Purpose: This article aims to explore the engagement of refugees and asylum seekers (RAS) in informal and precarious jobs from a civil society actors' perspective. Despite a burgeoning literature on refugee integration and a focus on institutional integration programmes, little is known about the early insertion of RAS into informal and precarious employment as an alternative to subsidised integration programmes, when these are available. Design - methodology - approach: This article draws on rich qualitative data collected through in-depth interviews with social workers, volunteers and other professionals supporting migrants. Findings: Data analysis shows that migrants' insertion in informal jobs and their rejection of integration programmes may be the result of people's need to access financial capital to cover actual and future needs. Although such an engagement may be criticised for hampering RAS’ integration, it can be seen as an important source of agency against insecurity surrounding one's legal status. Originality - value: This article highlights the importance of legal status precarity in shaping informal workers' agency and perceptions of them, opening up a debate on the relevance of informal work in terms of long-term integration and future migration trajectories.

Refugees and asylum seekers in informal and precarious jobs: early labour market insertion from the perspectives of professionals and volunteers

Dimitriadis, Iraklis
2023

Abstract

Purpose: This article aims to explore the engagement of refugees and asylum seekers (RAS) in informal and precarious jobs from a civil society actors' perspective. Despite a burgeoning literature on refugee integration and a focus on institutional integration programmes, little is known about the early insertion of RAS into informal and precarious employment as an alternative to subsidised integration programmes, when these are available. Design - methodology - approach: This article draws on rich qualitative data collected through in-depth interviews with social workers, volunteers and other professionals supporting migrants. Findings: Data analysis shows that migrants' insertion in informal jobs and their rejection of integration programmes may be the result of people's need to access financial capital to cover actual and future needs. Although such an engagement may be criticised for hampering RAS’ integration, it can be seen as an important source of agency against insecurity surrounding one's legal status. Originality - value: This article highlights the importance of legal status precarity in shaping informal workers' agency and perceptions of them, opening up a debate on the relevance of informal work in terms of long-term integration and future migration trajectories.
2023
Settore SPS/07 - Sociologia Generale
Settore SPS/08 - Sociologia dei Processi Culturali e Comunicativi
Settore SPS/09 - Sociologia dei Processi economici e del Lavoro
Settore SPS/10 - Sociologia dell'Ambiente e del Territorio
Agency; Asylum seekers; Civil society; Informal economy; Labour market integration; Precarious labour; Refugees
   MigrAtion Governance and asYlum Crises
   MAGYC
   European Commission
   Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
   822806
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Dimitriadis-2023-Int J Sociol Soc Policy-VoR.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Published version
Licenza: Creative Commons
Dimensione 170.66 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
170.66 kB Adobe PDF

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11384/138207
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 3
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 2
  • OpenAlex ND
social impact