Migrants and refugees: similarities and differences

Labelled migrants: Forced or economic, employment and integration Written by a refugee In this article, I am not going to argue whether refugees, (or asylum seekers with permission to work) should be considered more favourably by prospective employers during recruitment process or economic migrants should be treated less favourably – Instead, I am going to argue what common push factors force these groups to leave their homelands, what type of similar challenges they face and how individuals are labelled and its implications on employment and integration... Common push factors.... • Political and religious persecutions • Armed conflicts –ethnic and racial • Fear, bullying and harassment • Poverty and economic conditions • Family and social problems Similar challenges... • Integration with host population • Language, culture and barriers • Recognition of qualification and experience • Lack of contacts and loneliness • Struggling in UK labour market, pursuing and selling labelled skills to employers Labelling individuals and communities has become mandatory practice across the globe, to boost corporate ratings and for political gains and bureaucratic categorisations. Particularly, since early 1990s, the mass media - electronic, print, social and tabloid all have attached a variety of labels to individuals and newly arrived communities, such as – economic refugees, forced migrants, self exiled, economic migrants, benefit scroungers, failed asylum seekers, genuine asylum seekers, ... For example, initial refusal on asylum application is defined as, not genuine but economic migrant. However, in the courts, decisions are overturned and vice versa. Therefore, researchers, scholars and legal experts across the globe suggest that one must adhere to the sensitivity of the matter when labelling individuals. The labelled individuals find very hard to function and integrate in the host society. They have to live with those who have labelled them. Their integrity is challenged every moment. There are many examples where some individuals were unable to disclose their very personal sensitive issues to immigration and courts due to low self esteem and embarrassment. Many decisions are made following tick boxes. The individual picture is totally ignored and people go into limbo and long wait. By the time they get green signal from the host country to stay circumstances in their homelands further change and new problems arise... In conclusion, today’s forced or economic migrant becomes tomorrow’s civilised settled citizen. You can’t go into hearts of people, merely interpret dispositions, behaviours and actions. Through compassions, patience and tolerance, we can build long term constructive relationships rather than labelling.