Forced Migration, Older Refugees and Displacement: Implications for Social Work as a Human Rights Profession

Abstract

This article explores the conditions of globally displaced older refugees and outlines the implications for social work as a human rights profession. The study is based on a literature review and two current case examples of globally displaced older refugees facing long-term structural discrimination and human rights violation: older Rohingyas at the Bangladesh-Myanmar border and older Palestinians at the Israel-Gaza and Lebanon borders. The authors suggest that social workers as 'front-line human rights workers' are uniquely placed to identify needs, and take actionable steps to support and advocate for the human rights of older displaced refugees. It is argued that global social work ethics and principles of social justice and human rights should underpin social work practices that engage people and structures in order to address life challenges and enhance the well-being of displaced older refugees in war zones, at borders and in refugee camps. Future research and welfare projects that aim to analyse the political context that forms the living conditions of forcibly displaced older refugees, whilst enhancing the importance of social workers in interprofessional collaborations in these areas, are discussed.

Learning Green Social Work in Global Disaster Contexts: A Case Study Approach

“…With such a large number of people escaping the threat of persecution and violence, host countries have seen large-scale impacts to health (Almontaser and Baumann 2017;Daynes 2016) and economic (Beaujouan and Rasheed 2020;Damoc 2016;Richardson et al 2020) systems. These crises are examples of intentional or willful disasters; forced migration results from human-induced actions, war over environmental resources, and the underlying colonial impact on these regions (Karlsson and Jönsson 2020).…”

“…Focus on environmental justice involves practitioners' commitment to supporting individuals affected by willful disasters such as the human-induced refugee crisis. Since 2011, conflict and residual effects of colonial involvement have highlighted the need for social policy, agencies, and practitioners to respond multi-systemically (Karlsson and Jönsson 2020). The global refugee crisis has underscored the need for coordinated social work education and integrated approaches, which can be facilitated by a GSW framework and approach.…”

Social Work's Role in Human Rights for Refugees: Challenges Facing Syrian Refugee Women and Girls

“…As discussed in this report, Syrian women and girl refugees in particular experience an increase in gender-based violence and other challenges during the post-resettlement phase, and more research on these specific challenges that they face could aid in addressing the problem (Roupetz et al, 2020). Another recommendation is for researchers and policymakers to identify the limitations of the current conventional legal-based human rights narratives surrounding refugee response to enable social work to gain a more integral role in advocacy for the rights of refugees on a global scale (Karlsson & Jonsson, 2020).…”

Planning for Hospital Discharge for Older Adults in Uganda: A Qualitative Study Among Healthcare Providers Using the COM-B Framework

“…Improved healthcare systems and increased survival increased the aging population and health implications associated with aging have become a global population concern of the 21st century. Older adults defined by the United Nations as persons older than 60 years 1 contribute to contribute 11% of the global population and are expected to increase to 20% by 2050. 2 In 2019, the global life expectancy was estimated at 72 years: 74.2 years for females and 69.8 years for males (WHO, 2019).…”