Refugee Experiences of Integration in Foreign Countries

Many people are leaving their homelands to go to foreign countries for employment, a better life, security and protection, or education. People migrate to escape their problems at home but there are always new problems that they have to deal with when they get to a new country. Whether migrating legally or illegally, these migrants and refugees often have difficulty integrating and becoming a part of the community in the destination country.

According to recent studies, the most common problems new migrants and refugees have are:

1.      Communicating because they lack the language skills;

2.      Difficulties finding an adequate job and suitable housing;

3.      Having foreign credentials/qualifications recognized; and,

4.      Building a social network because of cultural differences.

Many people migrate for economic reasons, believing that there is a job for them in a foreign country. However finding a job in a foreign country is not easy. A study in Australia found that many refugees were forced to work in low-paid jobs because of discrimination and barriers to participation, such as a lack of local work experience and the fact that educational qualifications in poorer countries are not recognized in foreign destinations. The study said that the challenges they faced were so bad, that many found it “extremely difficult to go on with day-to-day living”.

Also, while some migrants are lucky enough to get a job and earn more than they would in their home country, they also have to spend more to survive. In 2006, half of the refugees in Australia earned less than $250 per week. This may sound like a lot of money but the cost of living in Australia is high. In 2010 Sydney was ranked as the 24^th most expensive city in the world. The cost of bread in the Australia is $2.50, which is 2,746 Tomans or 120 Afghanis. Lamb is $16 per kilo, which is 17,579 Tomans or 760 Afghanis. That is not even considering other important living expenses. The Australian Bureau of Statistics found in 2010 that average housing costs were $223 per week, 245,010 Tomans or 10,592 Afghanis.

The UK is another popular destination for refugees and migrants, attracting thousands of people each year. The UK Home office interviewed refugees on their experiences of integration.

One refugee said: “I think the first barrier is language barrier. I hadn’t any help even with someone who knows English and my language. Even in the shops – when they didn’t give change in the shops. For us to explain it was so difficult”.

Refugees also worried about unfriendly and racist attitudes in the community.

“You can feel you are settled in but they say, `you foreigners…. Go home’ again; they don’t say `Hello’ not warm, not friendly.”

“[They were] hitting me with a ball… calling me names, you know and you are talking about children of 10 going down. Calling me names, telling me, ‘Go back to your country!’ cursing and talking funny and … you just don’t know what to do”.

To stay out of trouble and keep safe refugees sometimes have to isolate themselves from the community.

“I have not made any effort so far to try and talk to neighbors or do anything about that because I don’t want trouble… where I lived before here, I learned to keep to myself because that way you avoid trouble”.

A wide range of factors support and undermine the process of integration. These include social factors such as the characteristics of refugees (ability to speak the foreign language) and the characteristics of the wider community (such as the level of racism and discrimination towards foreigners). Economic factors such as employment and income also affect a refugee’s ability to integrate. People think that life in foreign countries must be better and easier than life at home, but life is not easy anywhere in the world.