Session: Beyond Self-Sufficiency: Examining Economic Integration of Refugees (Society for Social Work and Research 28th Annual Conference - Recentering & Democratizing Knowledge: The Next 30 Years of Social Work Science)

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of refugees who have been forced to flee their homeland due to war, violence, fear of persecution, and human rights violations. The past decade has seen a particularly sharp rise in the population of forcibly displaced individuals, with the global number of refugees more than doubling from 42.7 million to 89.3 million by the end of 2021 (UNHCR, 2019). While refugee resettlement in the United States provides a safe place for refugees to live, it also offers valuable resources to the U.S. economy. However, the current refugee resettlement policy falls short in promoting refugees' long-term economic integration, by prioritizing self-sufficiency over sustainable integration. This symposium aims to closely examine the economic integration of refugees and offer evidence-informed strategies for promoting their successful integration into the U.S. economy.

The study by Naseh and her colleagues aims to differentiate between the concepts of "economic integration" and "self-sufficiency" among refugees in the U.S. To achieve this goal, they conducted a critical and systematic review of the existing literature to develop a comprehensive and multidimensional definition of economic integration based on empirical studies. Their study identified an exhaustive list of indicators related to economic integration including earnings and earnings growth, employment, wealth, health, and others. Developing a comprehensive measure to evaluate the economic integration of refugee populations would be a critical step toward supporting refugees in achieving economic integration and long-term success.

Nam and her colleagues conducted a qualitative inquiry to explore a specific aspect of social and economic integration for refugees: language resources. Their study revealed that community language resources, as well as individual English proficiency, can serve as valuable social, economic, and community resources for refugees. The findings demonstrate needs for considering multiple types of language resources, including the ability to speak non-English languages, community-level language resources, and support from language communities in facilitating refugees' adaptation and resettlement.

After arrival at their resettlement location, many refugees choose to relocate in search of better opportunities and a more suitable environment for their new lives in the host country. While service providers have noticed the phenomenon of secondary migration, there is limited information beyond anecdotal accounts. To address this gap, Kitchens and her colleagues conducted an exploratory study to systematically investigate the issue of relocation among refugee populations. The study examined the determining factors of relocation decisions, including transit options, health care, housing cost, safety, education, employment, and community. The findings revealed three major themes that provide a comprehensive depiction of the decision-making process for refugees considering relocation-- multiple dimensions of home, neighborhood experiences, and access to essential resources. This study provides a unique perspective on the economic integration of refugees, specifically on relocation decisions.