“...THEN I STOPPED THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE” : Views of Iraqi Asylum Seekers On Inclusion & Exclusion
El-Radhi-Wood, Nadia (2018)
2018
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202103193577
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202103193577
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of this thesis was to gain a better understanding of Iraqi asylum seekers’ experiences of inclusion and exclusion in Helsinki. The aim was an increase in awareness of their opinions based on the personal accounts gathered from interviews.
Six asylum seekers were chosen for the interviews. All of them were interviewed in person in Helsinki. Other common factors were their age, they were all in their 20s or early 30s. One was female, the rest were male. At the time of the interviews, two of them were living in reception centres, the rest in private accommodation or with friends.
The main subjects of discussion involved the opinions and experiences of living as new-comers in Finland still waiting for the decision on the residence permit. The issues that hindered or promoted the feeling of belonging were discussed. The results suggested that the feeling of inclusion was not a simple issue and that there were numerous situations where a newcomer was left feeling excluded.
The impact of the long wait for the residence permit decision was evident from the interviews. All of those interviewed had been waiting around three years for the decision.
Some concrete steps were suggested in the conclusion to promote integration more effectively based on the interviews and my own research both professional and personal.
Keywords: Asylum, Integration, Trust, Inclusion, Exclusion, Resilience.
Six asylum seekers were chosen for the interviews. All of them were interviewed in person in Helsinki. Other common factors were their age, they were all in their 20s or early 30s. One was female, the rest were male. At the time of the interviews, two of them were living in reception centres, the rest in private accommodation or with friends.
The main subjects of discussion involved the opinions and experiences of living as new-comers in Finland still waiting for the decision on the residence permit. The issues that hindered or promoted the feeling of belonging were discussed. The results suggested that the feeling of inclusion was not a simple issue and that there were numerous situations where a newcomer was left feeling excluded.
The impact of the long wait for the residence permit decision was evident from the interviews. All of those interviewed had been waiting around three years for the decision.
Some concrete steps were suggested in the conclusion to promote integration more effectively based on the interviews and my own research both professional and personal.
Keywords: Asylum, Integration, Trust, Inclusion, Exclusion, Resilience.