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This study examines how institutional logics interplay in a cross-sector social partnership that manages refugee integration in a rural district in Germany. In an inductive 15-month case study that drew on interviews and observations, we observe the dynamic materialization of institutional logics in day-to-day practices and an increasing contradiction and even rivalry between community- and market-based institutional logics over time. As a result, we delineate a model explaining the interplay of institutional logics along two dimensions: the dominance of one salient logic and whether conflicts arise among logics. Our analysis also addresses the unifying properties of community as an institutional logic, especially in the context of urgency conditions. In addition, we show the influence of exogenous events and their media coverage on the interplay and conflicts of institutional logics. By unfolding the complexity of refugee integration—one of the global grand challenges of the present—we deepen the current understanding of the specific challenges addressed by cross-sector social partnerships.

Type of the article: Research Article AbstractThis study examines whether participation in targeted higher education courses is associated with differences in perceived social integration among refugees. Using survey data from 255 Ukrainian refugees in Norway (93 program participants and 162 non-participants), the study applies one-way ANOVA to compare value orientations, perceived well-being, and integration barriers and facilitators across groups. The findings indicate that participants report significantly higher levels of well-being and more positive assessments of education-related integration supports compared to non-participants. Differences in civic value priorities, including freedom, human rights, and equality, are positive but not consistently statistically significant, while dignity remains uniformly high across both groups. The results suggest that participation in structured higher education courses enhances refugees’ perceptions of professional development opportunities and future prospects. The expanding access to higher education and reducing institutional barriers may enhance long-term integration outcomes beyond immediate labor market activation. Overall, the study highlights the role of higher education institutions as institutional contributors to integration and suggests that educational initiatives can complement traditional language-based integration policies.

This study examines the challenges and opportunities to educational access for refugees and asylum seekers in Bulgaria amid the ongoing mixed migration inflows to the European Union. Considering the country’s ongoing demographic crisis, including the constantly declining number of students at the university level, this paper identifies critical gaps between legal entitlements and practical implementation in their access to education. The study argues that the inclusion of beneficiaries of international protection in the education system in Bulgaria remains limited due to administrative and capacity shortcomings, and an overall lack of political will. It further underscores the pivotal role of education in facilitating successful integration and outlines advanced targeted policy recommendations to address these systemic shortcomings, including any disparities in treatment among the various groups of individuals granted international protection.

Taking the case of the Netherlands, we compare integration outcomes of the traditional asylum reception system (implementing the Refugee Convention), applied to, for example, Syrians and Afghans, and the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) which is applied to Ukrainians. We show that the TPD is not just less costly for receiving countries but also results in much faster labor market integration. While rapid integration is an important policy goal, the traditional asylum system is not effective, and talents are underutilized. We show how spatial and temporal aspects of the asylum procedures for Common European Asylum System (CEAS) refugees lead to slow integration, while Ukrainians under TPD work immediately and can build connections in Dutch society.

The aim of this paper is to analyse the definition of the new 'buzzword' of Social Business in general, as well as to analyse its contribution to the refugee integration and touch upon their challenges and barriers they encounter. In the past few years, Austria has witnessed a massive increase in the number of asylum-seeking refugees, which has sparked a heated debate about the methods of their integration process. Politicians have proposed several measures, still problems such as social inclusion or effective and targeted integration into the labor market have remained untouched. In order to answer the research questions, this study applies the qualitative method and is based on both primary and secondary data. The data is gathered from 10 interviews of social businesses in the field of refugee integration in Austria. Based upon this finding, it is of the utmost importance that social businesses garner the attention of the government and policies which should support their creation and development.

Refugee integration, one long-term solution to the large number of people fleeing their home countries, constitutes a challenge for both refugees and host societies. ICT and especially online peer groups seem promising to support this process. Building on literature demonstrating the societal benefits of peer groups, this paper proposes a novel peer-group-based approach to address refugee integration and introduces both an online and offline realization. A randomized field experiment in cooperation with public (refugee) services and a non-governmental organization makes it possible to expand existing research by quantitatively demonstrating societal benefits of online peer groups and ICT for refugee integration. Further, this paper is the first to assess the effectiveness of online and offline peer groups in one experimental setup comparatively. Results show that peer groups provide substantial value with respect to the integration domains social bridges, social bonds, rights and citizenship as well as safety and stability. While the outcome of the various integration domains differs for online and offline peer groups, participants’ adoption rates were higher for online peer groups.

In accordance with international human rights commitments, individuals with a refugee background have the right to mental health services that are available, accessible, acceptable, and of good quality. However, refugee-background individuals living in Aotearoa New Zealand experience a myriad of barriers at the individual, community, and policy level that impede access to appropriate mental health services. This commentary puts forward the argument that the incorporation of a human rights-based approach to mental healthcare service at a policy level is essential for reducing barriers to care and increasing the accessibility of mental health services. The article provides key recommendations for reforming the current New Zealand Refugee Resettlement Strategy (NZRRS) to include rights-based indicators for children and youth, to monitor accessibility relative to geographic location, to disaggregate data, to extend the 12-month monitoring period and to extend monitoring beyond one mental health visit. Further research is needed to understand how best to implement these recommendations and develop insight into how Aotearoa New Zealand can more effectively uphold the rights of refugee-background individuals with the ultimate goal of developing a mental health system that is more inclusive and responsive to their needs.

Globally, resettlement is considered one of the most durable solutions for refugees. The UK has introduced a Community Sponsorship Scheme that enables communities to resettle refugee families providing them with enhanced integration support aided by volunteers. This paper investigates the nature of integration support that sponsored refugees receive utilising the analytical framework of UK’s Indicators of Integration (IoI). Data was collected from interviews with refugee adults resettled in diverse and less diverse areas. Our findings illustrate the importance of support given by volunteer groups to enable access to resources and connections. We establish that there is much potential for sponsorship programmes to add value to refugee support suggesting that the current expansion of sponsorship from its Canadian roots may help facilitate refugee integration. However, further research is needed to uncover the long-term experiences of sponsored refugees and to compare their outcomes to those of forced migrants arriving via different mechanisms.

This study explores the lived experiences of Ukrainian refugee mothers who have resettled in Norway under the temporary collective protection scheme. In particular, the research investigates how structural integration mechanisms, psychosocial well-being, and individual aspirations intersect in shaping adaptation processes. A qualitative design was adopted, using semi-structured interviews with ten Ukrainian refugee mothers residing across different Norwegian municipalities. Analysis was conducted within a critical-realist and contextualist stance using reflexive thematic analysis, with attention to both systemic constraints and agentic responses. Three overarching themes were identified. First, captures participants' frustrations with the one-size-fits-all integration model, with particular emphasis on language barriers and the non-recognition of pre-migration professional qualifications. Second, reflects the psychological distress associated with temporary protection status, ongoing uncertainty, and dependency on welfare mechanisms. Third, highlights a future-oriented stance marked by resilience, maternal responsibility, and appreciation for Norwegian safety and values. The findings demonstrate that while Ukrainian refugee mothers in Norway face significant institutional and psychological challenges, they also exhibit high levels of motivation and adaptive resilience. Structural barriers compound feelings of liminality and hinder full participation in Norwegian society.

This study investigates the impact of historical and ideological continuities in Turkey’s migration policies on contemporary attitudes toward Syrian refugees. It examines how ethnic homogenization and discrimination, rooted in the foundation of the Turkish Republic, continue to shape public perceptions and policy frameworks. The research is based on qualitative methodologies, including 41 semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted between July and December 2021 with Syrian refugees and Turkish community members residing in Altındağ, Mamak, and Ümitköy districts of Ankara. Participants were purposively selected to provide diverse perspectives on social integration and identity formation. The findings reveal a shift from initial acceptance under religious solidarity to increasing exclusion, driven by nationalist rhetoric. Despite official claims of promoting multiculturalism, Turkish policies and societal attitudes often reinforce prejudices, fostering a socio-political environment where racial and ethnic biases persist.