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Migration-Refugee Policies and Socioeconomics, Well-Being and Sustainable Outcomes

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability in Geographic Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 34525

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Nick Drydakis

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Guest Editor

Centre for Pluralist Economics, Faculty of Business and Law, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK
Interests: population; labour and health economics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

A major challenge is how to sustainably handle the increased numbers of migrants and refugees (Albakri and Shibli, 2019; Dubus, 2018; Al-Husban and Adam, 2016). Target 10.7 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets directly addresses migration by stating: “Facilitate orderly, safe, and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.” Policies that fail to guarantee essential services to migrants/refugees undermine universal health coverage and the UN’s global pledge in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to “leave no-one behind” (Gostin et al., 2019). Employment and education policies are vital to the integration and sustainability of migrant/refugee communities (Albakri and Shibli, 2019). Integration is associated with migrants’ income, wages, and well-being (Drydakis, 2012; 2013). However, unemployment and economic struggles can affect both physical and mental health, and integration (Drydakis, 2015; 2012; 2013). Moreover, superdiversity brings positive social and economic benefits such as productivity and innovation when welcoming communities and economies (Spoonley, 2014). However, racism can equally challenge migrant integration (Drydakis, 2017).

In the Special Issue, we are interested in presenting original primary research on policies facilitating migrant and refugee needs. Such an approach could spur sustainable economic development on both the micro and the macro level, namely, individuals and economies. The Special Issue examines policies, frameworks, initiatives, humanitarian actions, public administration, and technological advancements that could affect (i) migrant and refugee well-being, human capital, employment, housing, health/mental status, and entrepreneurship; and (ii) societies’ sustainable development in terms of superdiversity, innovation, and economic growth.

This Special Issue invites high-quality contributions that include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

Migration/refugee policies, public administration, and migrant/refugee well-being and socioeconomic outcomes.
Education, vocational training, and migrant/refugee well-being and socioeconomic outcomes.
Humanitarian actions, and migrant/refugee well-being and socioeconomic outcomes.
Technology, and migrant/refugee well-being and socioeconomic outcomes.
Migration/refugee policies and superdiversity.
Migration/refugee policies, and migrant entrepreneurship and innovation.
Migration/refugee policies and racism.
Migration/refugee policies and host countries’ performance (GDP, growth, employment levels, wages, income).
Policies (or lack thereof) negatively affecting the capacity of migrants and refugees to progress and make economic contributions.

References

Albakri, T. Z. and Shibli, R. (2019). How to Improve Sustainability: The Critical Role of Education for Syrian Refugees. Development in Practice, 29(5): 662–669.

Al-Husban, M. and Adams, C. Sustainable Refugee Migration: A Rethink Towards a Positive Capability Approach. Sustainability, 8: 451.

Dubus, N. (2018) Integration or Building Resilience: What Should the Goal Be in Refugee Resettlement? Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies, 16(4): 413–429.

Drydakis, N. (2012). Ethnic Identity and Immigrants’ Wages in Greece. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 36(3): 389–402.

Drydakis, N. (2013). The Effect of Ethnic Identity on the Employment of Immigrants. Review of Economics of the Household, 11(2): 285–308.

Drydakis, N. (2015). The Effect of Unemployment on Self-Reported Health and Mental Health in Greece from 2008 to 2013: A Longitudinal Study Before and During the Financial Crisis. Social Science and Medicine, 128, 43–51.

Drydakis, N. (2017). Measuring Labour Differences between Natives, Non-Natives, and Natives with an Ethnic-Minority Background. Economics Letters, 161: 27–30.

Gostin, O. L. Abubakar, I. Guerra, R. Rashid, F. S. Friedman, A. E. and Jakab, Z. (2019). WHO Takes Action to Promote the Health of Refugees and Migrants. The Lancet, 393(10185): P2016–2018.

Spoonley, P. (2014). Superdiversity, Social Cohesion, and Economic Benefits. IZA World of Labor No.46. Bonn: IZA World of Labor.

Dr. Nick Drydakis
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

migrants
refugees
public policies
well-being
inclusion
technology
sustainability
development

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2202 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceCommunication

Sustainable Livelihood for Displaced Rohingyas and Their Resilience at Bhashan Char in Bangladesh

by Md. Monirul Islam, Aparna Barman, Makidul Islam Khan, Gour Gobinda Goswami, Bulbul Siddiqi and Sharif A. Mukul

Sustainability 2022, 14(10), 6374; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14106374 - 23 May 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4817

Abstract

The livelihood sustainability of the Rohingya refugees relocated in Bhashan Char, Bangladesh, has been questioned by various international stakeholders due to the remoteness and perceived vulnerabilities of the island. The Bangladesh government, a few international organizations, and some non-government organizations are working on developing livelihood opportunities in there. But there is scarce study about the livelihood opportunities and challenges of the Rohingyas living there. This study explores the vulnerabilities and livelihood opportunities of Rohingyas in Bhashan Char so as to help increase their resilience. The vulnerabilities include natural, geographical, and climatic shocks and stresses (e.g., cyclone, floods, storm surge, sea-level rise, geographical position). However, there are ample opportunities for their livelihood development, despite some challenges which can be overcome with concerted efforts. The opportunities include intensification and extensification of livelihood activities, such as modern agriculture, fish farming, livestock rearing, small business, handicraft, fishing net mending, crab fattening, biofloc aquaculture, and fish cage culture, but turning these opportunities into reality requires sufficient investment and internationally positive attitude. Better shelter, better disaster preparedness, cultural practices, education, and skill development can increase their capacity to bounce back, absorb shocks, and make them more resilient. National and international humanitarian organizations should plan to enhance the resilience of the Rohingya communities living in Bhashan Char and the island itself so that they can sustain in the long run, even after their anticipated repatriation to Myanmar. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migration-Refugee Policies and Socioeconomics, Well-Being and Sustainable Outcomes)

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23 pages, 943 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Improving Entrepreneurs’ Digital Skills and Firms’ Digital Competencies through Business Apps Training: A Study of Small Firms

by Nick Drydakis

Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4417; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14084417 - 07 Apr 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3625

Abstract

The lack of awareness of digital services and outcomes is a concern in business environments since small firms need to improve their digital competencies. The present exploratory study investigated whether business apps training was associated with entrepreneurs’ and firms’ digital advancements. The business apps training was offered to migrant entrepreneurs running small firms in Athens (Greece) over three months, with data collected before and after the training. The analysis revealed that business apps training was positively associated with entrepreneurs’ attitudes toward technology, willingness to change (relating to technology/skills/operations), and internet/digital skills, as well as an increased use of business apps. Moreover, the training was positively associated with firms’ digital competencies related to communication, networking, social media, customer relationship management, payments, accounting and finance, and project management operations. Furthermore, business apps training was positively associated with migrant entrepreneurs’ integration into Greek society. Given the increased number of migrants in Europe, factors that positively impact their entrepreneurship and integration merit consideration. The study provides researchers with a systematic method for evaluating the association between business app training and entrepreneurs’ and firms’ digital advancements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migration-Refugee Policies and Socioeconomics, Well-Being and Sustainable Outcomes)

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21 pages, 11630 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Feedback Loops and Facilitation: Catalyzing Transformational Multi-Stakeholder Refugee Response Partnerships

by Jaime Moreno-Serna, Teresa Sánchez-Chaparro, Leda Stott, Javier Mazorra, Ruth Carrasco-Gallego and Carlos Mataix

Sustainability 2021, 13(21), 11705; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su132111705 - 22 Oct 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2602

Abstract

Global policies such as the recent ‘Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework’ call for a profound transformation in refugee response. To this end, collaboration with non-traditional humanitarian actors, particularly the private sector has been advocated. The application of new multi-stakeholder partnerships that transcend traditional dyadic relationships have been commended by practitioners for their ability to create stable services and markets in refugee camps. However, the adaptation of multi-stakeholder partnership models to the novelties of refugee response and the dynamics among partners in these complex arrangements requires more attention. This paper explores how the creation and development of multi-stakeholder partnerships can maximize the transformational potential of collaboration for refugee response, ensure the stakeholder diversity needed to provide basic services on a stable basis, and provide a facilitation function that supports the partnership. Using an action-case methodology, the focus of the article is on the Alianza Shire, Spain’s first multi-stakeholder partnership for humanitarian action, which was established to provide energy to refugee camps and host communities in refugee camps in northern Ethiopia. Our findings suggest that (i) the active participation of aid agencies in the co-creation process of a multi-stakeholder partnership may increase the transformational potential of refugee response, (ii) feedback loops and the consolidation of internal learning are essential practices for the effective management of complex multi-stakeholder partnerships, and (iii) the facilitator plays a critical and underexplored role in refugee response collaborative arrangements. In addition, sustainability-oriented university centers may possess a particular capacity for nurturing the transformational potential of multi-stakeholder refugee response partnerships by generating ‘safe spaces’ that foster trust-building, providing a cross-sector ‘translation’ service, and affording the legitimacy and expert knowledge required to conduct learning processes. We believe that the theoretical and practical implications of our research may contribute to the effective fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals, specially, SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG17 (Partnership for the Goals). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migration-Refugee Policies and Socioeconomics, Well-Being and Sustainable Outcomes)

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19 pages, 2214 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

What Makes Me Want You Here? Refugee Integration in a Zambian Settlement Setting

by Steven Gronau and Brigitte Ruesink

Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8380; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13158380 - 27 Jul 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2824

Abstract

Many of the world’s refugees remain in Africa, where they stay long-term, mainly in neighboring countries. The present directions point to integration, in which the host society and the political surroundings play a key role. This paper aims to investigate the ways in which public opinion towards and contact with refugees support integration processes. We apply this research to a settlement setting in rural Zambia, a recent dataset of 275 households from 2018, and an econometric analysis. This is the first study dealing with a set of factors that affect the hosts’ opinion towards and contact with refugees in an African settlement context, and with respect to the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework produced by the United Nations. Our results show, particularly, the religiosity, group membership, life satisfaction, food insecurity, agricultural ownership and natural resource uses of the host society to be the main factors that need policy consideration for the promotion of refugee integration. Stakeholders dealing in host–refugee settings and seeking for durable solutions should roll out community programs to address threat perceptions and interaction improvements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migration-Refugee Policies and Socioeconomics, Well-Being and Sustainable Outcomes)

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16 pages, 1547 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Syrian Refugees’ Integration Policies in Jordanian Labor Market

by Ahmad AlShwawra

Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7234; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13137234 - 28 Jun 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3808

Abstract

The Government of Jordan declared that there are more than one million Syrian refugees in Jordan while UNHCR statistics show that the number is about 700,000. Nonetheless, it is still a large problem for Jordan, especially since there is no real solution that seems to be looming on the horizon for the Syrian crisis. Consequently, that means that those refugees’ stay in Jordan is indefinite. This fact requires Jordan to work towards solutions to avoid the warehousing of those refugees in camps and to integrate them in Jordanian community to ease their stay in Jordan. To achieve that integration, Jordan must facilitate the Syrians’ access to the Jordanian labor market so they can achieve self-reliance. In February 2016, donors gathered in London for the ‘Supporting Syria and the Region’ conference, known as the London Conference, to mobilize funding for the needs of the people affected by the Syrian crisis. In that conference, Jordan pledged to facilitate Syrian refugees’ access to the labor market. This paper will study the process of Syrian integration in Jordanian society by discussing the policies and the procedures that Jordan has developed to facilitate the Syrians’ access to the labor market. The event study method combined with interviews and desk research were used to evaluate the new policies and procedures developed to facilitate this access. It was found that Jordan succeeded in creating a legal and procedural environment that facilitates Syrians’ access to formal jobs, and the Syrians went a long way toward integration in Jordan. Nonetheless, they are still not fully integrated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migration-Refugee Policies and Socioeconomics, Well-Being and Sustainable Outcomes)

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14 pages, 595 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prejudice towards Immigrants: The Importance of Social Context, Ideological Postulates, and Perception of Outgroup Threat

by Macarena Vallejo-Martín, Jesús M. Canto, Jesús E. San Martín García and Fabiola Perles Novas

Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4993; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13094993 - 29 Apr 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2977

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed a rise in support for political parties with an anti-immigration sentiment and nationalistic rhetoric as their distinguishing traits. Within this context, our study, through a survey, analyses the relation of prejudice toward immigrants with ideological postulates of right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance and outgroup threat. With a sample of 247 individuals (54.7% men and 45.3% women), our results reveal that positions favouring right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance and perception of realistic and symbolic threat have an influence on negative attitudes toward immigrants. At the same time, greater prejudice is found in those individuals scoring high in authoritarianism and symbolic threat. These results confirm, on one hand, the dual process motivation model of ideology and prejudice, and on the other, the bifactor structure of outgroup threat. As a conclusion, we propose that in order to foment peaceful coexistence and reduce hostility towards minority groups within today’s social context, it is important to consider the relevance of ideological postulates and outgroup threat. It is a priority to design public policies that favour the inclusion and integration of minority groups with the goal of building more sustainable societies that respect human rights. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migration-Refugee Policies and Socioeconomics, Well-Being and Sustainable Outcomes)

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18 pages, 2215 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring Migration Hold Factors in Climate Change Hazard-Prone Area Using Grounded Theory Study: Evidence from Coastal Semarang, Indonesia

by Choirul Amin, Sukamdi Sukamdi and Rijanta Rijanta

Sustainability 2021, 13(8), 4335; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13084335 - 13 Apr 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3158

Abstract

Though those who stay put in climate change hazard-prone areas are an intriguing subject of research, only a small number of empirical works specifically targeted these populations. Hence, the drivers of immobility in disaster-prone areas remain understudied and inadequately theorized. In response to these gaps, this contribution locates environmental immobility. The study aims to construct a theoretical model and examine the model through the evidence from the fishing community on the coast of Semarang, one of the areas most severely affected by tidal inundation in Semarang, namely Kampong Tambak Lorok. Using the study of in-depth substantial interviews from 24 participants, we use the grounded theory method to construct a theoretical model. The findings show that the grounded theory’s coding process generated 18 initial concepts, eight main categories, and four core categories. It explores some of the reasons why populations continue to stay, even in the face of environmental degradation. There were two following conclusions: (1) Populations who stay put in disaster-prone areas are held by place attachment, family ties, social ties, and occupational ties. (2) Migration hold factors generate immobility by resisting the forces of migration push factor. The study meaningfully incorporates the migration hold factors as one of the drivers of immobility and enhances the field of environmental immobility theory, migration theory, and environmental migration research. Besides, some policy suggestions are provided as a result of the research findings. For future study, this research also offers a reference for exploring theoretical models of migration hold factors in other regions and countries with different environmental degradation settings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migration-Refugee Policies and Socioeconomics, Well-Being and Sustainable Outcomes)

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21 pages, 3130 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Socioeconomic Status Changes of the Host Communities after the Rohingya Refugee Influx in the Southern Coastal Area of Bangladesh

by S M Asik Ullah, Kazuo Asahiro, Masao Moriyama and Masakazu Tani

Sustainability 2021, 13(8), 4240; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13084240 - 11 Apr 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4838

Abstract

The refugee influx from Myanmar, known as Rohingya refugees, is a serious concern for global refugee issues. Bangladesh currently hosts one million Rohingya refugees in the coastal district of Cox’s Bazar. Considering the number of the refugees, in addition to the humanitarian concerns, they are also creating pressure on the local host communities. This study explored the socioeconomic changes of the host communities after the refugee influx. In order to fulfill this study’s objectives, 35 villages near the Rohingya refugee camps from the coastal district of Bangladesh were surveyed. In the villages, 10% of households were surveyed in 2016 and also in 2020, covering 1924 and 2265 households, respectively. A temporal comparison of the host community’s socioeconomic status between 2016 and 2020 was conducted in order to determine the changes after the recent refugee influx. This study found that the local community’s socioeconomic status degraded. The annual income decreased by 24%, which is unusual for a country with over 6% gross domestic product (GDP) growth in recent times. The income decreased from all livelihood options except farming, which could be related to the availability of cheap labor and the high demand for commodities. The villages were clustered using k-means, and 20 villages were found to be affected after the refugee influx with degraded socioeconomic status. The host community’s general perception was initially positive, but later turned negative toward the refugees. This study will be important for the government and donor agencies to develop strategies to properly manage the refugee camps and adjacent host communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migration-Refugee Policies and Socioeconomics, Well-Being and Sustainable Outcomes)

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14 pages, 313 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Self-Categorising and Othering in Migrant Integration: The Case of Entrepreneurs in Berlin

by Lubna Rashid and Silvia Cepeda-García

Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 2145; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13042145 - 17 Feb 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3800

Abstract

The economic integration of migrants has become increasingly prioritised by European governments. However, Europe’s colonial past and orientalist narratives have contributed to the inevitable othering of migrants, even in the minds of those with the best of intentions. Guided by the self-categorisation theory, we postulate that those involved in supporting migrants to integrate in European societies implicitly categorise them as an out-group, potentially leading to suboptimal integration outcomes and the (inadvertent) exclusion of the very migrants they attempt to integrate. A case study of migrant entrepreneurship support initiatives in Berlin is illustrated as a qualitative, empirical example, providing some evidence for those arguments. The paper concludes with recommendations for practitioners and suggestions for further research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migration-Refugee Policies and Socioeconomics, Well-Being and Sustainable Outcomes)

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