Beyond Arrival: Policies and Practices of Refugee and Immigrant Integration

Dear Colleagues,

Global migration has reached record levels, with over 280 million people living outside their countries of origin and more than 110 million forcibly displaced worldwide. Wars, persecution, inequality, and climate change continue to drive this movement, reshaping societies and creating urgent challenges for policy and practice.

The integration and resettlement of refugees and immigrants are essential for building cohesive, inclusive, and sustainable communities. Integration extends beyond employment or economic participation—it encompasses belonging, access to education and healthcare, civic engagement, and social justice. When successful, it strengthens both newcomers and host societies, fostering social cohesion and mutual understanding. However, with the rise of neoliberal policies and new right discourses worldwide, the integration of immigrants has become increasingly fragile.

Given this background, this Special Issue welcomes contributions that examine the multidimensional processes of integration and resettlement across diverse geographical and sociopolitical contexts. Through an intersectional lens, we seek to obtain a deeper understanding of the differentiated, complex, and uneven experiences shaped by race, gender, class, and legal status. In this aim, we welcome empirical and theoretical studies that explore how individuals and communities adapt, resist, and transform within current migration regimes.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Integration and resettlement policies;
• Barriers to inclusion and belonging;
• Education, health, and language acquisition;
• Gendered and intersectional migration experiences;
• Mental health and trauma;
• Community-engaged research with immigrant communities;
• Acts of citizenship;
• Civic participation and citizenship;
• Media narratives and public perceptions;
• Community initiatives and rural resettlement;
• Climate-induced migration.

Dr. Secil Erdogan Ertorer
Dr. Esra Ari
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Social Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.