Refugee Integration in Canada, Europe, and the United States: Perspectives from Research

Abstract

As the number of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers have grown worldwide, intense debate has emerged about how long and how well they integrate into host countries. Although integration is a complex process, realized differently by different groups at different times, most prior studies capture, at best, disparate parts of the process. Overcoming this limitation is a tall task because it requires data and research that capture how integration is both dynamic and contextual and requires focusing on conceptual issues, emphasizing how integration varies across spatial scales, and including perspectives of the process through the eyes of both scholars and practitioners. This article reviews recent key studies about refugees in Canada, Europe, and the United States, as a way of putting into context the scholarship presented in this special issue of The ANNALS. We analyze whether and how prior studies capture integration as a dynamic process that unfolds in various aspects of life, such as education, employment, and health. We also consider the extent to which prior studies are shaped by long-standing divides between the terms refugee and migrant, and integration and assimilation, and what those divides mean for research on refugee and migrant integration in the twenty-first century. Throughout, we assess the data needed for researchers to address a wide variety of questions about refugee integration and understand the long-term consequences of the ever-growing number of displaced persons seeking refuge. This volume presents research that uniquely enhances our understanding about the breadth of the integration process in the United States, Canada, and European countries.