Refugee Integration: Research Perspectives to Inform Practice 12 October 2015 The Syrian context and family life in refugee camps and settlements

Pre-Fligh t Temporary Settlement Flight Institute for Global Health and Development Critical Thinking. Practical Engagement. Social Justice. Repatriation Local Integration Resettlement

Pre-Fligh t Temporary Settlement Flight Institute for Global Health and Development Critical Thinking. Practical Engagement. Social Justice. Repatriation Local Integration Resettlement Protracted Displacement Leave to Remain ?

Pre-Fligh t Temporary Settlement Flight Institute for Global Health and Development Critical Thinking. Practical Engagement. Social Justice. Repatriation Local Integration Resettlement Protracted Displacement Leave to Remain ?

Pre-Fligh t More than 220,000 people are estimated to have been killed in Syria since 2010 Average life expectancy in the country has been reduced from 76 years to less than 56 years. Some 9 million Syrians have fled their homes Increased levels of poverty, soaring unemployment, and limited access to food, water, sanitation, housing, health care and education, have all had a devastating impact on the population

More than 4 million Syrians have sought refuge in immediately neighbouring countries, initially in refugee camps but increasingly within urban settlements across the region Nearly half of children report symptoms that indicate mental health difficulties Flight “hunkered down for years in their homes as the destruction and violence all around them daily informed the calculus of whether to flee into the unknown with nothing was preferable to the insecure, diminished reality of their current lives”

Agencies such as such as Save the Children, Mercy Corps, Islamic Relief Worldwide, World Vision etc. are prominent in providing assistance in shelter, food, clothing, and healthcare. There is increasing concern about children and youth regarding disruption of education, engagement in child labour and vulnerability to abuse and neglect New arrivals continue to seek protection in the region, but many families have faced cramped living conditions, lack of privacy, family separation and lack of employment for up to 4 years. Temporary Settlement This support is in conjunction with, or augmented by, local community organizations, including faith- based groups and other civil society partners.

“I personally think that loss and grief are central issues for most refugees. They may grieve for deceased family members but also for emotional, relational, or material losses. The emotional problems related to the past are often compounded by daily stressors of living in chronic adversity due to forced migration and lack of basic needs. On top of that, the social fabric is torn apart by the conflict, and many Syrian families have become isolated from their usual support structures such as family, friends, and community.” Peter Ventevogel, Senior Mental Health Officer, UNHCR, The Lancet, September Linkage of multiple losses

Institute for Global Health and Development Critical Thinking. Practical Engagement. Social Justice. Syrians have faced extraordinary levels of violence, loss and disruption Years of facing fear, bereavement, and uncertainty have preceded the decision to flee Many refugees will have moved multiple times – between and within camps and urban communities – subsequent to their initial flight While Jordan and Lebanon have been extraordinarily hospitable in receiving refugees (seeing an increase of population by more than 30%) crowding, spiraling costs etc. have created local tensions As a result of these factors, refugees coming to the UK are likely to need support which recognizes: Their need for community and social connectedness following long periods of disruption Their skills and capacities which they have been unable to exercise for an extended period The major disruption of schooling – for up to 4 years – experienced by most children Key points for action

The Syrian context and family life in refugee camps and settlements Institute for Global Health and Development Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh Refugee Integration: Research Perspectives to Inform Practice 12 October 2015