Laboratory

Migration and Mobility

At a Glance Projects Publications Team

Project

Studying the Aftermath of Forced Displacement: Integration and the Life Course

Asli Ebru Sanlitürk, Domantas Jasilionis, Nataliia Levchuk, Yvette Marie Young; in Collaboration with Vytenis Juozas Deimantas (SHARE Berlin , Germany), Martin Bujard (Federal Institute for Population Research, Wiesbaden, Germany), Toan Khan Tran (Hanoi Medical University, Vietnam), Kim Korinek (University of Utah, USA), Lisa Kriechel (Federal Institute for Population Research, Wiesbaden, Germany), Zachary Zimmer (Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada)

Detailed Description

Forced displacement has reached unprecedented levels in the last decades, driven by armed conflicts, political instability, and protracted crises across multiple regions of the world. Millions of individuals currently live in host countries as asylum seekers or refugees, or under temporary protection status. Forced displacement is not only a humanitarian concern, but is also a profound socioeconomic and demographic phenomenon. This project addresses this important phenomenon and contributes to the literature on the socioeconomic, demographic, and health impacts of forced displacement on the displaced populations and the host countries.

Studies conducted under this project address both the short-term and long-term consequences of forced displacement. In our research on the short-term consequences, we focus on the aftermath of recent large-scale displacement events, such as the Syrian civil war and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These studies analyze the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and the immediate needs of displaced populations upon arrival in the host country. We analyze the social and labor market integration challenges that displaced populations encounter in the host country, and aim to contribute to the literature on migrant integration as well as to inform policy decisions. In contrast, the studies on the long-term consequences of forced displacement follow a life course perspective. This approach enables us to investigate the effects of displacement on the critical life choices – such as cohabitation, marriage, fertility, and parenthood decisions – as well as on the mental health and well-being of the displaced people and their families.

From a data perspective, this project aims at consolidating administrative and digital trace data with survey data whenever possible. Research undertaken in the context of forced displacement often lacks access to high-quality and timely data due to the challenges of conducting focus groups, the heightened vulnerabilities of displaced people, and the rapid progression of conflicts and displacement crises. Digital trace data can provide valuable comparable insights during early settlement phases, and can thus help to bridge the data gap until more comprehensive surveys can be conducted.

One study within this project examines the demographic characteristics of Ukrainian refugees in Lithuania alongside post-pandemic labor market conditions. By combining administrative register data with digital trace data derived from Google Trends and a major online job search platform, we have identified a mismatch between Ukrainian refugees’ skill sets and labor market demands. Some of this mismatch may be mitigated through language training, the easing of restrictions on the recognition of foreign degrees, and the use of common second languages during the transition period. Notably, certain high-educated groups, for instance legal professionals, face severe risks of downward mobility. Given the relatively higher rates of female unemployment observed in the post-pandemic period and the predominance of women among Ukrainian refugees in Lithuania, our analysis emphasizes the importance of a gendered approach to labor policies.

Another study, conducted in cooperation with the Federal Institute for Population Research (Wiesbaden, Germany) and using data from the IAB-BiB/FReDA-BAMF-SOEP Survey on Refugees from Ukraine in Germany, examines how loneliness and integration barriers are associated with the life satisfaction of displaced Ukrainian women who arrived in Germany in 2022. Findings from structural equation modeling highlight that the association between forced family separation and the life satisfaction of women refugees work through indirect pathways involving loneliness and integration barriers.

Publications

Deimantas, V. J.; Şanlitürk, A. E.:

Refugees from Ukraine in Lithuania and the Lithuanian labour market: a preliminary assessment

Migration research series 76, Geneva. (2023)