Browsing by Person "Palombo, Gianluca"

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Cricket and Afghan Integration in Scotland: A Case Study
(Queen Margaret University; University of Stirling; the British Academy, 2024-09) Baillot, Helen; Connolly, Michael; Grant, Maggie; Palombo, Gianluca; Shah, Hijab; Taylor, Kieran
This briefing shares findings from a British Academy funded research project conducted in the North and North-East of Scotland. The research examined the way in which cricket has served as a vehicle for the integration of young people from Afghanistan in Scotland. We spoke with cricket club members, local authority representatives and third sector practitioners to build a picture of Afghan young people’s involvement in grassroots cricket. We sought to understand how sport can contribute to processes of integration that involve refugee people and other members of receiving communities.
The Role of Social Connections, Time and Place in Refugees’ Pathways to Inclusion: Final Report 2020 - 2023
(Queen Margaret University, 2023-12) Kerlaff, Leyla; Baillot, Helen; Palombo, Gianluca; Fernandes, Marcus; Vera Espinoza, Marcia
his report outlines overall findings from the ABM3 New Scots: A Pathway to Social and Economic Inclusion Project which was funded by the Asylum Migration Integration Fund (AMIF) and delivered in three phases from October 2020 to December 2023. Here we focus on the third and final phase of the research conducted in 2023 while drawing on learning from Phase 1 (see Baillot et al., 2022) and from Phase 2 (Vidal and Palombo, 2022). More in-depth information is also available in our academic publications (see Käkelä et al., 2023; Vera Espinoza et al., 2023) and our interim reports. The three phases of the project and their respective aims are represented in the Timeline at figure 1. The ABM3 New Scots: Pathways to Social and Economic Inclusion Project is a partnership between researchers based at Queen Margaret University’s Institute for Global Health and Development and three third sector organisations who deliver specialist services: Scottish Refugee Council (integration planning), Workers’ Educational Association (English language assessment and learning) and Bridges Programmes (employability support). These practice partners have engaged with the research team to facilitate data collection, interpret findings and share mutual learning. The research component of the ABM3 project has explored the following research questions: 1. What is the role of social connections in refugees’ pathways to social and economic inclusion? 2. What meaning(s) do refugees ascribe to connections at different stages in their pathways? Building on our learning over the first two phases of the project, and to support our partners to adapt to the needs of their growing and changing client group,1 in the third phase we have focused in on the role of time and place in building social connections towards economic and social inclusion. The research team’s objectives for the project extension period were therefore to: • Explore how time and place impact the social connections that support specific means and markers of integration, including housing and employability; • Analyse the role of place in facilitating social connections between more recently arrived refugee people and more established residents in Scottish Local Authority (LA) areas; and • Discuss the contribution of AMIF partners to participants’ integration journeys. Names used in this report are all pseudonyms, to protect the identity and confidentiality of our participants.
Rupture and liminality: Experiences of Scotland's refugee population during a time of COVID-19 lockdown
(Elsevier, 2023-08-11) Vidal, Nicole L.; Sagan, Olivia; Strang, Alison; Palombo, Gianluca
The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic had profound effects on refugees. In migrating to seek safety, refugees demonstrate resilience, resourcefulness and the ability to adapt to stressful situations. However, social distancing and self-isolation measures greatly impacted these individuals as they stand to risk the most from interruptions to integration. In this paper, we examine the implications of increased loneliness and isolation for refugees’ experiences with integration. We argue, using original interview data, that the demands placed on some refugees through extremely harsh circumstances can leave many even more vulnerable, as was evident in extreme during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The findings of this study pertain to the refugee pandemic experience in relation to loneliness, hopelessness and, more so: agency, resilience and post-traumatic growth. In recognising that rupture and liminality are intrinsically linked to feelings of loneliness, mental wellbeing, or its erosion, the paper demonstrates the complexity of loneliness and its potential to cause long-term damage to mental and physical health. Our findings suggest the importance of an approach to integration that recognises the unique needs of refugees. Where emotionally supportive social networks are weak or absent, it must be a priority to enable meaningful connections with other trusted human beings.
Rupture, loneliness and education: Experiences of refugee and asylum-seeking people
(SAGE Publications, 2024-09-03) Sagan, Olivia; Palombo, Gianluca
This paper explores the intrinsic links between rupture, loneliness, resilience and agency within the experiences of refugee and asylum-seeking people, drawing on a wider study conducted in Scotland during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021. The paper then posits education, in its diverse forms, as a potential anchor, providing a sense of structure, belonging and purpose, thus serving as a bulwark against the negative impacts of rupture and loneliness. The findings presented here are based on 51 semi-structured interviews with people at different stages of the asylum process or with refugee status, offering insights into how educational experiences, both formal and informal, can act as a crucial support system during times of uncertainty and crisis. This exploration contributes to a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by refugee and asylum-seeking people, and the potential of education to foster resilience and integration within host communities.
Support for Scotland’s Afghan refugee people: exploring social connections in Local Authorities with little previous resettlement experience
(Queen Margaret University, 2023) Vidal, Nicole L.; Palombo, Gianluca