The Role of Social Connections, Time and Place in Refugees’ Pathways to Inclusion: Final Report 2020 - 2023

Abstract

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.