The Impact of the Sense of Community on the Quality of Life of Forced Migrants

Forced migration is an endemic and worldwide phenomenon that results from human or nature induced conflicts such as (violent) conflicts, persecution or natural disasters. People are coerced to migrate to seek safety since they are often at the risk of their life. The issue of forced migration is generally tackled through institutions and international legal systems through top-down approaches, especially because forced migrants often have to cross international borders. While some forced migrants have improved living conditions in comparison to their pre-migration situation, a lot of forced migrants end up in refugee camps, where they experience poor living conditions. There, they are often excluded from their host community and their humanitarian needs are not always met. A more collaborative and communal approach through human agency has been neglected in comparison to the top-down approaches. For voluntary migrants, interactions and relationships with the host community have been...Show moreForced migration is an endemic and worldwide phenomenon that results from human or nature induced conflicts such as (violent) conflicts, persecution or natural disasters. People are coerced to migrate to seek safety since they are often at the risk of their life. The issue of forced migration is generally tackled through institutions and international legal systems through top-down approaches, especially because forced migrants often have to cross international borders. While some forced migrants have improved living conditions in comparison to their pre-migration situation, a lot of forced migrants end up in refugee camps, where they experience poor living conditions. There, they are often excluded from their host community and their humanitarian needs are not always met. A more collaborative and communal approach through human agency has been neglected in comparison to the top-down approaches. For voluntary migrants, interactions and relationships with the host community have been shown to benefit their well-being. This thesis aims to examine how the sense of community affects the quality of life of forced migrants, especially when they arrive in their host community, because forced migrants often have to leave their home community and family network behind.Show less

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The Impact of the Sense of Community on the Quality of Life of Forced Migrants