Planning Goals

There is considerable variation in conditions in refugee countries of origin and countries of asylum and in the experiences of both individuals and groups of refugees. Nevertheless, research and the experience of refugees and those working with them suggest that there are some common elements in the refugee experience. While the personal and psychological consequences of these experiences will clearly differ for individual refugees, a number of common patterns can be discerned.

An understanding of these elements is important for planning and providing integration support.

Loss of livelihood and shelter and exposure to harsh and unsanitary conditions are an almost inevitable consequence of forced displacement. Many people will have endured a long and hazardous escape from their countries of origin, during which they lacked access to food and water and faced threats to their personal safety.

For most refugees, however, forced displacement and flight are likely to have been preceded by a prolonged period of deprivation of the basic resources required both for human existence and to build a positive future. In many countries, education and health systems as well as essential physical infrastructure such as housing, water supply and sanitation are poorly developed or have broken down or been destroyed in the context of conflict.

These conditions have a particular impact on women and girls, with gender acting as an additional barrier to accessing resources in many refugee source countries.

In their countries of asylum, refugees may have been dependent on government and non-government agencies for basic necessities, have had limited or no access to education and faced intense monotony and boredom.

Many refugees originate from countries where systems for maintaining governance, civil order and the rule of law are poorly developed, compromised or have completely broken down. Prior to fleeing their countries of origin, many will have been exposed to a prolonged climate of violence and human rights violations, and have been subject or witness to events such as:

• killings, assaults and rape, sometimes on a massive scale, including family members and friends;
• torture;
• disappearances;
• imprisonment;
• destruction of their homes;
• forced displacement;
• enforced conscription.

In countries of asylum, refugees may be vulnerable to further violence or abuse of their human rights. They may face the hostility of local communities. Some spend a prolonged period in a refugee camp, where they may experience violence and lack personal safety.

Many will have achieved high levels of education and professional or vocational experience in their countries of origin. However, disruption to employment may have had an effect on their capacity to maintain and develop their knowledge and skills and to progress in their chosen field. Those who have had limited or disrupted education may have low levels of educational attainment or lack literacy and numeracy skills.

These experiences have an economic as well as emotional impact.

Prior to fleeing their countries of origin, many refugees will have been exposed to a prolonged climate in which their religious, racial, political or cultural integrity was systematically undermined or destroyed. Sometimes these conditions persist in countries of asylum, particularly when refugees are unwelcome minorities in the dominant culture of the host country. Viewed as competitors for scarce resources, asylum seekers may be ready targets for racially or ethnically based violence.

In many countries they are again excluded from the wider community, often denied access to employment and education or detained or accommodated in remote locations in refugee camps.

Countries of resettlement have a role in ensuring that refugees have access to the resources required for their longer-term stability and adjustment. Among these are housing, health, employment and education. Countries can foster a social environment in which resettled refugees feel welcome and understood, in which they can be assured that their rights will be respected and in which they can develop social connections and contribute to civic life.

While providing integration support requires investment by resettlement countries, it is effort well spent. Promoting optimal conditions for integration enables refugees to achieve independence and settle harmoniously and ensures that countries reap the benefits of the skills and attributes refugees bring with them.

If resettled refugees are to have the best prospects for realising their potential and to contribute to the receiving society, most will require some support in the period immediately following their arrival. Established refugee and diaspora communities have an important role to play in supporting newly arrived resettled refugees.

Integration also entails adjusting to life in a new country. See here for more information.

The goals outlined below describe the practical elements of an integration program and the basic resources that will be required to assist refugees in their integration.

Goal One: To restore security, control and social and economic independence by facilitating equal access to fundamental rights, facilitating communication and fostering the understanding of the receiving society.

• Facilitating access to fundamental rights
  UNHCR understands integration to be the end product of a dynamic and multifaceted two-way process with three interrelated dimensions: legal, economic and social-cultural. Integration requires efforts by all parties concerned, including preparedness on the part of refugees to adjust to the receiving society without having to forego their own cultural identity, and a corresponding readiness on the part of receiving communities and public institutions to welcome refugees and to meet the needs of a diverse population.
  
  A secure environment with adequate access to income, accommodation and health care are among the fundamental rights of all people. As well as being fundamental to refugees’ life in a new country, these resources assist them to regain a sense of security, predictability and control.
  
  Most refugees will arrive in countries of resettlement with few personal effects and limited if any financial reserves. It is important, therefore, that arrangements are made for the provision of immediate accommodation, and financial support.
  
  Early access to health care will also be important. This requires early assessment of special reception needs.
  
  Related planning activities: Housing, health, income support, employment, education, case management
   
• Communicating in the resettlement country
  The ability to communicate is critical condition for achieving control and independence, gaining access to resources, participating in the social and economic institutions of the resettlement country and establishing social connections.
  
  It is therefore important that newly resettled refugees have access to interpreting and translating services and other forms of language assistance as well as opportunities to learn the language of the resettlement country.
  
  Related planning activities: Language
   
• Orientation to the systems of the resettlement country
  The ability of newly resettled refugees to access integration resources will be critically dependent on understanding and being able to negotiate basic systems, programs and entitlements in the resettlement country. Among these are procedures for banking, transportation, registering for employment, accessing health care and enrolling for school and language tuition.
  
  An effective integration program, therefore, will incorporate means for informing newly resettled refugees about, and orienting them to, basic systems of the resettlement country and the benefits and programs available to them.
  
  Related planning activities: Orientation, case management, reception
   

Goal Two: To strengthen the autonomy and self-reliance of refugees.

• Planning for the future
  Long term housing, employment and education are essential for achieving economic stability and becoming self-reliant. Accordingly, it is important that arrangements are made for newly resettled refugees to access these resources, either through specialised programs or the provision of support to access these services.
  
  Related planning activities: Housing, employment, education

Goal Three: To promote family reunification and restore supportive relationships within families.

• Family reunification
  Family reunification plays a significant role in meeting the long-term needs of resettled refugees and assists them to adjust and integrate to the country of resettlement. The family is often the strongest and most effective emotional, social and economic support network for a refugee making the difficult adjustment to a new culture and social framework. Resettlement countries also benefit when national policies, procedures and programmes enhance the unity of the family after the initial resettlement phase, strengthening the capacity of individuals to function in their new countries, facilitating their integration process and promoting social and economic self-sufficiency. A flexible and expansive approach to family reunification therefore not only benefits refugees and their communities, but also resettlement countries by enhancing integration prospects and lowering social costs in the long term.
  
  An essential element of an integration program will be the provision for resettled refugees to have family members join them in the resettlement country. Most countries also promote family unity by enabling resettled refugees to be placed in communities where they already have relatives.
  
  Related planning activities: Legal status, placement, case management, orientation
   
• Restoring supportive relationships within families
  The refugee and integration experiences involve numerous adjustments for families and may have a significant impact on the availability and quality of family support. Most countries of resettlement aim to provide integration programs in ways which take account of this impact both on individual family members and on the family as a unit.
  
  Related planning activities: Social connections, gender, older refugees, children, and youth
   

Goal Four: To promote connections with volunteers and professionals able to provide support.

• Systems of support
  Settling in a new country can be difficult and complex. Newly arrived refugees are unlikely to have connections with people able to support them with these tasks.
  
  For these reasons, it is important that steps are taken to connect new refugee arrivals with individuals who are able to offer individualised support in the early post arrival period. In the context of these relationships new arrivals can be offered practical assistance, information and help to understand and negotiate their new culture and society.
  
  Most existing integration programs have mechanisms for assessing the specific needs of new arrivals and ensuring that they receive an appropriate level of individualised and holistic support in the early integration period. This may be provided by professionals in government or non-government agencies, volunteers, sponsors and community groups or by a combination of these.
  
  Also important are strategies to enhance the capacity of key professionals (such as doctors and teachers) to identify and support new refugee arrivals.
  
  Related planning activities: Health and mental health, case management, orientation, age, gender and diversity, social connections, reception
   

Goal Five: To restore confidence in political systems and institutions

• Restoring faith in government
  Many resettled refugees come from countries where governments failed to protect their rights or where violence and human rights abuses were perpetrated by the state.
  
  Countries of resettlement can help to restore refugees’ confidence in government by providing integration programs in ways which demonstrate respect for freedom, human rights and individual dignity. Also important in this regard will be measures to ensure that resettled refugees have equitable access to government services and programs available to the wider community.
  
  Resettled refugees will have day-to-day contact with a range of personnel, from law enforcement officers to government officials responsible for administering income support payments, employment schemes, family reunion programs and the like.
  
  For refugees who experienced state-sanctioned violence and human rights abuses in their countries of origin, interactions with people in positions of authority can be stressful. It is important that professional development and awareness raising programs are offered to relevant officials to enhance their understanding of and sensitivity to the nature and consequences of the refugee experience.
  
  Related planning activities: Legal status, orientation, welcoming and inclusive societies

Goal Six: To promote cultural and religious integrity and to restore attachments to, and promote participation in, community, social, cultural and economic systems by valuing diversity and inclusion.

• Valuing diversity and inclusion
  There is increasing recognition among countries currently offering refugee resettlement that integration is more likely to be successful in an environment in which new arrivals are able to maintain their sociocultural identity. At the same time, it is important that refugees are able to participate in the civic, economic and social institutions of the receiving country and to foster social connections within it. All activities and interventions should be accessible to and address the needs of everyone independent of their age, gender or diversity characteristics. 
  
  Refugees bring with them important skills and resources, as well as diversity which, when appreciated and utilised, is a distinct social, cultural and economic benefit for the resettlement country. The arrival of resettled refugees can trigger positive social and economic changes, transform civic culture and local institutions, and promote social cohesion, particularly when local communities are engaged in welcoming them.
  
  Most countries take steps to ensure that integration programs (such as language training and orientation) are delivered in ways which value and respect refugees’ culture and customs. Many also aim to foster a climate in which diversity and inclusion are valued.
  
  Related planning activities: Welcoming and inclusive societies, social connections, orientation

Goal Seven: To counter racism, discrimination and xenophobia and build welcoming and inclusive societies.

• Countering discrimination, racism and xenophobia
  In some countries, negative or inaccurate portrayal of refugees and asylum issues in the media may fuel anti-refugee sentiment and affect the extent to which resettled refugees feel welcome. This can compromise their safety and contribute to heightened anxiety.
  
  Refugees may also face discrimination in their access to important social and economic resources such as housing, employment and education.
  
  Countries can counter discrimination, racism and xenophobia by harnessing national and local political leadership to foster welcoming and inclusive societies. In addition, advocacy and communication demonstrating the advantages of diversity through approaches that cut across institutional silos, foster political local leadership and mobilize practitioners, private sector, civil society and communities can be effective.
  
  Related planning activities: Welcoming and inclusive societies, social connections, orientation
   
• Creating welcoming and inclusive societies 
  The environment refugees encounter in the neighbourhoods, workplaces, social venues and classrooms of the receiving society will have a significant bearing on their integration.
  
  A welcoming environment will enable refugees to develop friendships and build informal networks. These are important both for day-to-day support and to enhance their access to other resources such as employment, and recreation and to provide opportunities for participation in public life.
  
  Also, important will be measures to ensure that resettled refugees are granted permanent residence in the receiving country and the opportunity to become citizens as soon as possible.
  
  Strategies to build welcoming and inclusive societies are in the interests of receiving societies, ensuring that they are well placed to benefit from the skills and attributes of resettled refugees, and that conflicts are avoided.
  
  Related planning activities: Welcoming and inclusive societies, social connections, orientation

Goal Eight: To support the development of strong refugee communities and meaningful     participation of refugees.

• Refugee communities
  In countries with a history of culturally diverse migration and resettlement, refugee and diaspora communities have an important role in extending hospitality and support to new arrivals. In addition, these communities provide a means for refugees to connect with cultural and religious institutions and practices. Established refugee communities can serve as bridges between new arrivals and the receiving community. 
  
  In many countries, the contribution of refugee communities to supporting integration is fostered by government or private funding and other forms of support to strengthen their capacity and ensure meaningful participation of refugees in the  design and delivery of integration programs.
  
  Related planning activities: Welcoming and inclusive societies, social connections, orientation

Goal Nine: To foster conditions that support the integration of resettled refugees taking into account the impact of age, gender, and diversity.     

• Planning for all
  While resettled refugees share many experiences and issues in common, as is the case in the general population, particular groups of refugees face different concerns as a result of their age, gender, and diversity. These are factors need to be taken into account to support the integratioof resettled refugees, in particular, refugee children and youth, LGBTIQ+ refugees, older refugees and survivors of trauma and torture, recognising different needs of these diverse groups of refugees.    
  
  Gender roles and status differences between countries of origin and resettlement may also have a powerful impact on integration. It is important that the particular challenges faced by refugee men and women are considered in the planning process.
  
  Related planning activities: Age, gender and diversity