Under the umbrella of ‘integration from day one’
By: Isra Syed Hussain
Tags: Open Scholarship, Politics, Refugees, Integration, Sociology

Thank you for your initial thoughts regarding my preliminary research paper, Micah! I’ve decided to frame my response post as a Q&A based on some of the questions you asked.

To begin, though, I’d like to address the “unlingo-ed abstract” you created. One note I would add to your abstract is that interviews with individuals in Vienna have extended past learning the long term effects of accommodations made for Bosnian refugees, to also including the general practicality of those accommodations in today’s vastly different political environment.

One large theme that I’ve extracted from my interviews and have used to frame my project is the concept of ‘integration from day one’. This refers to the intricate system of services being made available from the day individuals register in a host country to begin the asylum process, rather than waiting for a positive asylum decision to begin services such as language courses and skills training. Using this frame clarifies my broader research intent: to understand how initial accommodations can affect long-term integration.

Here are my responses to some of your questions:

Q: ‘As an information scientist, a question that I’d be interested in is what do societies say/produce/express about refugees and how does that impact their integration into labor markets?’

A: I’m happy you asked this question. One of the larger themes I’ve uncovered through this research has been how effective social sector collaborations can help to mitigate damaging effects of public perception. Since 2015 especially, there have been harmful portrayals of refugees in national media, adding to heightened xenophobia that affects refugees’ ability to enter the labor market. Once I’ve finished my data collection, I will update results to include practical ways in which civil society in Vienna is working to improve public perception.

Q: In response to my usage of the term ‘co-ethnic’ contacts, Micah asks: ‘I’ve never seen this term, but assume it means finding work by associating with the same/similar ethnic communities already in Austria?’

A: You are correct: “co-ethnic” contacts refer to individuals within similar ethnic communities in Austria. These individuals relate to the concept of bonding social capital, namely, the community one can rely on in the host society based on similar ethnic/linguistic characteristics.

Q: In my paper, I write: “This study aims to provide support and recommendations for policies that initiate the rapid integration of asylum seekers into host societies, based on results and perspectives of Austria’s policies to integrate Bosnians in the 1990s…’ Micah asks: ‘I’d like to know, if you were to make these recommendations today, at the beginning of the study, what would they be?’

A: Thinking back to when I first wrote my research proposal in the summer of 2017 during the Fulbright application process, I had a few ideas in mind already. In 2016, I had studied social/cultural integration of unaccompanied minors in Barcelona and left with one huge takeaway: the lack of collaboration between NGOs working on common goals. At this point, I knew that the Bosnian refugee community in Austria was seen as a hallmark of success in the migration world, yet I had the suspicion that research would indicate a lack of cross-sector and social sector collaboration. This is the main recommendation that I had at the beginning of my study, and one that has held true.

As I wrap up my data collection and weed out common themes, I’ve been thinking about how I’m going to bring all of this knowledge back to the U.S. The first challenge in my transition back to the states will be to gain a better understanding of current policies and procedures for asylum in the U.S. I was just reading about how the Trump administration is threatening to restrict vital services for migrant youth, and so making the connection between my investigation here in Austria to the issues we are facing in America could not be more important.

I’d like to end this post with a call to action: I would love to utilize your skills as a librarian, Micah. Could you help me compile information on asylum procedures in the U.S.?

For this, I have some questions in mind:

What are the steps to gaining legal refugee status in the U.S.?

What is the average time asylum seekers spend waiting for their asylum decisions?

What services does the government provide to asylum seekers during the waiting period?

I would be interested in learning more generally about the steps to working legally in the U.S. as well.

A question for a later time would be investigating public-private partnerships that have formed to tackle issues within our system’s migration process (such as the Tent Partnership for Refugees)? I hope the scope of these questions isn’t too broad, and would be grateful for your help in compiling a detailed summer reading list!