Second-hand emotion?: exploring the contagion and impact of trauma and distress in the asylum law context

Applicants' accounts of experiences of fear, trauma, violence, and persecution are central to the process of claiming asylum. These narratives are, at a human level, primed to provoke emotional responses, not only in the narrator but also in those to whom the account is relayed. In this article, we explore the vectors of emotionality that permeate asylum decision-making in the United Kingdom, focusing particularly on the risk faced by the professionals involved of suffering vicarious trauma

‘Hearing the Right Gaps’:Enabling and Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Violence within the UK Asylum Process

The barriers that prevent or delay female victims of sexual assault from disclosing to criminal justice authorities, and the obstacles that often disincline professional and lay decision-makers from finding such narratives credible, have been well documented. This article explores the extent to which such difficulties may be replicated, and compounded, in the case of female asylum-seekers; it will examine the complex ways in which the structure and processes, as well as the heavily politicised context, of asylum decision-making may contribute towards a silencing of sexual assault narratives. The article will explore the ways in which the intersection of race, ethnicity, gender, culture, religion, language and nationality present distinct challenges to women asylum applicants for whom an alleged rape is a part of their claim, and reflect on some of the difficulties this presents in terms of assessing the credibility of sexual assault allegations, and of the overall asylum claim

“ I just try my best to make them happy”: the role of intra-familial relationships of care in the integration of reunited refugee families

From Frontiers via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: collection 2023, received 2023-06-27, accepted 2023-09-05, epub 2023-09-27Peer reviewed: TrueAcknowledgements: Research design, data collection and analysis was a joint effort with my colleagues from the research team based at Queen Margaret University's Institute for Global Health and Development: Leyla Kerlaff, Arek Dakessian, and Alison Strang. We benefited from support from our third sector project partners when organizing data collection activities and interpreting our findings, for which I am most grateful. Thank you to Joe Brady and Emmaleena Käkelä for their invaluable comments on an earlier version of this paper. And thank you most of all to the families who generously shared their experiences with us.Publication status: PublishedHelen Baillot - ORCID: 0000-0003-2848-023X https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2848-023XMigration through managed routes such as spousal and work visas has been conceptualized as being a pragmatic choice driven by the needs of families rather than individuals. In contrast, studies of refugee integration post-migration have tended to analyse integration processes through the perspective of the individual rather than through a family lens. Drawing from data collection using a social connections mapping tool methodology with recently reunited refugee families supported by a third sector integration service in the UK, in this paper the author makes a valuable contribution to addressing this theoretical gap. The author explores the ambivalent ways in which family relationships, and the care that flows between family members, influence emotional, and practical aspects of refugees' integration. Empirically the inclusion of accounts from people occupying different positions within their families, including from children, adds depth to our understanding of integration from a refugee perspective. Conceptually, the paper argues that a focus on familial relationships of care re-positions refugees not as passive recipients of care, but active and agentive subjects who offer care to others. The paper ends with a call for integration to be understood in a family way that fully encompasses the opportunities and limitations offered by familial care.pubpu

Addressing female genital mutilation in Europe: a scoping review of approaches to participation, prevention, protection, and provision of services.

BACKGROUND: Public and policy attention to female genital mutilation (FGM) in diaspora communities has increased in Europe, but research remains limited and misinformation abounds. As a first step to addressing these issues, this study explored FGM prevention and response interventions in Europe, using a scoping literature review and key informant interviews. METHODS: A scoping study design was selected, using Arksey and O'Malley's six-stage scoping framework to review identified sources. Key informant interviews were used to inform and add depth to literature findings. Findings were summarised thematically, guided by the Scottish Government's '4Ps' framework for tackling violence against women (i.e. participation, prevention, protection, providing services). RESULTS: Seventy literature sources, of 1095 screened, plus 16 individual and 3 group interview sources were included. Several countries have developed promising interventions supporting FGM resistance and recovery. However, gaps remain including community participation, professional knowledge and linkages, and evaluation of approaches. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review is an initial attempt to describe available primary evidence on European initiatives responding to FGM. Further research is required to determine whether interventions are effective, while policy and practice development must be shaped and driven by the experiences, needs, and views of affected communities

Missing from the debate? A qualitative study exploring the role of communities within interventions to address female genital mutilation in Europe.

INTRODUCTION: Public attention on female genital mutilation (FGM) in diaspora communities is increasing in Europe, as health and social welfare implications become better understood. This study explored the role of potentially affected communities within interventions to address FGM in Europe, examining current practices, promising interventions and remaining gaps. METHODS: A qualitative study design incorporated 18 individual key informant interviews and five semistructured group interviews with policy-makers, service providers and community representatives. Data were analysed thematically, guided by the Scottish Government '4Ps' framework for addressing violence against women and girls, that is, prevention, protection, provision of services and participation. RESULTS: Participants emphasised both the importance of community participation and the lack of consistent engagement by policy-makers and practitioners. All indicated that communities had a key role, though most interventions focused on awareness-raising rather than community empowerment, behaviour change or influence on the design, delivery and/or evaluation of interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Despite clear consensus around the need to engage, support and empower potentially affected communities and several examples of meaningful community participation in addressing FGM (eg, REPLACE, REPLACE 2, Ketenaapak, Tackling FGM Initiative), the role of communities remains inconsistent and further engagement efforts are necessary

‘At some points you feel awful because you are going to start again’: The ambiguous role of education in highly skilled refugee women’s integration experiences

Helen Baillot - ORCID: 0000-0003-2848-023X https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2848-023XMarcus Fernandes - ORCID: 0009-0009-4840-1093 https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4840-1093In refugee and migration studies, education has been situated as both a marker of integration and a facilitator of progress in other domains. This paper draws on the accounts of three highly skilled women who have experienced forced migration to highlight some of the ambiguities of education’s role in pathways to social and economic inclusion. A case study approach allows for a detailed and contextual exploration of how intersections of age, caring responsibilities and immigration status influence women’s ability to engage with education. Participants’ accounts confirm that accessing desired and appropriate educational provision can propel people towards their longer-term goals. However, provision that is inaccessible or perceived to be below women’s skill levels can be experienced as exclusionary and demoralising, with attendant impact on women’s perceptions of integration and hopes for the future. Women deploy several strategies to overcome these obstacles, including leveraging existing social connections and re-evaluating their future career pathways. Yet these strategies are not always fully successful. Our findings point towards the need for improved provision for adult refugees and a concerted effort by educational institutions to tackle continuing systemic barriers to education.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (UK2020PR0104).https://doi.org/10.1177/27526461241286896aheadofprintaheadofprin

'I want to participate.' Transition experiences of new refugees in Glasgow

The particular case of transition from the uncertain position of an asylum seeker to a refugee with statutory rights is used to explore the interaction of structure and agency in refugees' lived experience of integration in super-diversity. Analysis draws on data generated through the 'Holistic Integration Service', available to all new refugees in Scotland from 2013 to 2016. Case data from 1885 households, interviews (n-=-24) and focus groups with refugees and service providers (n-=-13) showed that refugees' desire to be independent was thwarted by inaccessible systems that were insensitive to language and cultural barriers, and the cumulative demands of transition. The transition experiences of living in hostels and B&B accommodation; racism; poverty and disruption of social networks undermined effective integration. Evidence suggests that the experiences of transition disrupt settlement and disempower refugees creating a dependency on cultural mediation and advocacy for access to statutory rights and services. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.sch_iih44pub4835pub

Seen But Not Heard?:Parallels and Dissonances in the Treatment of Rape Narratives across the Asylum and Criminal Justice Contexts

A significant proportion of women seeking refugee status in the United Kingdom will claim to have been raped in their country of origin. Even where this is not the sole basis of an asylum claim, it may be relevant to its determination. While criminal justice responses to rape have been the subject of extensive academic criticism and legislative reform, the processes of disclosure and credibility assessment in the asylum context have received little attention. This article explores possible parallels and dissonances in the treatment of rape across the asylum and criminal justice contexts, drawing in particular on the findings of a 2007 pilot study. It considers how problems such as the underreporting of rape, the inability of the victim to ‘tell the story’ in her own words, a hostile adjudicative environment, and the tendency to regard factors such as late disclosure, narrative inconsistency, and calm demeanour with suspicion – may be replicated and compounded in asylum cases. It also acknowledges the complex intersection of race, gender, culture, and nationality in this context

Insights into integration pathways: new Scots and the Holisitic Integration Service

Evaluation report of year two of the Holistic Integration Service, offering up to twelve months support to people who have been granted Refugee Status, Humanitarian Protection, or Discretionary Leave to Remain following an asylum claim in Scotland.sch_iihpub4140pu