Social inclusion challenges of refugees: a case study
2018
Millere, J., Latvia Univ. of Life Sciences and Technologies, Jelgava (Latvia) | Dobelniece, S., Latvia Univ. of Life Sciences and Technologies, Jelgava (Latvia)
In recent years, as in other EU countries, the number of asylum seekers and refugees has risen steadily in Latvia. Consequently, great attention is devoted to their inclusion in society. Although there are many policy documents for inclusion policy at EU and national level and different support measures are foreseen, inclusion in the new environment is not easy. The aim of the paper is to highlight the challenges of inclusion asylum seekers and refugees face. The descriptive analysis is based on the literature review. Also an in-depth interview is used to illustrate the problems faced by a refugee family in the process of inclusion. The paper conceptualises the terms of an asylum seeker and a refugee, gives insight into the dimensions and problems of social exclusion and inclusion, and analyses the experience of a Syrian family in case of inclusion into Latvian society. From the interview, it appears that the main problems faced by refugees are the lack of adequate financial resources, lack of awareness of their rights and legislative aspects, and insufficient Latvian language skills for adult family members. The integration of refugees into society is largely influenced by their own motivation as well as the available support.
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