Search Results (38)

The United States has long been a destination for immigrants seeking better economic opportunities and an improved quality of life, and among these populations, Muslim women represent a particularly vulnerable group facing unique challenges. First-generation Muslim immigrant women in America navigate a complex web of intersecting stressors that significantly impact their mental health and overall wellbeing. Despite the pervasiveness of mental health and heightened attention on mental health challenges post COVID-19, research on the mental health of the Muslim community—particularly immigrant Muslim women in the United States—is seldom studied. This qualitative study utilized a focus group among a purposive sample of immigrant Muslim women to explore the multifaceted mental health challenges with particular attention to how racism, Islamophobia, and acculturative stress create cumulative mental health burdens. Thematic analysis revealed five major themes highlighting the various mental health challenges faced by participants: experience encountering racism and discrimination, the importance of faith and Islamic practice in addressing mental health challenges, the role of family and peers in addressing mental health challenges, and mental health service utilization. These findings underscore the importance of culturally responsive mental health services and community-based interventions that recognize the intersection of migration, discrimination, and religious identity in shaping the mental health experiences of immigrant Muslim women. Full article

Internal and civil wars affect the lives of religious and ethnic minorities the most. For Syrian citizens of Armenian origin, the Republic of Armenia represented one of the most accessible and meaningful destinations to relocate to, shaped by shared ethnicity, collective memory, and historical ties. When the Syrian war erupted in 2011, thousands opted to resettle in Armenia, yet they and host institutions struggled to categorize them as immigrants, refugees, or repatriates. This ambiguous status has received little scholarly attention. To explore these complexities, the study employed a survey-based research design involving 124 participants, supplemented by an open-ended question intended to capture personal narratives and nuanced identity negotiations. The manuscript examines how the labels immigrant, refugee, and repatriate carry distinct legal, social, and emotional implications, especially against the backdrop of the 1915 Armenian Genocide’s enduring memory and the particularly negative connotations of “immigrant” and “refugee” in Western Armenian and Arabic languages. Within this contested semantic and policy terrain, repatriation appears not merely as a bureaucratic category but as a culturally resonant and sometimes preferred pathway for some Diaspora Armenians, informed by lifelong exposure to repatriation narratives through formal education (language textbooks) and informal communal practices. The case sheds light on the broader conception of stakeholders, including how they self-identify, how they understand their status in Armenia, and the factors shaping their choices, particularly in the context of contemporary geopolitics and the role of education in influencing external perceptions of them. Full article

This study presents a decision tree model-based approach to classify rural net migration across Colombian departments using sociodemographic and economic variables. In the model formulation, immigration is considered the movement of people to a destination area to settle there, while emigration is the movement of people from that specific area to other places. The target variable was defined as a binary category representing positive (when the immigration is greater than emigration) or negative net migration. Four classification models were trained and evaluated: Decision Tree, Random Forest, AdaBoost, and XGBoost. Data were preprocessed using cleaning techniques, categorical variable encoding, and class balance assessment. Model performance was evaluated using various metrics, including accuracy, precision, sensitivity, $F_1$ score, and the area under the ROC curve. The results show that Random Forest achieves the highest accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and $F_1$ score in the 10-variable and 15-variable settings, while XGBoost is competitive but not dominant. Furthermore, the importance of the model was analyzed to identify key factors influencing migration patterns. This approach allows for a more precise understanding of regional migration dynamics in Colombia and can serve as a basis for designing informed public policies. Full article

In the context of an increasingly hostile national political environment and federal cuts to refugee resettlement programs in the United States, advocates often highlight the economic contributions of immigrants and refugees to garner local support, especially in regions with histories of economic and population decline. While these narratives continue to be a centerpiece of pro-immigrant and -refugee advocacy, in practice advocates and refugees themselves use a diverse set of frames to promote belonging. In this paper, we examine pro-refugee advocacy frames in a small, nontraditional destination in the Midwest. We draw on survey and focus group research with young adult refugees and nonprofit advocates and content analysis of online stories about refugees. We found that pro-refugee values frames (humanitarian and faith-based) and contributions frames (economic, cultural and civic) coexisted across the local landscape and were used by not only nonprofit advocates and local officials, but also by refugees themselves. While advocacy groups emphasized the dominant frame highlighting refugees’ economic contributions, they were also strategic in using overlapping frames to highlight a less public frame, refugees’ contributions to civic engagement through community service and volunteering. Advocates tended to reproduce the economic contributions frame to appeal to key stakeholders, which consequently obscures refugees’ diverse contributions, but we argue that refugee self-advocates’ use of the civic engagement frame pushes back against economic and other frames that limit their contributions and helps them to create spaces of belonging. Full article

From 31 August 2022 to early 2024, the City of Chicago welcomed nearly 40,000 migrants. Chicago had designated itself as a sanctuary city nearly 40 years ago and has since been a popular destination for migrants, accepting large numbers in other periods throughout its history. However, the influx during the period 2022–2024 was unique because of the large amounts of resources local and federal governments dedicated to settling these individuals. Immigrant benefits varied over this period but peaked at $15,000 per family, which did not include services offered by local churches and private organizations. In this study, log-linear multiple regression was employed to determine the impact subsidies can have on the local rental real estate market. According to the study findings, rental real estate rates increased by up to 5.6% in response to subsidization of migrant housing. Additionally, neighborhoods that were adjacent to migrant shelters experienced the greatest additional increase of 29.96%. In addition to the rapidity with which rental real estate pricing can respond to subsidies and policy shifts, the study findings demonstrate the financial benefits that can accrue to real estate owners and managers who participate in the rental marketplace with subsidization. Full article

The unity of material and spiritual civilization is among the important criteria for sustainable development and modernization construction. However, defining the relationship between the two has posed a challenge to researchers. In terms of spiritual civilization, many studies on dialect maps reflect the dialect characteristics and cultural features of different regions. Regarding material civilization, changes in land use and behavior have attracted the attention of many scholars, who have extensively discussed their regional heterogeneity. However, few studies have focused on the connection between the two, and discussions on the possible bidirectional interaction between dialects and land use have been limited. Thus, in order to bridge the gap between the spiritual civilization related to language and the material civilization related to land use, this study proposes an interactive theoretical framework and conducts an in—depth analysis by taking Anhui Province in China as an example. Firstly, it comprehensively identifies the dialect types within Anhui Province and maps the dialects. This fundamental work provides a crucial basis for understanding the distribution of different dialect regions. Subsequently, a profound analysis of the spatiotemporal changes in land use in this province over time is carried out. To further explore the characteristics of land use behaviors, this study employs the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) model to mine the latent semantic topics in the land use-related data, thus enabling a more detailed understanding of the diverse patterns of land use behaviors in different regions. Finally, by uncovering the characteristics of land use changes and behavior differences in different dialect regions, this study explores the possible bidirectional interaction mechanisms. The results show that significant spatial heterogeneity in land use behavior and its driving factors can be observed within different dialect regions. Its bidirectional interaction is manifested in land use behaviors regulating people’s activities through constructing “fields” and forming habits that influence regional dialects and cultures. Meanwhile, under mobility mechanisms, new dialect systems replace indigenous languages in immigration destinations. Land use methods from emigration areas are spread through convenient communication, affecting the cultural psychology and land use behaviors of social groups in immigration destinations. This study expands the boundaries of linguistic and cultural geography, offering a new perspective for the identification of spatial differentiation and new ideas for the governance of spatial differences. Full article

Gender-based violence (GBV) is an age-long issue plaguing societies all over the globe. Over the years, GBV perpetrated against women has been justified and legitimized by patriarchal and hegemonic masculine structures. This study explored the role of hegemonic masculinities and transnational cultural conflicts in creating a suitable environment for GBV against women newcomers from the continent of Africa. The study gathered perspectives of African immigrants and of the service providers working in immigrant-serving organizations. The paper adopts a qualitative approach and hinges on the transnationalism framework. This framework argues that immigrants maintain connections while transitioning to their destination countries. In such processes, immigrants carry with them their beliefs about cultural norms and hegemonic masculinity, of their country of origin. A total of 13 women immigrants and 20 service providers were purposively recruited to participate in the semi-structured interview. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were analyzed thematically and organized using Nvivo version 12. Findings show that African immigrant women in Canada disproportionately bear the burden of GBV due to hegemonic masculinities. The construction of masculinity in immigrant populations is heavily reliant on the communities of origin. As such, the prevailing systems during and post migration such as—unstable residency status, fear of deportation, fear of social and family sanctions and stigmatization, economic dependence on their spouses, and fear of retaliation from their spouses creates an environment that supports toxic masculinity. The study recommends comprehensive and culturally sensitive programmes and services to support African immigrants affected by hegemonic masculinity and GBV. Full article

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes the crucial role of the regional dimension for economic, social, and environmental development. Sustainable development may be linked to migration management to strategically disperse international migrants to regions in need of ameliorating rural challenges. This paper explores the features affecting international migrants’ intentions to move to rural areas, such as Alentejo, Portugal, based on a set of micro-, mezzo-, and macro-sociological migration theories to support policymakers. This paper addresses the following research question: what motivates immigrants’ decisions to move to rural regions, such as Alentejo, Portugal? Practitioners (n = 8) and migrants (n = 15) were interviewed, and then a thematic analysis supported by MaxQDA 2022 was conducted. The results suggest that there is a set of motives for international migrants to move to rural areas and smaller cities based on multilevel factors, both economic and non-economic, such as the following: employment availability and promises of work; lower living costs compared to bigger cities; quality of life; local services support; and echoes of the country of origin. Migrants’ networks and seeking greater opportunities were consistent motives. The pull to rural areas, however, is a side effect of the attraction of Portugal and Europe as destinations. The conclusions highlight implications for policy and practice on migration and local development. Full article

Vaccination is one of the main advancements in public health in the prophylaxis of infectious diseases. We intend to describe the general knowledge about vaccines/vaccination among Brazilian immigrants in Portugal, characterize their attitudes toward vaccination, and describe their knowledge of the yellow fever (YF) vaccine. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-completion questionnaire (face-to-face or remote). A total of 542 people participated in the study; the mean age was 36.81 years; 40.1% were male; 44.8% had their 12th year of schooling; and 27.0% had resided for ≥10 years in Portugal. Regarding general knowledge about vaccination, 53.8% answered at least 6/8 questions correctly. A total of 37.1% tended to have a favorable attitude toward vaccination. Concerning traveling, 76.7% attributed the risk of disease at the destination as the main reason for accepting vaccines. A total of 89.3% knew that there was a risk of YF in Brazil. A total of 40% answered correctly only one question about the YF vaccine; 21.6% did not answer any questions correctly. Thus, most of the Brazilian immigrants in this study have high general knowledge about vaccines/vaccination, few have a favorable attitude, and their knowledge about the YF vaccine is scarce. This could limit vaccination adherence when visiting Brazil, making health education actions necessary to increase knowledge and prevent YF risks. Full article

The factors motivating Joseonjok (Korean-Chinese) students to choose South Korean universities as their study abroad destination have been understudied. In this study, researchers examined the factors that affect Joseonjok students’ decision to pursue postgraduate education in South Korea by analyzing interview data collected from 15 Joseonjok graduate students studying at Korean universities using a case study approach. The study identified individual-level, family-level, and national-level push and pull factors motivating Joseonjok students to choose South Korea as their graduate study destination. At the individual level, academic achievement and educational barriers served as push factors, while emotional and ethnic solidarity with Koreans acted as pull factors. On the community level, study abroad trends and immigration patterns among the Joseonjok population were identified as push factors, and the presence of families, relatives, and friends in South Korea served as pull factors. At the national level, push factors included educational policies for minorities in China and fierce competition in higher education entrance exams and the job market. Conversely, national-level pull factors encompassed the ‘Study Korea Policy’ and policies for overseas Koreans. The current study has implications for policymakers and universities who are planning to recruit international students and educational practitioners intending to provide career counseling and guidance to minority students. Furthermore, we expect the results of the current study to contribute to the sustainable development of higher education in both China and South Korea. Full article

Bureaucratic violence linked to immigration systems and residency applications, such as confusing and cumbersome administrative processes, discriminatory practices and a lack of accountability, act as significant post-migration stressors in destination countries that can impact migrant wellbeing. The behavior of public officials within these systems, referred to as ‘street-level bureaucrats’, can amplify stress through the use of discretion in interpreting legal requirements. The experiences of migrant women in attempting to obtain resident status in Spain have not been well documented. This article makes a novel contribution to the literature by aiming to understand the barriers faced by migrant women when applying for residency in Spain, and how experiences differ by socio-demographic subgroups. The study analysed mixed-methods data collected via an online survey of migrant women living in Valencia, Spain. A lack of information, communication barriers and difficulty meeting the stringent requirements of visa applications emerged as some of the main barriers to residency, with women from Africa, Asia or the Middle East being most likely to encounter barriers. Policy makers should seek to enhance transparency, standardize processes and improve communication for migrants interacting with the immigration system in order to reduce barriers and create more accessible pathways to residency in Spain. Full article

We consider a game-theoretic model of undocumented immigration with the aim of emphasizing the strategic interaction between the different forces affecting the issue. Specifically, we analyze the strategic interaction between firms in the destination country, native labor, the elected officials in the destination country, and the undocumented immigrants from the Source Country. We show that the impact of border enforcement is dampened because strategic interaction between the players will tend to mute any unilateral changes. We also study the effect of uncertainty in the labor market on migration issues and analyze the two cases where policymakers have to make their decisions before (ex-ante) or after (ex-post) the market state is realized. Full article

Limited research has investigated the impact of immigrants’ sense of place (SOP) attitudes on their quality of life (QOL) outcomes, especially during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study aimed to fill this gap by examining the effect of SOP attitudes and health-related QOL (HQOL) on 120 Iranian citizens residing in Budapest, Hungary, during the pandemic. Using social media platforms, an online survey was conducted between March and July 2020. The findings of this study revealed that SOP elements, such as connection to sites, location identification, and location reliance, are susceptible to change and rely on QOL during the pandemic. The study also highlighted that Budapest has the potential to become a desirable destination for future immigrants. Overall, this study contributes to the literature on the relationship between SOP attitudes and QOL outcomes among immigrants during a crisis. It provides valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners to improve the SOP and QOL of immigrants living in cities affected by pandemics or other crises. This study provides insights into the influence of a sense of place on the quality of life of Iranian immigrants by presenting a model and highlighting significant results in a selected community. Full article

Tourism forecasting is one of the most important aspects of tourism studies in today’s competitive environment. It is crucial not only for tourism businesses to understand and foresee trends and future changes, but also for government agencies to develop the competitiveness of their tourism sectors in order to stay competitive or even outperform other tourist destinations. The purpose of this research is to conduct tourism forecasting using the Delphi technique and to collect data from experts in the field of tourism and hospitality, providing useful information about the future of Thailand’s tourism directions and sustainable development. The results show that Thailand could maintain its tourism strengths in many aspects, including tourism attractions for tourists from various income groups, and the cultural uniqueness of “Thai-ness”. Thailand’s tourism capabilities can support the growing importance of tourism development in Southeast Asia. In addition, the research findings reveal some areas for improvement for Thai tourism to support sustainable tourism development, including the necessity for improving the quality of training programs for human resources in tourism-related organizations, a less strict immigration policy, the adoption of new information technology, and more updated tourism information. The discussion of findings and practical implications for sustainable tourism development are also discussed in detail. Full article

One of the reasons why people hold anti-immigration attitudes is the fear that immigrants “rob jobs” of natives and decrease wages. However, academic literature finds that this is not the case. Nevertheless, in various countries, people still tend to oppose immigration. Opposition to immigration was particularly high in Turkey in the early 2000s, where almost half of the respondents to the Turkish part of the European Social Survey reported they would prefer to allow no immigrants into Turkey. This is although immigration to Turkey is very low. Turkey is becoming an important destination country as conflicts in neighboring countries force many people to flee. Therefore, understanding the opposition to immigration in Turkey is crucial for managing age immigration flows efficiently. For this purpose, we investigate the determinants of attitudes towards immigration in Turkey using the European Social Survey and Turkish population census data. The findings of the ordered probit model reveal that Turkish people tend to hold more negative attitudes towards immigration where the regional share of immigrants is higher. The little chance of contact with immigrants in Turkey through a lower share of immigrants compared to other European countries seems to influence natives’ pro-immigrant attitudes negatively. Full article