitality, which the Oxford Dictionary defines as “the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers with liberality and goodwill.” Yet the exploration of the impact of contemporary EU asylum policy in Dina Nayeri’s 2017 novel Refuge portrays a system far removed from such adjectives. Based heavily on Nayeri’s own autobiography, and hitherto underrepresented in academic research, the award-winning work portrays the journey of an Iranian refugee in Europe to make sense of her migrant identity, informed by her encounters with fellow members of the Iranian diaspora in the Netherlands. Through the friendships Nayeri’s protagonist forms, a vivid fictional representation is conjured of the damaging human impacts of policy areas such as the EU’s Dublin Regulation, referenced and rephrased in the context of the novel. Drawing from Mireille Rosello, this paper proposes a comparative reading of the legal and fictional texts, as analysed through the prism of host/guest relationships. It seeks to demonstrate the capacity of fiction to give voice to the victims of policy failures, as well to provide an affect-based accompaniment to legislation which by nature excludes the emotive language necessary to comprehensively capturing human experience. Ultimately, it explores how Nayeri’s novel calls into question the very relevance of the language of hospitality used in reference to contemporary European asylum policy.

Corrigendum: Labor market situation of refugees in Europe: The role of individual and contextual factors

Corrigendum: Labor market situation of refugees in Europe: The role of individual and contextual factors

Art and/as open education: A collaborative action with refugee artists

The article illustrates the potential of engaged arts-based pedagogies in higher education with respect to integration interventions for young refugees in Europe. It discusses the conception and implementation of the collaborative initiative “Find Refuge in Art”, which was part of the research Project PRESS at the Hellenic Open University. This example shows how artistic synergy may become an integral part of research design, framing both awareness raising and open education in the backdrop of intercultural exchange. The initiative encouraged the co-production of artistic work from pairs of artists with refugee and non-refugee background and culminated in an exhibition with over 75 participating artists. Challenging the victimizing conceptualizations of refugee art as a primarily trauma-centered representation of displacement, the article invites us to consider questions of agency and inclusion in terms of mutual recognition and to widen participation as a means of fostering transformative intercultural learning and epistemic justice in universities.

The Reasons behind Europe’s Double Standard Attitude toward Refugees from Mena and Ukraine

In the face of the European refugee crisis in 2015 and the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Europe has shown opposite attitudes towards two types of refugees. Europe seems to be more welcoming to Ukrainian refugees than it is to some MENA refugees. This study explores the reasons behind such “double standards” through religion, language, stereotypes of MENA, and Eurocentrism. The study results show that the double standard attitude of Europe towards MENA refugees and Ukrainian refugees is mainly reflected in the reports of the news media and the policies issued for refugees. The study points out that the relatively negative attitude towards MENA refugees in Europe stems from the contradiction between Islam and Christianity, the fundamental ethnic and linguistic connection between MENA and Ukrainians and Europeans, and the social construction of European perceptions of MENA. Ultimately, Eurocentrism allowed Europe to help its countrymen, the Ukrainian refugees. This study compared the differences between MENA refugees and Ukrainian refugees, laying a foundation for future research on refugee issues. Moreover, this study advocates equal humanitarian assistance to refugees from the perspective of a community of shared futures for mankind.

Strengthening parenting among refugees in Europe (SPARE): initial feasibility in Iceland and Norway

Several European countries have offered refuge to families forced to flee their homes because of violence, war, and other disasters. Stressful factors associated with displacement and relocation place families at risk for disrupted effective child-rearing practices and associated growth in problems for parents and their children. The need to promote healthy adjustment and prevent and ameliorate problems for refugee families is vital. The present study describes SPARE (Strengthening Parenting Among Refugees in Europe), a trauma-informed adaptation of the evidence-based parenting program Generation Parent Management Training Oregon Model (GenerationPMTO). SPARE integrates core parenting components in GenerationPMTO with skills designed to address families’ trauma experiences. A collaborative team of GenerationPMTO experts in Iceland, Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands have adapted this parent group intervention for Arabic-speaking (Middle Eastern) refugee families who have relocated in Europe. This report describes results from an acceptability and feasibility study based on the first two SPARE groups completed in Iceland and Norway. Overall, attendance was good, parents reported satisfaction with their experiences in the groups and said that the material addressed important family needs. Parents also indicated the need for more time to deepen their understanding, provide greater focus on age-specific needs, and in Norway in particular, more information about the child welfare system.

Peculiarities of Mass Migration of Ukrainians to Western European Countries after February 2022

Since February 24, 2022, when the Russian Federation launched a full-scale war against Ukraine and invaded Ukrainian territories from several directions, Ukraine has faced the biggest migration crisis since World War II. More than a third of Ukrainians were forced to leave their homes. For Western Europe, these events also caused the biggest migration crisis since the middle of the 20th century. According to the latest UN data, as of the end of October, there are currently at least 7,700,000 refugees in Europe, 4,300,000 refugees have received the status of temporary EU protection, or a similar status from non-EU countries. It is worth noting that it is difficult to establish the exact number of Ukrainian refugees. Ukrainians cross the border in both directions. Some people temporarily staying in the EU are not registered as persons in need of temporary protection, but stay there as tourists.Ukrainian migrants face a lot of problems in the host countries, namely lack of funds for living, lack of housing, labor difficulties, difficulties in learning local languages, problems with teaching children in local schools. Gradually, the processes of integration of Ukrainian refugees in different European countries are taking place. However, the issue of establishing intentions to return to their homeland is important. After all, reverse migration will affect the post-war development of Ukraine. An important factor is the fact that the vast majority of women with minor children were forced to leave their husbands in Ukraine. Most families will try to unite after the end of martial law and the ban on crossing the border for men. The main question will be which trend will prevail: women returning home with children or, on the contrary, men moving to their wives abroad.All these events require careful study in order to forecast the further development of the migration of the Ukrainian population.

ВПЛИВ ЧАСОВОЇ ПЕРСПЕКТИВИ ТА ОСОБИСТІСНИХ РИС НА ПСИХОЛОГІЧНЕ БЛАГОПОЛУЧЧЯ УКРАЇНСЬКИХ БІЖЕНЦІВ У ЄВРОПІ

Background. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led to a sharp increase in the number of Ukrainian refugees in Europe. Due to the war and the subsequent need to adapt to new socio-cultural conditions, the mental health of this population is particularly vulnerable. People who have been forced to leave their country experience significant stress and are prone to developing symptoms of anxiety and depression. While psychopathology in this context has been well researched, protective factors that could potentially contribute to a better adjustment of Ukrainian refugees in the new environment have been less frequently studied. Accordingly, this study aims to fill this gap by examining the role of time perspective and personality traits in influencing the psychological well-being of Ukrainian refugees. Methods. A sample of 599 Ukrainian refugees from different European countries was studied using three key instruments: the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, short version (ZTPI-15), the Big Five Personality Inventory, short version (BFI-10), and the Singer-Wheeler Life Satisfaction Scale (SWLS). Correlation and hierarchical regression analyses were used to determine the relationships between these constructs. Results. Both time perspective and personality traits were shown to predict subjective well-being significantly. In particular, refugees who demonstrate greater openness, emotional stability, and friendliness report higher levels of life satisfaction. Similarly, positive orientations toward the past and future were associated with increased well-being, while negative orientations were associated with decreased well-being. In contrast, conscientiousness, extraversion, and fatalistic orientation to the present were not significant predictors of subjective well-being, which is at odds with some existing literature. Conclusions. These findings emphasize the importance of considering both time perspective and personality traits in understanding the psychological well-being of Ukrainian refugees. They also point to the potential benefits of interventions to develop adaptive time perspectives and positive personality traits. Further research is needed to develop and evaluate such interventions.

Search and rescue NGOs as a focal point in debates on the reception of refugees in the EU: Research essay on an Italian and German case study

After criticising a lack of rescue capacities and an increase in border deaths at the maritime EU external borders, search and rescue (SAR) NGOs have been sending out vessels since 2014. While the responsibility for SAR lies with the coastal states, we start from the assumption that these NGOs have now become part of the border regime. They pursue different activities to make the border regime, in their view, more humane and in line with European legal and moral obligations, and aim to mobilise a broader network supporting their activities. We observe a variety of actors – including churches, political actors, and civil society organisations – contributing to controversial public debates on their intervention. In our ZivDem project, we argue that various positions and conflicts around the reception of irregular migrants and refugees in Europe crystallise in the dissent on private SAR operations. In this research essay, we present a comparative research design to show how to analyse this dissent and how it plays out concretely in public debates in different member states. We focus – in a first approach – on recent events surrounding SAR NGOs and reactions in Italy and Germany to gain insights into the debates and reflect on emerging lines of conflict. Both national and transnational dimensions are taken into account. We conclude with the hypothesis that ultimately the debates are about different visions of European democracy.

Миграция сирийских православных христиан в Европу и процесс их адаптации

The purpose of the study is to provide insight into the religious and social identity of Syrian Orthodox refugees in Europe, into the nature of interreligious conflict. The paper deals with the following: Syria has become a crossroads of international conflicts that have deeply affected religious minorities. Syrian Christians who fled to Europe, being unable to settle in the countries of the Middle East, faced new problems of adaptation and security. Ignoring religious differences actually leads to persecution of Christians and Islamophobia. The scientific novelty of the study is presented by the determination of the role of religious differences in the interaction of Syrian Orthodox refugees with the Muslim environment in Europe. As a result, it has been proved that in the absence of safe and legal means of support for groups with different religious and cultural origins, there is no single specific measure that is suitable for everyone, and the role of the Christian churches and other civil institutions, such as civil society and social consensus, increases significantly and should be studied.

Rising temperatures and the threat of malaria in Europe: an unwelcome return?

Rising temperatures pose a threat to malaria transmission in Europe. Anopheles vectors are becoming more stable and widespread, putting some areas at increased risk of transmission for extended periods. By 2030 or 2050, the period of susceptibility is expected to extend to 3-6 months in some European countries and Anopheles mosquitoes are expected to migrate northward. In addition, climate change has led to a substantial increase in the number of climate refugees in Europe, increasing the risk of spread of the disease from endemic areas to susceptible regions. Urgent action is needed to prevent the transmission of malaria and other climate change-related diseases in Europe.

Przyjęcie ukraińskich uchodźców wojennych uciekających przed rosyjską agresją w różnych krajach na świecie

Russian aggression against Ukraine has caused a humanitarian crisis in the country and the fastest influx of refugees in Europe since World War II. The Russian invasion, which began on February 24, 2022, has forced both Ukrainian citizens and people of other nationalities residing there to flee in search of safe haven. The events of the Russian‑Ukrainian war, as of 2014, only had a significant impact on regional politics and the security situation in the eastern part of the country. Europe and the post‑Soviet space have triggered broader, far‑reaching and profound geopolitical and economic changes in Europe and around the world. After a long phase of hybrid warfare (2014–2022), in which the Kremlin pursued its own strategic goals in Ukraine and the region, combining military and non‑military methods to achieve them, the situation has changed radically since February 24, 2022. Since then, the previous ideology and propaganda, masking the real goals of the war (we are not a party to the conflict, there is a civil war going on in Ukraine, etc.) has been almost completely abandoned, and Russian troops have begun active offensive operations entering the north, east and south of all Ukraine. The full‑scale invasion has resulted in thousands of casualties not only among the military who defend Ukraine, but also among the civilian population: children, women and the elderly. Millions of Ukrainians have been temporarily displaced within their own country and as refugees have sought their safety mainly in EU countries. The purpose of this article is to analyze the reception of Ukrainian war refugees in various countries around the world fleeing Russian aggression. Using qualitative research methods, where analyzed foundational sources and resources available on the Internet on this topic from its inception.

Prioritising Integration of Refugees in Municipal Planning at a Local Political Level


 
 
 The recent increase in refugees in Europe highlights the need to advance ways to implement integration policies, develop practice, and improve integration services and programmes.The primary concern of this article is to examine municipalities that have used municipal planning as a strategic tool to improve integration practices. The article is grounded in qualitative research findings from a case study of two Norwegian municipalities.
 The key findings indicate that strengthening the administrative and political foundations for integration and involving more partners in the field of integration, appear to be the most evident motives. Using municipal planning as a strategic tool can be beneficial for municipalities with a lack of intersectoral collaboration, difficulties providing and coordinating services, and problems sustaining the engagement of municipal employees in the work of integration. In the two studied municipalities, planning processes was seen as a way of addressing these issues.
 
 

Philipp Ther. The Outsiders: Refugees in Europe since 1492.

Philipp Ther. <i>The Outsiders: Refugees in Europe since 1492</i>.

Žižek’s “Frankenstein”: Modernity, Anti-Enlightenment Critique and Debates on the Left

In this article, I examine Slavoj Žižek’s Freudian-Hegelian interpretation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: or the Modern Prometheus (1818), and argue that Žižek’s critique of Shelley’s ambiguous and contradictory attitude toward the French Revolution and its regime of terror remains central to the debates about the revolutionary and Enlightenment ideals today. For Žižek, Shelley employs the family myth not only to obfuscate the social reality of the French Revolution, but also to subvert the bourgeois family from within, through its transgressive sexual politics. Although Shelley manages not simply to dismantle modernity, she expresses a radical commitment to a “pure Enlightenment subjectivity”. Nonetheless, Shelley fails to articulate the speculative identity of the Enlightenment and revolutionary terror. Žižek’s analysis of Shelley’s ambiguous position on emancipatory politics has major implications for his critique of Leftist debates about Muslim refugees in Europe and transgender sexuality. It is still urgent, Žižek correctly insists, to interrogate the ways in which identity politics and the human rights regime can be readily appropriated and commodified in late capitalism.

The Lion Refugee in Europe: A Critical Race/Anti-Blackness Counterstory

“The Lion Refugee in Europe” is a critical race/anti-Blackness fictional counterstory that offers a perspective on the European refugee/immigrant situation. The story follows Asad, a young Somali refugee who ventures to Italy in hopes of gaining political asylum. By centering Asad as the main character, this fictional counterstory is meant to expose the realities experienced by refugees on their passages, specifically those leaving Africa. The lead author conducted the research for the counterstory during the summer of 2019. Much of the story reflects real events involving the state of refugee affairs related to the anti-immigration policy implemented under Italy’s previous right-wing government. Asad’s story is meant to reflect the experiences of refugees and the anti-immigrant sentiment that is prevalent throughout Europe. An immigration/refugee fictional critical race theory (CRT) counterstory told from this point of view is meant to confront a European nationalist stance on immigration and promote a more critical race/anti-Blackness/Afrophobia awareness and response toward the experiences of Black immigrant/refugee populations in Europe.

Labor market situation of refugees in Europe: The role of individual and contextual factors

The paper sheds light on the patterns of labor market integration of refugees in Western countries, who arrived primarily during the 2015–2016 mass refugee migration. Its major focus lies on the role of individual and contextual factors responsible for refugees' success in the labor market. At the host country level, the extent of permeability along the ethnic lines and the welcome of reception—both on the part of the majority population and the part of the established minorities—constitute further essential moderators of refugees' labor market success. This comprehensive literature overview draws on the flourishing body of research in Europe and beyond and discusses commonalities and differences across refugee origins and destinations while paying particular attention to the time trends and meaningful heterogeneities along with refugees' socio-demographic characteristics. We conclude by identifying major avenues for future research.

Dental Health, Caries Perception and Sense of Discrimination among Migrants and Refugees in Europe: Results from the Mig-HealthCare Project

Dental and oral health are considered among the main health issues for migrants and refugees, as access to dental health care services is often expensive and difficult. The study investigates dental and oral health determinants among migrants and refugees in 10 European countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain, and Sweden), examining how mental health, legal status, discrimination issues and dental services’ use frequency affect dental health. Methods: A cross sectional study using a purpose-made questionnaire was carried out to assess health status and access, with a dedicated section to measure self-perceived dental health, prevalence of caries, last visit to dentist and anticipated access to dental health services. Multivariable logistic regression models were performed to investigate the impact of quality of life, discrimination, immigration status, and other demographic factors on dental health. Results: About half of the sample suffered from poor dental condition and 22% had never visited a dentist. Migrants with higher educational levels had higher odds of having good dental health (OR = 1.08; 95%CI (1.03, 1.12)) and brushing their teeth daily (OR = 1.1; 95%CI (1.04, 1.17)). Higher general and mental health scores were indicative of better dental condition (general health: OR = 1.02; 95%CI (1.01, 1.03); mental health: OR = 1.01; 95%CI (1.004, 1.02)) and higher probability of daily teeth brushing (general health: OR = 1.02; 95%CI (1.01, 1.03); mental health: OR = 1.02; 95%CI (1.01, 1.03)). The possession of any kind of legal immigration permission and not having any children showed similar results. Age and discrimination were correlated with decreased likelihood for good dental conditions. Gender was correlated with daily teeth brushing, as female migrants had higher odds of brushing their teeth daily. Conclusions: Many migrants report poor dental health. Nonetheless, migrants with higher education levels, legal immigration status, better general and mental health, no children, lower sense of discrimination, younger age, and regular dental visits were positively correlated to good dental health (perceived as no dental caries).