Little by Little: Exploring the Impact of Social Acceptance on Refugee Integration into Host Communities

"It is very difficult here. There is discrimination, so people get to know you little by little." - Male Colombian refugee

This study from Catholic Relief Services (CRS) explores the multifaceted ways - economic, political, social, and developmental - in which the lives of members of host communities are affected by refugees. Developing countries bear a disproportionate burden of hosting refugees: 88% of refugees stay in low- and middle-income countries (Center for Global Development and the International Rescue Committee, 2017). In these contexts, stereotypes held about refugees can be exacerbated by perceptions of both competition between communities over finite resources and support and the impact of refugees on the economy. The study elucidates a variety of tools and means for donors, practitioners, and host governments to foster social acceptance and relationships between members of both communities.

The main components viewed as critical to integration are: housing, employment, language, family unification, social networks and cohesion, political and civic participation, health, and education. To better understand how local integration plays out within communities, particularly the process of social integration, CRS contracted the research firm Causal Design to undertake a three-country qualitative study. This investigation consisted of a series of focus group discussions and key informant interviews with community members (host and refugee), practitioners, government and United Nations (UN) officials, and leaders from civil society in Ecuador, India, and Jordan.

The research found that the process of settling in a new place and the role of social connections in informing and facilitating that process is universal. What amplifies the importance of those connections for refugees living outside camps is that their ability to survive, and ideally thrive, depends on establishing new relationships with the host community. While promoting social integration does not directly address an immediate survival need, it can facilitate access to other components of the integration process, such as housing and employment, and potentially improve outcomes such as mental health. Creating opportunities for refugees to contribute to and engage with the host country also has the potential to reduce the burden placed on the local community, a key component in fostering the development of meaningful relationships.

These relationships can be fostered by, for instance, utilising existing community spaces, such as schools, or creating new opportunities, such as community savings groups, where refugees and members of the host community can get to know one another on a personal level. For example, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Jordan is helping to facilitate the creation and management of community support committees, which include leaders from both the Jordanian and individual refugee communities; these groups help spread information and identify community needs and then organise relevant activities that bring together members from both communities to interact and benefit. Recruiting thought leaders, developing education campaigns, and influencing the media can further help to inform the public about refugees and dispel stereotypes and misinformation. These opportunities for personal interaction and greater community awareness can also counter the spread of stereotypes and misinformation, which can block social integration.

The study found that the media, both news and entertainment, has broad power to influence public perceptions in the stories they choose to tell, the language they use, and how they portray refugees. In India, an interviewee described how the media helped facilitate Indian acceptance of Sri Lankan refugees. He said that news coverage would use the phrase "our Tamil brothers and sisters" to describe the refugees, which reinforced the cultural connections between the two communities. In Ecuador, key informants described the opposite approach and impact, where differences and stereotypes are promoted by the media. Several people mentioned that Colombian soap operas, which are very popular among Ecuadorians, reinforce the stereotypes of Colombians as being violent, involved in the drug trade, and prostitutes. The news media also reinforces these by focusing their crime coverage on Colombians. The Office of Human Mobility in Pichincha, Ecuador, is working to better educate the news media on the reality of refugees - and migrants more broadly - in the province and country as well as serve as a source of information for accurate migration-related stories.

Recommendations to donors and practitioners include:

• Fund and pursue programmes that support and serve refugees through an inclusive and holistic model. This also includes addressing the psychosocial needs of communities, particularly of those who have experienced violence and trauma.
• Identify beneficiaries based on vulnerability, and include necessary support to host communities. This approach has the potential to reduce tensions among refugee and host communities and improve the strength and stability of the community overall.
• Develop education campaigns centred on refugee experiences. Members of the host community may lack accurate information about various aspects of refugees' lives, including why they fled their homes and what they experience in exile. Educating community members about the realities of refugees' lives can help counter stereotypes, xenophobia, and perceptions of competition between groups while also building feelings of empathy for their new neighbours. This can be done through media, community activities, or other existing arbiters of social norms.
• Incorporate the use of shared community spaces into programmes. Programming that addresses community-wide needs should be provided in ways that intentionally facilitate and promote social engagement. This approach prioritises acceptance and community cohesion.

Recommendations to host countries include:

• Sensitise the host community to refugees' struggles. To address host communities' potential frustrations as they adapt, national and local governments should work to educate the host communities on refugees' experiences and actively promote positive social interactions among members of both communities.
• Establish standardised refugee policies and regulations that reflect international norms and apply them to refugees regardless of nationality. Developing and employing government approaches that are defined by nationality instead of legal status can create confusion and perceptions of competition within refugee communities.

It is also recommended that service providers (government and non-governmental organisations) have the skills and knowledge to support refugees. All service providers should be trained on the legal rights and psychosocial needs of refugees.