Parents in Exile: Challenges of Parenting among Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Bulgaria

Abstract

Purpose: This paper looked into the experiences of refugee parents with an aim to uncover the challenges of parenting encountered during and after the asylum procedures in Bulgaria-a country placed at the bottom of the asylum recognition scale in Europe. Methods: Qualitative research through semi-structured interviews of eight parents originating from Iraq, Syria and Palestine was conducted during the 3 months' period in 2016. Results: Empiric research conducted revealed that procedural shortcomings of refugee protection system in Bulgaria causes severe psychosocial stresses to families in that the factors, such as slow and deficient asylum procedures, inadequate social protection and absence of integration programs, have a direct impact on the family life, parenting and children's wellbeing. Discussion: These results point to a clear need for improvement of the access to asylum right and subsequent refugee integration in Bulgaria. They also call for a systemic approach in which the refugee rights are fully respected and vulnerability inherent to the refugee parents' liminal position properly addressed. We further recommend the interventions of social work and mental health professions in ameliorating existent stresses of exclusion and marginalisation of refugee families with an aim to advance their full integration rights.

‘This is not what I want for my children’: agency and parenting in Danish asylum centres

“…Belgian and Bulgarian scholars warn that housing in asylum centres reduces parents’ autonomy and abilities to create a home, and instead isolates and marginalizes families from being part of a community. 1 , 8 This is disconcerting, as migration scholars from the Netherlands and the UK emphasize that asylum-seeking families especially need to feel they belong, and that they can reconstitute a family-functioning environment, establishing a new home in the destination country. 24 , 25 Parents’ autonomy and agency to ensure their children a healthy, stable and supportive environment is important in all contexts and periods of life.…”

“…Parenting involves flexible capabilities to ensure children’s physical, emotional, psychosocial and intellectual developmental needs, over time and across different contexts. 1 Asylum-seeking children are especially in need of supportive parents. 2 However, involuntary migration, and an asylum-seeking process in a new and unfamiliar country, can have an adverse influence on parental autonomy over decision-making in their own lives.…”

Meneroka Cabaran dan Isu dalam Adaptasi Antarabudaya Populasi Orang Pelarian serta Pencari Suaka di Negara Transit dan Penempatan Semula

“…'Mencabar', 'sukar' dan 'rumit' merupakan antara perkataan yang sinonim dengan pengalaman adaptasi antarabudaya orang pelarian dan pencari suaka. Menetap di kem pelarian atau kawasan perumahan, keadaan hidup populasi orang pelarian dan pencari suaka dicirikan sebagai tidak selesa/kondusif atau 'in poor condition' (Labys, Dreyer & Burns, 2017;Pezerović, Babić & Porobić, 2019). Selain itu, mereka juga tinggal dalam jarak yang dekat di antara satu dengan yang lain atau 'close proximity' (Syam et al, 2019;Kavian et al, 2020).…”

“…Di samping itu, terdapat beberapa faktor lain yang turut mempengaruhi penguasaan bahasa tuan rumah, seperti usia, latar belakang pendidikan, dan tempoh masa di negara tuan rumah. Pertama, keupayaan untuk menguasai bahasa baharu berkurang atas faktor usia (Asfar et al, 2019;Flug & Hussein, 2019;Nashwan, Cummings & Gagnon, 2019;Pezerović, Babić & Porobić, 2019). Sebagai contoh, Gürsoy dan Ertaşoğlu (2019) dalam kajian mereka mendapati bahawa golongan muda orang pelarian Syria di Turki lebih menunjukkan minat untuk mempelajari bahasa tuan rumah berbanding golongan yang lebih berusia.…”

“…Sebagai contoh, Mangrio, Zdravkovic dan Carlson (2019) serta Owino dan Weber (2020) dalam kajian mereka mendapati pemisahan keluarga mengakibatkan kesunyian (loneliness) dalam kalangan orang pelarian. Pemisahan keluarga juga menyebabkan pengasingan sosial serta menjadikan adaptasi semakin sukar (Pezerović, Babić & Porobić, 2019). Oleh yang demikian, kehadiran ahli keluarga atau orang tersayang setelah orang pelarian atau pencari suaka tiba di negara tuan rumah amatlah penting dan signifikan kerana ia mempengaruhi kesihatan psikologi mereka.…”