Preventing Social Exclusion of Refugee and Asylum Seeking Children: Building New Networks

Abstract

Research demonstrates the important role of refugees and asylum seekers' social networks in providing both the practical and emotional support necessary to mitigate social exclusion and promote integration within receiving societies. Based on research conducted by the National Evaluation of the Children's Fund, we highlight the barriers to network building for refugee and asylum seeking children and families, and the ways in which Children's Fund strategies and practices are tackling these. Using the ‘Indicators of Integration Framework’ developed by Ager and Strang (2004), we describe the activity of Children's Fund services in relation to the concepts social bonds, social links and social bridges. Such attempts to reduce social exclusion are seen to have limited effectiveness when framed by a government policy context favouring the development of social bridges at the expense of social links and bonds.

Promoting Social Inclusion through Sport for Refugee-Background Youth in Australia: Analysing Different Participation Models

“…Others note the limitations and potential negative effects of exclusive reliance on bonding ties for migrants, arguing that strong ties within disadvantaged communities can contibute to exclusion (Eriksson, 2011;Wakefield & Poland, 2005). Many scholars correspondingly stress the value of bridging capital for providing additional resources to such communities (Ager & Strang, 2008;Beirens, Hughes, Hek, & Spicer, 2007;Field, 2003;Hardwick, 2003;Korac, 2003).…”

Integration through participation: The effects of participating in an English Conversation club on refugee and asylum seeker integration

“…The specific categorisation of a network or support and their respective effects on the individual have been explored throughout many disciplines ranging from sociology and anthropology to politics, psychology, and health sciences. Social networks have been shown to: affect decision-making and migration patterns of refugees (Koser and Pinkerton 2002), highlight refugees' proactive and resourceful nature (Lamba and Krahn 2003), provide a forum in which to share common experiences (Kawachi and Berkman 2001), increase self-confidence and provide a feeling of belonging (Beirens et al 2007), and offer valuable sources for gaining information (Simich et al 2003). Such networks may be transnational in nature, where the refugee/asylum seeker is connected to others from one's country of origin; they may also be local, consisting of members of the host community and refugees/asylum seekers (Williams 2006).…”

“…The types of connections developed in this setting were described as establishing a 'family' network (P1, P3, P5, P9). This resulted in less isolation and greater social inclusion (Simich et al 2003), increased access to knowledge (Williams 2006), and a sense of belonging (Beirens et al 2007). …”

Networks, Connectedness and Resilience: Learning From the Children's Fund in Context

“…Strategies and practices intended to address the factors that contribute to social exclusion need to engage with the different dynamics of exclusion. For example, spatial exclusions are significant for disabled children, Gypsy/Traveller children and children who are refugees or asylum seekers, but both the nature of the process and the appropriate responses are very different Beirens et al, 2006. And as Morrow's (2004) research demonstrates, the experience of place and of friendship are closely linked for children.…”