Journal of International Migration and Integration最新文献

Based on the findings of participatory action research conducted in 2020 and 2021 in Karacabey, Bursa (Turkey), the article aims to offer a critical assessment of the current vocabulary that has become prevalent in Migration Studies such as 'local turn' and 'resilience'. In doing so, the article demonstrates the neoliberal logic of governance of migration and integration of migrants and refugees-a logic that is manifested by the Turkish central state in the form of delegating responsibilities to local actors without an attempt to financially strengthen them. Karacabey encounters various problems similar to many other rural and mountainous places in Europe such as depopulation, aging, emigration, deforestation, deinvestment, reduction of agricultural lands and production, and environmental problems. As the last decade has brought about massive migration of Syrians, the article mostly elaborates on their social, economic, and territorial impacts on Karacabey and Bursa-a region that has been historically exposed to various forms of migration, both international and domestic.

The COVID-19 pandemic and concomitant policy measures have disproportionally affected the lives of migrants worldwide. Focusing on inequalities between social groups, studies have tended to neglect the role of local embeddedness as a factor influencing the extent to which individuals are affected by COVID-19. In this paper, we study the vulnerabilities of people with different migration experiences in an urban setting in the early stages of the pandemic, focusing on three key livelihood assets: economic, social, and human capital (health). Our analyses are based on online survey data (n = 1381) collected among international migrants, second-generation residents (those with at least one parent born abroad), and non-migrants residing in Amsterdam in July 2020. We find that international migrants, and particularly those who arrived in the city more recently, reported larger shocks to their economic and social capital than other city residents. This finding illustrates the vulnerabilities of "newcomers" to the city and their limited resilience to shocks. Second-generation residents were particularly vulnerable in terms of health, but this relationship was strongly mediated by education and neighborhood effects. In all three groups, those with poor relative wealth and those who were self-employed were more vulnerable to economic shocks. Our findings illustrate how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in vulnerabilities across migrant and non-migrant groups, and how those who were locally embedded, including migrants and non-migrants, were less likely to be negatively affected by the pandemic.

Learning the host society's language and finding a job are important steps for the societal integration of refugees. Especially language proficiency is a key barrier for the integration of low literates. Often language training and gaining work skills are separated during the integration procedure. We investigated a 1-year pilot program for refugees with low-literacy levels in the Netherlands, which combined language training (daily classes, work-related language) with work experience in sheltered employment (second-hand shop) to facilitate language learning and prepare this group better for the labour market. Building on Ager and Strang's conceptual integration framework (2008), we expected that this combined program should improve agency (communication strategies, preparedness for the labour market) via intergroup contact at work. We used a mixed-method approach to follow the development of participants (N=10) longitudinally (baseline, after 6 months, after 11 months). We gathered questionnaire data, interviewed teachers and students, and observed interactions in classes and at work. Overall, use of communication strategies increased. Analyzing individual cases (profiles) offered nuanced insights into for whom and why the program seems to have differential impact, especially in terms of labour market preparation. We discuss results and the importance of creating intergroup contact to facilitate integration in a new society.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12134-023-01028-6.

Canada's migration management has been evolving into a two-step model since the 1990s, creating pathways for temporary residents to apply for permanent status through federal and provincial programs. The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it unprecedented challenges but also holds the potential to be a key policy moment to re-imagine Canada's migration future. In this paper, we draw on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 16 Chinese temporary residents, to reveal some of the successes, opportunities, as well as challenges, limitations, and conspicuous cracks in these new policies intended to maintain high levels of immigration during the pandemic and through Canada's post-pandemic recovery. We review some of the recent pandemic-related policy measures that strengthen Canada's current two-step migration model, which created more opportunities for temporary residents within Canadian borders to transition to permanent resident status, while restricting the eligibility of overseas applicants. The lived experiences of Chinese temporary residents can provide useful lessons as Canada determines which pandemic measures to make permanent.