Search Results (97)

Learning the host language is a crucial factor in the settlement of migrants and refugees in a new country. It offers opportunities, but can also generate exclusion, marginalization, and isolation, hindering the possibilities of participation and the creation of social networks. Host language classes, therefore, play a crucial role, fostering critical awareness that enables learners to act within their social and cultural context. This promotes agency, autonomy, and empowerment, transforming differences into productivity and fostering social justice. This article focuses on classes of Portuguese as a host language (HL) in northern Portugal, examining how these contexts shape learners’ relationship with the language beyond depoliticized or subaltern approaches. It discusses the main obstacles and difficulties in these educational settings, as well as mechanisms that could contribute to more democratic and effective practices. Drawing on interviews with teachers (n = 10), trainers (n = 4), volunteers (n = 8), and students (n = 20) involved in the HL learning process, the content analysis highlights how policies and pedagogical practices impact students and how they are interpreted by these actors, revealing their impact on processes of participation, belonging, and citizenship. The results indicate an emergent form of collective autonomy in the relationship among students, the host society, and teachers, which means that teaching practices encompass not only the development of communication skills but also the civic and political awareness of learners. Lastly, while the language teachers identified more practical barriers in these teaching and learning contexts, the students described emotional and sociocultural obstacles. Full article

Challenges to the health and wellbeing of youth refugees in Kenya are well documented, particularly in refugee camps. However, amid protracted crises in the region, changes in refugee camp legislation and reduced funding are driving the further urbanization of refugees, necessitating a greater focus on understanding the hardships, movements, and challenges young urban refugees face. The focus of this paper is to document research on mapping the food supply chains, including points of intersection for young South Sudanese urban refugees in Kenya, and to identify barriers, constraints, and opportunities for procuring, growing, and selling food. This youth-led study, a follow-up to previous findings, included 40 participants aged 19 to 32. Youth food-resilience stories highlight critical areas for strategic intervention and provide insights into the design of spatially just and economically inclusive urban spaces. Applying a multimethod approach, including food diaries, food maps, and survey tools embedded in a learning platform, the paper weaves a narrative that highlights youth ingenuity in food security and provides insights for governments, policymakers, community leaders, and donors to support responsive, economically inclusive community design in addressing social challenges. Our findings indicate that improving the quality of life and food security of refugee youth is complex and requires a holistic approach. Without education and improvements in livelihoods, including urban agricultural opportunities, refugee youth’s health and wellbeing will continue to be affected. Full article

The language use of Ukrainian war refugees has attracted the attention of researchers worldwide due to the unprecedented number of individuals displaced since the onset of the war in 2022. Earlier studies have documented a shift in language use and attitudes in Ukraine, marked by a diminished role for Russian and increased prominence of Ukrainian both within the country and among Ukrainian émigré communities abroad. However, the role of age in this process has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Moreover, research on the specific characteristics of language shift and social integration among Ukrainian refugees in Canada is still insufficient. This article reports the results of a study aimed at examining how home languages shift and the use of the official languages among Ukrainian refugees in Canada may vary by age. The vresearch employed a mixed-methods approach, based on a survey (65 participants). In this research, quantitative data were drawn from the closed-ended survey questions, and open-ended questions were employed to illustrate quantitative results for more depth and insight. The results indicate that there are no significant differences in L1 and L2 or L3 by age in this sample. The study confirms a language shift from Ukrainian-Russian bilingualism in Ukraine to Ukrainian dominance, which does not differ by age or age group. What does differ by age and generation is the proficiency in English, English use, and the perceived difficulty in learning English, whereby younger participants reported higher proficiency in English, its higher use in daily communication, and less difficulty acquiring it, as compared to their older peers. While the findings align with previous research on language use among immigrants—including the impact of age—they offer new insights into the experiences of refugees, highlighting how different age groups respond to social pressures in migration. A further contribution of this study lies in addressing the language shift from the perspectives of both younger and older refugees and establishing that the language shift in Ukraine swept across all ages. Full article

This study analyzes factors influencing Ukrainian refugee labor market participation in Romania, based on a survey of 399 respondents. The analysis shows that only 21.7% of refugees were employed at the time of the survey. Significant predictors of employment were gender (men had higher employment rates), marital status (unmarried individuals were more active), and Romanian language proficiency, which tripled the chances of finding a job. Education level, English language skills, age, and number of children did not significantly predict employment. The findings also highlight a strong desire among refugees for language learning and professional training, indicating untapped integration potential. This research contributes to the literature on Ukrainian refugee integration by emphasizing the importance of language support policies and gender-sensitive measures. While acknowledging limitations such as convenience sampling and selection bias, our results offer valuable insights for public policy and future research on refugee integration in Europe. Full article

African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) communities face increased COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, coupled with significant barriers to vaccine acceptance and uptake. Addressing these challenges requires innovative, multifaceted strategies. Peer-led interventions, grounded in critical health literacy (CHL) and critical racial literacy (CRL), and integrating collaborative equity learning processes, can enhance community capacity, empowerment, and health outcomes, contributing to long-term health equity. This paper describes and presents the evaluative outcomes of a peer-led intervention aimed at enhancing COVID-19 vaccine confidence and acceptance. The Peer-Equity Navigator (PEN) intervention consisted of a specialized training curriculum grounded in CHL and CRL. Following training, PENs undertook a 5-month practicum in community or health settings, engaging in diverse outreach and educational activities to promote vaccine literacy in ACB communities. The evaluation utilized a modified Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) Framework, using quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data. Sources of data included tracking records with community feedback, and a PEN focus group, to assess program feasibility, outreach, and effectiveness. From 16 September 2022, to 28 January 2023, eight trained PENs conducted 56+ community events, reaching over 1500 community members. Both PENs and community members reported high engagement, endorsing peer-led, community-based approaches and increased vaccine literacy. The PEN approach proves feasible, acceptable, and effective in promoting positive health behaviors among ACB communities. This intervention has clear implications for health promotion practice, policy, and research in equity-deserving communities, including immigrants and refugees, who also face multiple and intersecting barriers to health information and care. Full article

Refugee and immigrant communities face a host of dynamic health challenges. This essay discusses the importance of prioritizing the impacts of resettlement on mental health and provides examples of how creating a collective network of culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and healing-centered providers—centered on community-based best practices and knowledge—is integral to fostering community resilience. Additionally, it will examine how resettlement challenges intersect with systemic barriers to culturally responsive care and related Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), including economic stability, health care access and quality, and social and community contexts. Drawing upon experiences from a statewide network spanning southern and northern California—and based on interim mixed-methods program evaluation data and practitioner reflections highlighting one community partner’s experience—we provide key learnings that demonstrate how coalition building, cultural humility, and provider training can improve client well-being, reduce mental health disparities, and address the relevant SDOH. Key learnings illustrate the importance of the following: (1) coalition building to co-create trusted provider referral networks and support peer-to-peer learning to enhance client care; (2) provider trainings and capacity building on healing-centered and culturally responsive practices to address SDOH; (3) centering cultural humility; and (4) building a peer-based workforce who speak similar languages and share lived experiences to provide deeper cultural connections and build trust. Our experiences demonstrate that the co-creation of strong mental health provider networks is critical to strengthening the fabric of community resilience. Full article

While previous studies have explored the use of digital technologies in cultural heritage site reconstruction, limited attention has been given to systems that simultaneously support cultural restoration and psychological healing. This study investigates how multimodal, deep learning–assisted digital technologies can aid displaced populations by enabling both digital reconstruction and trauma relief within virtual environments. A demonstrative virtual reconstruction workflow was developed using the Great Mosque of Aleppo in Damascus as a case study. High-precision three-dimensional models were generated using Neural Radiance Fields, while Stable Diffusion was applied for texture style transfer and localized structural refinement. To enhance immersion, Vector Quantized Variational Autoencoder–based audio reconstruction was used to embed personalized ambient soundscapes into the virtual space. To evaluate the system’s effectiveness, interviews, tests, and surveys were conducted with 20 refugees aged 18–50 years, using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised and the System Usability Scale as assessment tools. The results showed that the proposed approach improved the quality of digital heritage reconstruction and contributed to psychological well-being, offering a novel framework for integrating cultural memory and emotional support in post-disaster contexts. This research provides theoretical and practical insights for future efforts in combining cultural preservation and psychosocial recovery. Full article

Well-being at school is central to successful learning and dealing with challenges at school. While previous research mostly explored general student well-being, less attention has been paid to the specific challenges faced by refugee students, who enter the school system as lateral entrants and represent a particularly vulnerable group. Building on an established multilevel theoretical framework, we examine the interplay between individual factors (e.g., academic performance), social factors (e.g., peer relationships), and structural factors (e.g., school type). In addition to general factors, we particularly focus on refugee-specific factors (such as PTSD, asylum procedure uncertainties, and integration policies), which we integrate into the analytical model using the Cultural Stress Theory. Our analyses utilise data from the study ‘ReGES—Refugees in the German Educational System’. The sample comprises 2415 refugee adolescents who arrived in Germany between 2014 and 2018 and attend lower secondary school. Results from our multivariate analyses reveal that refugee-specific factors are significantly related to well-being beyond common predictors. An uncertain residence status, perceived discrimination, and cultural problems are negatively related to well-being at school, while teachers’ support for refugees shows positive associations. These results have important implications for educational policy and practice in supporting refugee student integration. Full article

This article presents a comprehensive evaluation of image segmentation methods for monitoring morphological changes in refugee camps, comparing five distinct approaches: ESRI Landviewer clustering, K-means clustering, U-Net segmentation, Meta’s Segment Anything Model (SAM) and ArcGIS segmentation. Using high-resolution satellite imagery from Al-Azraq refugee camp in Jordan (2014–2023) as a case study, this research systematically assesses each method’s performance in detecting and quantifying settlement pattern changes. The evaluation framework incorporates multiple validation metrics, including overall accuracy, the Kappa coefficient, F1-score and computational efficiency. The results demonstrate that ArcGIS’s ISO clustering and classification approach achieves superior performance, with 99% overall accuracy and a Kappa coefficient of 0.95, significantly outperforming the other tested methods. While Meta SAM shows promise in object detection, its performance degrades with aerial imagery, achieving only 75% accuracy in settlement pattern recognition. The study establishes specific parameter optimization guidelines for humanitarian contexts, with spectral detail values of 3.0–7.0 and spatial detail values of 14.0–18.0, yielding optimal results for refugee settlement analysis. These findings provide crucial methodological guidance for monitoring refugee settlement evolution and transition, contributing to more effective humanitarian response planning and settlement management through integrating remote sensing and machine learning technologies. 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

Background: Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict between Russia and Ukraine may face significant challenges to their physical, psycho-emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing. Aim: To identify the health needs of Ukrainian refugees seen in primary care facilities in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Methods: A mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were obtained through a descriptive analysis of health records, while qualitative data were collected via focus group interviews and thematic analysis of testimonies. Results: The sample comprised 59 individuals (45.4% of all patients seen). Eight participants from five family groups took part in the focus group. The typical profile of a Ukrainian refugee in the Canary Islands is female (79.7%), relatively young, with a high socio-cultural background, generally in good health, travelling alone or with her minor children. The main reasons for consultation were routine health check-ups and control blood tests. The NANDA-I nursing diagnoses indicated a need for psycho-emotional care, with the most prevalent being Risk for Relocation Stress Syndrome (27.1%); Interrupted Family Processes, Disturbed sleep pattern, Risk for Impaired Resilience (13.6% each); and Anxiety (11.9%). Participants rated the healthcare system positively, but language barriers and long waiting times for access to specific services were noted as limitations. The primary social demands include seeking employment, learning the language, and increasing support groups among Ukrainians themselves. Conclusions: This study underscores the need for a tailored approach to refugee care, considering their unique circumstances and needs. Early provision of information about available healthcare services and protocols can facilitate access, manage expectations, and aid decision-making. Full article

In Australia, the Early Years Learning Framework sets out a vision for all children to experience belonging, wellbeing, confidence, and a sense of identity. This article forefronts the voices of parents with refugee experience, through focus groups and interviews, to explore why they removed their children from early childhood education and care (ECEC) services. Supplemented by interviews with early childhood practitioners and researcher experience, constructivist grounded theory overlaid with critical race theory provided a lens through which to scrutinize the way racism implicitly impacts structural practices within ECEC environments. The overarching message was that everything is framed within the parameters of the dominant culture, which was taken for granted by educators, who are predominantly White and middle class. Parents withdrew their children because they perceived care to be culturally unsafe and unsuitable and because cultural and linguistic support was rarely available. Of concern were the smothering effects of assimilation and the imposition of a foreign culture which unsettled family life. Compromised identity and the nullification of cultural and linguistic heritage left children with little or no sense of belonging. Full article

This study aimed to identify the acculturation strategies of Russian immigrants and Syrian refugees living in Türkiye and examine their impact on second-language learning. The idea of acculturation explains how immigrants adapt to the culture of the host country. In this research, the acculturation strategies of immigrants and refugees, their second-language learning, and other variables that could influence their integration were measured. Interviews were conducted with immigrants and refugees within the scope of the study. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed in accordance with the mixed research method. According to the findings, immigrants and refugees generally prefer the integration strategy. Females tend to favour the integration strategy more strongly compared to males. Among those residing in Türkiye, individuals with 0–1 year of residence exhibited significantly higher motivation for second-language learning. However, no significant relationship was observed among the other groups (2–5 years, 6–10 years, and 11+ years). Refugee or immigrant status, sex, and length of residence played important roles in second-language learning. Those who preferred the integration strategy, as well as refugees and females, tended to have higher second-language learning motivation. The research indicates that refugees require more support for cultural adaptation and second-language acquisition. Effective integration policies for refugees in Türkiye and the implementation of economic and social programmes through international cooperation are essential. Otherwise, neglecting cultural and social integration may threaten sustainable multiculturalism. Full article

This paper reports on an ethnographic research study with experienced K-12 teachers and paraprofessionals in Western Canada to understand (1) the language and literacy needs and challenges of students with refugee experiences; and (2) the pedagogical responses used to build trusting, collaborative relationships of power. Our theoretical framework draws on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems model, which we align with a literacy ecology of communities perspective. Working with 15 participants in a school district with a long history of resettlement, we address the following questions: (1) What do teachers and paraprofessionals identify as the language and literacy learning needs and challenges for students with refugee experiences? and (2) What are the most appropriate and empowering pedagogical responses to meet curricular expectations and use language and literacy for social impact and identity representation? Using thematic analysis, we identify four interweaving themes: relationships, mindful pedagogies, well-being, and safety. We provide illustrative examples from ethnographic focus group discussions, triangulated with informal interviews and observations in relation to an integrated model of supports for students with refugee experiences. We conclude with four critical lessons learned about relationships, communication flows within and across nested ecological systems, flexibility and structure, and inspirational pedagogies. Full article

This study examined the experiences of 15 refugee school teachers in Athens, focusing on their strategies for working with culturally diverse adult students. Through semi-structured interviews, the research investigated the evaluation of intercultural education that is imparted to adult refugees, the challenges in the program’s implementation for adult refugees, the importance and the necessity of intercultural competence for instructors when working within refugee structures, and the possible ways of influencing the ethnic diversity of adult refugee immigrants that affect teachers’ perspectives regarding their education and social integration. The findings reveal a mix of progress and challenges in cultural education, exacerbated by the global financial crisis and infrastructure deficiencies. Intercultural competence emerges as vital for fostering inclusive learning environments, while embracing ethnic diversity shifts the focus from assimilation to celebration. Success indicators include cultivating a collective consciousness, promoting interaction between cultures, fostering empathy, and providing adequate resources. These insights offer valuable implications for enhancing refugee education and integration efforts in Athens and beyond. Full article