Factors shaping the lived experience of resettlement for former refugees in regional Australia

Laura Smith, Ha Hoang, Tamara Reynish, Kim McLeod, Chona Hannah, Stuart Auckland, Shameran Slewa-Younan, Jonathan Mond

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

25 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Refugees experience traumatic life events with impacts amplified in regional and rural areas due to barriers accessing services. This study examined the factors influencing the lived experience of resettlement for former refugees in regional Launceston, Australia, including environmental, social, and health-related factors. Qualitative interviews and focus groups were conducted with adult and youth community members from Burma, Bhutan, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Iran, and Sudan, and essential service providers (n = 31). Thematic analysis revealed four factors as primarily influencing resettlement: English language proficiency; employment, education and housing environments and opportunities; health status and service access; and broader social factors and experiences. Participants suggested strategies to overcome barriers associated with these factors and improve overall quality of life throughout resettlement. These included flexible English language program delivery and employment support, including industry-specific language courses; the provision of interpreters; community events fostering cultural sharing, inclusivity and promoting well-being; and routine inclusion of nondiscriminatory, culturally sensitive, trauma-informed practices throughout a former refugee’s environment, including within education, employment, housing and service settings.
Original languageEnglish
Article number501
Number of pages18
JournalInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume17
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

Open Access - Access Right Statement

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Keywords

  • Launceston (Tas.)
  • housing
  • medical care
  • public health
  • refugees
  • social service, rural
  • well-being

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Factors shaping the lived experience of resettlement for former refugees in regional Australia'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this