Search Results (15)

This article examines how Afghan refugee resettlement in Muncie, Indiana challenges dominant narratives about both Midwestern homogeneity and refugee victimhood. Through research with Afghan refugees who arrived following the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, I analyze how everyday encounters between refugees and longtime residents reveal complex imperial connections. Drawing on Critical Refugee Studies, I argue that Afghan presence in the American Midwest is not incidental but directly produced by decades of U.S. military intervention. Cultural narratives that portray the Midwest as predominantly white are not only misleading but also fuel dangerous ideologies like nativism and white supremacy, which lead to anti-refugee and immigrant policies and practices that have dire consequences. By centering Afghan refugees within longer histories of imperialism, racialization, and migration, I demonstrate how face-to-face interactions produce unexpected alliances that question previously held ideologies and challenge U.S. empire. This work contributes to understanding how refugee integration collapses boundaries between foreign and domestic, revealing how empire fundamentally shapes citizenship, belonging, and regional identity in America’s heartland. Full article

Partner selection is a complex process shaped by structural, social, and personal factors. For refugees and forced migrants, displacement and adaptation add further challenges, with families—even from far away—playing a crucial role in shaping expectations and influencing partnership decisions. This influence can be direct—through arranged marriages or introductions—or indirect, by setting expectations based on ethnicity, religion, or social status. Family endorsement is often crucial in reinforcing ethnic, religious, or language group continuity and community acceptance. This study examines the role of family in partner selection among refugees who arrived in Germany largely during the 2015–2016 period, a group characterized by a high proportion of unmarried men with limited family support. This group is compared to the German resident population, both with and without a migration background. For the descriptive analyses, we draw on two data sources: the PARFORM dataset, collected in 2022–2023, which covers male Syrian and Afghan refugees who arrived between 2014 and 2018; and the ninth wave of the CILS4EU-DE, collected in 2022. The multivariate analyses rely exclusively on the PARFORM dataset and utilize linear probability models with selection correction. We contribute to the literature in three key ways: identifying mechanisms of family influence despite physical distance; introducing a multidimensional framework to measure partnership outcomes based on ethnic, religious, and linguistic endogamy; and providing new insights into the underexplored partnership formation of this refugee cohort. Full article

The forced migration of tens of thousands of refugee doctors exacerbates a phenomenon referred to as “brain waste”. Based on the Arksey and O’Malley model, this scoping review conducted in SCOPUS, ProQuest, CINAHL, and ERIC via EBSCO examines three decades of peer-reviewed literature (1990–2022) on resettled Afghan and Arab refugee International Medical Graduates (rIMGs) attempting, most often unsuccessfully, relicensing/professional reentry in the USA, Canada, the EU, Australia, and New Zealand. The search identified 760 unique citations, of which only 16 met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Included publications explored (1) systemic and personal barriers to rIMG professional reentry and (2) existing supporting reentry programs and policy recommendations. The findings point to inconsistencies in evaluating medical education credentials and to racial profiling, inequities, and discrimination in residency interviews. The support provided by some programs was perceived as inadequate, confusing, biased, and gendered. The rIMG personal barriers identified included refugees’ unique limitations and life adversities. The review grasps a collection of isolated support programs with widely varying learning performance, unclear buy-in from residency program directors, and weak policy impacts. This analysis highlights the need for legislated and standardized rIMG reentry support programs to reduce physician shortages, health disparities, and, ultimately, IMG brain waste. Full article

This study aims to examine context-specific post-migration stress factors and their differential impacts on the mental health of Syrian refugee women resettled in Houston, Texas, and urban communities in Jordan. A cross-sectional survey investigated sociodemographic and health-related conditions, psychological distress and coping (Perceived Stress Scale [PSS]), mental health-related symptomatology (Self-Report Questionnaire [SRQ]), conflict-related psychological distress (Afghan Symptom Checklist [ASC]), and post-migration stress (Refugee Post-Migration Stress Scale [RPMS]). Linear regression models examined factors associated with post-migration stress and mental health outcomes. A total of 127 Syrian refugee women participated in the study. Participants were in their mid-30s (mean age = 34.79 ± 11.2 years), married (66.9%), and reported low levels of education (44.8% below high school), low employment (27.2%), and elevated financial strain (91% below the poverty line). Jordan-based refugees exhibited higher scores on mental distress measures compared to their Houston-based counterparts; specifically more elevated psychological distress (p < 0.001), symptomatology (p < 0.001), and conflict-related distress (p < 0.001). Syrian refugee women in Houston reported higher social strain, while those in Jordan experienced greater financial hardship and barriers to accessing healthcare services. Mental distress among Syrian refugee women is influenced by specific post-migration stressors that vary by resettlement location. Targeted interventions are necessary to improve mental health outcomes in this population. Full article

Although recent dramatic political changes in Afghanistan have brought that country to global attention, migration from Afghanistan to Iran has a long history. Nearly three quarters of Afghan immigrants in Iran are located in cities, particularly in Tehran’s metropolitan area. However, despite the long-term presence of Afghan immigrants in Iran, research on patterns and drivers of spatial segregation of immigrants has been very limited. The research method involves a secondary analysis of census data. Therefore, this article utilizes 2006 Iran census tract data to examine patterns of spatial segregation of Afghan immigrants in the Tehran metropolis. The required data for two-group segregation indices, Getis–Ord statistics, and Geographically Weighted Regression, were analyzed as a map using ArcMap and Geo-Segregation Analyzer. The results reveal that the spatial segregation of Afghans is high and that most live in lower-SES census tracts. Multivariable analyses indicate that the extent of segregation can be explained by education, job class, and generation status. It can be concluded that generational transition and access to human capital have reduced various indicators of spatial segregation of Afghan immigrants in Tehran. Full article

Turkey has been a hub for migrants since the Syrian crisis and has been home to 3.7 million refugees. The literature on migration focusses largely on Turkey’s response to refugees from Syria, host country citizens’ attitudes towards Syrians and their integration challenges, the EU–Turkey refugee deal, and its political implications for the EU and Turkey. Nonetheless, there has been a sharp rise in the number of Afghan migrants to Turkey since the complete withdrawal of US military forces from Afghanistan in 2020. Both scholarly and grey literature highlights that Turkey has recently been an attractive hub for Afghan migrants and other ethnic minorities, following Pakistan and Iran. Nonetheless, this literature has not substantially explored the Turkish government’s attitude towards the new influx of migrants. For this purpose, the article draws upon qualitative research based on secondary and grey literature (including semi-structured interviews with representatives from migration-related NGOs in Turkey). The article underpins its findings from the public policy framework of NATO (nodality, authority, treasure, organisation) by demonstrating how Turkey’s ambivalent response to the refugee inflow is shaped by limited information (nodality), weak legal mechanisms (authority), exploitation of new inflow as cheap labour (treasure), and migration system restructuring (organisation, treasure) after the withdrawal of external actors like the EU and UNHCR. Full article

This article considers experiences of moving and dwelling in Europe among Afghan unaccompanied young men in the context of stringent migration, asylum, and settlement processes. The young men embarked as minors and arrived unaccompanied in Norway. There, their claims for asylum had radically different outcomes: some were granted international protection and others were refused asylum. The article sheds light on forms of relationality on migration journeys by focusing on relational selves and subjectivities regarding trajectories, processes of inclusion and exclusion, and family. Participants shared numerous challenges and struggles arising from their journeys, but also possibilities and transformations taking place alongside developmental changes and life transitions. While some attached meaning to experienced hardships and drew on a sense of direction, others spoke of exhaustion or inoculated themselves from an inability to pursue a direction they desired and saw as necessary for their lives. They made sense of their experiences relationally, relating to hopes and fears, idealised and longed for kinship ties and care, and the ongoing processes and positionings involved in shaping their present situations and imaginings of the future. Full article

In this study, the impact of the reasons for leaving their country (such as social, economic, and political) of Afghan asylum seekers who illegally entered Turkey from the eastern border on their life satisfaction in the country of destination was analyzed. The sample comprised 500 individuals (54.8% women; 42.4% < 30 age) who came as refugees from Turkey’s eastern border. Three-stages of analysis were carried out in the study: the Mantel–Haenszel test, ordered logit, and CART (Classification and Regression Trees) decision tree. The main findings obtained from these analyses show that individuals leaving their country for economic reasons and because of war/terrorism are happier, while those leaving their country because of religious and cultural pressures are unhappier. According to the results of the CART analysis, the most frequently repeated variables are economic and life satisfaction of individuals who are satisfied with their household income and save money is at its highest level. In the analysis it is also seen that the life satisfaction level of individuals who are not satisfied with their household income, leave their country for reasons other than economic reasons, and make a living on debt is very low. This study also focuses on the relationship between happiness and sustainable development (SD). It has associated the reasons for migrants leaving their countries with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting the significance of happiness studies in achieving the SDGs. Full article

Four decades of civil war, violence, and destabilisation have forced millions of Afghans to flee their homes and to move to other countries worldwide. This increasing phenomenon may challenge physicians unfamiliar with the health status of this population, which may be markedly different from that of the host country. Moreover, several factors during their migration, such as transport in closed containers, accidental injuries, malnutrition, and accommodation in detention centres and refugee camps have a major influence on the health of refugees. By taking into account the variety of the specific diseases among migrant groups, the diversity of the origins of refugees and asylum seekers, and the increasing numbers of Afghan refugees, in this review we focus on the population of Afghans and describe their health status with the aim of optimising our medical approach and management. Our literature review shows that the most prevalent reported infections are tuberculosis and other respiratory tract infections and parasitic diseases, for example leishmaniasis, malaria, and intestinal parasitic infections. Anaemia, hyperlipidaemia, arterial hypertension, diabetes, smoking, overweight, malnutrition, low socioeconomic status, and poor access to healthcare facilities are additional risk factors for non-communicable diseases among Afghan refugees. With regards mental health issues, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are the most common diagnoses and culture shock and the feeling of being uprooted modulate their persistence. Further research is needed in order to provide us with extensive, high-quality data about the health status of Afghan refugees. The main objective of this review is to identify protective factors which could ensure key health concepts and good clinical practice. Full article

(1) Background: Syrians are the largest forcibly displaced population in the world. Approximately 20,000 Syrian refugees have resettled in the United States (US) since the civil war in Syria began in 2011, with an estimated 130 families resettling in Houston, Texas. We conducted a pilot study with the objective of examining the physical and mental well-being of the Houston Syrian refugee population. (2) Methods: Online surveys were conducted using psychometrically valid instruments including Afghan Symptom Checklist (ASC), Refugee Post-Migration Stress Scale (RPMSS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ) (3) Results: According to independent t-tests, Syrian refugee females scored higher than males on ASC (37.78 vs. 31.64, p = 0.0446), particularly in the subscales of sadness with social withdrawal (28.89 vs. 24.31, p = 0.0495), and stress-induced reactivity (6.56 vs. 4.86, p = 0.0004). Similarly, females scored higher than males in RPMSS (60.54 vs. 45.15, p = 0.0022), including the social strain domain (8.08 vs. 5.18, p = 0.0204). In PSS and SRQ, Syrian refugee females reported comparable stress and distress scores as males. (4) Conclusions: Syrian refugee females reported higher stress and distress than males. Displacement from their home country and social strain were the major sources of stress in Syrian refugee females, as indicated in RPMSS. Full article

This study examines a set of unique isolated lived-experiences to offer some general observations concerning Afghan-Hazara migration, relocation, and individuation in Australia. Culture may have the appearance of immutability. However, like any social formation, it is produced, reproduced, and contested through time. Everyone is an individual, and while we speak of the impact and culture, lived-experience is very different. People always have choices they can make about what lessons they might derive from experiences. If one faces discrimination within the realm of the state, which is historically well documented where Hazaras are concerned, one begins looking for alternative pathways to advancement. These include personalised networks in religious communities, education, and business entrepreneurship. The study analyses the fluid nature of belief systems, and the multiplicity of ways lived-experience shapes individuation and reshapes identity through pathways to advancement in a globalising Australia. Full article

This study explored the migration and food experiences of Afghani women refugees residing in Adelaide, South Australia for 2 years or less. In-depth semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 women between May and September 2017. The data were thematically analysed, and the Social Determinants of Health Framework was used to discuss the findings. Five key themes emerged from the data. In the transition country (Iran/Pakistan), respondents experienced (i) trauma, discrimination and exclusion and (ii) familiar food culture, but food stress. In the destination country (Adelaide, Australia) respondents experienced (iii) a sense of precariousness, (iv) unfamiliar food culture and (v) challenges in accessing halal food. Afghani refugees experienced considerable stressors both in the transition and the final destination country but for different reasons. In the transition country, stresses related to the lack of social services and support, discrimination, racism and poverty seemed to have affected their ability to afford food. In Australia stressors pertaining to socioeconomic, housing and employment precariousness, as well as difficulties in accessing halal foods were identified as challenges. Furthermore, food stress in Australia was associated with the cultural appropriateness of food, the complexity of the food system, and the women’s lack of skills and experiences in navigating the food system. With increasing refugee and immigration flows globally, it is necessary to acknowledge how food and social determinants intersect for refugee immigrants to ensure positive health outcomes. Full article

(1) Background: Refugees and asylum-seekers from Afghanistan have been shown to be highly distressed as a result of pre- and post-resettlement traumas. However, little is known about the challenges that Afghan migrants endure while residing in Turkey, a population that has grown at unprecedented rates in recent years, and largely deemed illegal by Turkish asylum and settlement laws; (2) Methods: We conducted interviews with 15 Afghan males residing in Istanbul, Turkey in late 2015. A qualitative content analysis technique informed by Qualitative Description was used to analyze the data; (3) Results: Narratives revealed that motives for migrating to Turkey are driven by both a humanitarian need for protection against persecution and economic deprivation. While they are in transit, we observed that Afghan migrants are victimized, exposed to multiple traumas; and, in Turkey experience poverty, unemployment, and exploitation while living in poor conditions and receive no social assistance. Lastly, interviews revealed that their hopes reflect their motives for migrating, that is, to have a stable life and to support their families back home where ever they end up resettling; and (4) Conclusions: Our qualitative interviews clarified the harrowing and demoralizing transit experiences and the depth of exploitation and precarious living conditions that Afghans currently face. Findings have implications for asylum policies, and for delivering culturally-competent interventions that promote the overall well-being of Afghans in Turkey. Full article

The study intended to explore planning strategies gaps in ten-year perspective and medium-term development framework plans for agro-based industrial development in secondary cities of Sindh Province, Pakistan. Document review and key informant interviews survey techniques were used for data collection. A total of 30 interviews were conducted from agro-based officials. The SWOT analysis technique was applied for data analysis. The results revealed the weaknesses of high priority for textile and sugar industries, lack of planning strategies for agro-based development in secondary cities, dependency on federal government for development funds and absence of finances to implement plans. The threats were unavailability of strategic agro-based infrastructure facilities in secondary cities, centralized planning system, cross border threats such as the war in Afghanistan and migration of Afghan refugees, weak law and order situation and diversion of development budget for defense activities. The study suggests decentralization of powers and robust planning strategies in the development plans to strengthen secondary cities of Sindh Province economically. Full article