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Summary PDF: What strategies can help newcomers with social integration?

M&E | Track Resource Download
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  • Date
  • Topic(s)
   Community Engagement, Organizational Development
  • Subtopic(s)
   Volunteer Management, Welcoming Communities
  • Population(s)

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What strategies can help newcomers with social integration?

There is strong evidence that peer mentoring and support groups with established immigrants can support social integration of recently arrived newcomers from the same ethnic group.

  • Studies show that peer support groups provide needed social capital and resource sharing to recently arrived refugees and other newcomers.

 

There is moderate evidence that peer mentoring with host community members can support newcomers’ social integration.

  • Mentoring is one way to build relationships with members of the host community. It provides opportunities for newcomers to 1) develop social capital for resource attainment, 2) understand new cultural norms related to work and play, and 3) gain a sense of belonging within their new community.

 

There is some evidence that encouraging newcomers to volunteer supports their social integration, but this practice may be exploitative and should be used with caution.

  • Volunteerism may provide opportunities for relationship building; however, it is important to keep in mind potential exploitative components. Some newcomers do not see volunteering as having a benefit to them, so it is important to discover what each population or individual wants and needs.

Post TitleStrength of EvidenceType of StudyDirection of Evidence
A systematic scoping review of interventions delivered by peers to support the resettlement of refugees and asylum seekersStrongSystematic reviewPositive impact
Mentoring as a grassroots effort for integrating refugees – evidence from a randomised field experiment.StrongImpact evaluationInconclusive or mixed impact
Fostering better integration through youth-led refugee sponsorshipSuggestiveSuggestive evidencePositive impact
Social inclusion of newly arrived female asylum seekers and refugees through a community sport initiative: The case of Bike BridgeSuggestiveSuggestive evidenceInconclusive or mixed impact
Ung refugees and locals living under the same roof: Intercultural communal living as a catalyst for refugees’ integration in European urban communitiesSuggestiveSuggestive evidenceInconclusive or mixed impact
The volunteering dogma and Canadian work experience: Do recent immigrants volunteer voluntarily?SuggestiveSuggestive evidenceNegative impact

Studies included in the database focused on high-income or upper middle-income countries, including but not limited to the United States. Studies included must have been published since 2012. To identify evidence, we searched the following websites and databases using the following population, methodology, and target outcome terms:

Websites and Databases Population Terms Methodology Terms Target Outcome Terms
SocINDEX

International Bibliography of the Social Sciences

Social Science Premium Collection

 

 refugee

OR

immigrant

OR

“unaccompanied minor”

OR

asylee

OR

“temporary protected status”

OR

“victims of traffick*”

OR

“traffick* victims”

OR

T-Visa

OR

U-Visa

OR

Cuban

OR

Haitian

OR

Amerasian

 

 evaluation

OR

impact

OR

program

OR

intervention

OR

policy

OR

project

OR

train*

OR

therapy

OR

treatment

OR

counseling

OR

workshop

OR

review

OR

meta-analysis

OR

synthesis

 integration

OR

social capital

OR

cultural capital

OR

relationship building

For databases or websites that permitted only basic searches, free-text terms and limited term combinations were selected out of the lists above, and all resultant studies were reviewed for relevance. Conversely, for databases or websites with advanced search capability, we made use of relevant available filters. All search terms were searched in the title and abstract fields only in order to exclude studies that made only passing mention of the topic under consideration.

After initial screening, Switchboard evidence mapping is prioritized as follows: First priority is given to meta-analyses and systematic reviews, followed by individual impact evaluations when no meta-analyses or systematic reviews are available. Evaluations that are rated as impact evidence are considered before those rated as suggestive, with the latter only being included for outcomes where no evidence is available from the former.