Conference Agenda

More than 2.5 million refugees have been granted residence in Europe over the last ten years and their long-run adaptation is a fundamental societal challenge. Adaptation can be measured in different ways, but here we focus on spatial determinants of socioeconomic inequalities experienced by the second generation. Our analysis uses longitudinal data for the whole Swedish population, and the research design is based on a refugee dispersal policy, which quasi-randomly allocated refugees to municipalities all over the country between 1987-1993. Our findings reveal that co-ethnic networks do not uniformly affect socioeconomic outcomes, which indicates an intersectional socialization process. In general, we find considerable heterogeneity in the role of neighborhood context for the children of refugees—by sex, parental background, and the type of socioeconomic outcome that is considered. Notably, co-ethnic networks have a negative impact on the education, unemployment, and income of male children of Iranian refugees at age 25, but not for females. There is also limited evidence of a material effect of co-ethnic networks for men or women whose parents were refugees from Iraq, Lebanon or Chile. Overall, this study provides valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners working to support the successful integration of refugees and their descendants.

The increasing number of immigrant children in Europe has raised interest in the labor market entry of young people with migration backgrounds. Using data from the 2021 Italian Labor Force Survey and France’s Trajectoires et Origines 2 survey, we compare the age of first employment in both countries. These were chosen due to their contrasting migration histories: France has a long-established migration and integration experience, while Italy’s migration history is more recent. The sample is divided into native youth and youth with migration backgrounds. Employing an event history analysis for discrete time, we reconstruct the median age of labor market entry for each group, and logistic regression models are used to examine factors influencing the timing of this transition. Results show distinct employment paths based on migration and education background, with a significant gender gap in Italy where women enter later than men. This research highlights how migration history and socio-economic context shape immigrant youth employment, informing future integration policies in Europe.

This study analyses the mental vulnerability of unaccompanied foreign minors (UFMs) in Italy, emphasizing the multifaceted factors associated with their mental health. Key pre-migration factors include living conditions in their home countries, such as extreme poverty and family issues, while peri-migration factors relate to the journey to Italy, including its duration and their willingness to undertake it again if given the choice. These findings suggest that a long and traumatic journey contributes to passive mental vulnerabilities, such as depression and apathy, rather than active mental distress characterized by aggressive and violent behaviours. Post-migration, a tight social network limited to relatives or compatriots, exacerbates mental distress, whereas broader social connections serve as a protective factor. The study utilized data from surveys conducted in 2021 and 2023, involving 1,216 interviews with UFMs in Milan's reception facilities. The results underscore the importance of targeting interventions and support systems to mitigate vulnerabilities and promote mental well-being.

The paper aims to analyse the academic intentions and enrolment of foreign students in Italy adopting a longitudinal approach. We investigate the role of citizenship and age at arrival on university aspiration and enrolment. We use a unique dataset linking the survey on “Integration of the second generation” (ISG), carried out by Istat in 2015, with the students’ university enrolment data from the Ministry of University registers. Our sample comprises a nationally representative cohort of 1,837 foreign students and their 2,103 Italian classmates. We apply multinomial logistic regression models to analyse the association between students’ intention/enrolment and their migratory background. Preliminary findings show that among students with posit academic intentions, migrants are less likely to enrol, with differences related to the country of origin and age at arrival.

Much is known about postpartum depression (PPD) risk factors, but less is understood about the health differential between immigrant and non-immigrant women, and how this varies across immigrant generations and age at migration. This study examines PPD risk among women in Finland by immigration background (non-immigrant, 1st-, 2nd-, and 2.5-generation immigrant women). Using comprehensive register data and regression models, we investigate if the healthy migrant effect and negative health assimilation extend to PPD. We explore patterns of risk that may contribute to compounded disadvantage for children of immigrants through the lens of the diverging destinies theory, with particular attention to the understudied 2.5-generation. We consider factors including living with a partner, region of origin, and language spoken at home. This study aims to contribute a nuanced understanding of PPD risk across immigrant generations, the challenges of building a family in a foreign country, and potential protective factors against PPD.

Existing research suggests that parental mental health can impact children's educational outcomes. However, little is known about how this relationship applies to children of refugees, who are at high risk of adverse mental health due to the trauma of forced migration.

In this study, we examine the impact of refugee parents' mental health on their children’s educational outcomes. Using longitudinal register data of children completing compulsory schooling between 2013-2020, we apply regression-based methods to explore three questions:

To what extent is parental mental health associated with educational outcomes of Swedish-born children of refugees?

Are there differences in educational outcomes based on the type of mental health disorder, and how do these differences manifest across various refugee groups?

Do these associations vary based on sex (children &parents), as well parental background?

We present findings and discuss their implications for policy and practice concerning the successful integration of refugees and their offsprings.

Scholars have paid considerable attention to the role of ethnic factors in influencing the transition to tertiary education and students’ achievement. Recent studies (Gutfleish, Kogan, 2022; Finnie and Child, 2018) examine the factors influencing students' decisions to pursue STEM fields and students' STEM achievements. In Italy there is still a lack of in-depth analysis of the personal and family factors underlying the choices of second-generation students in tertiary education and their decisions to attend STEM fields. This paper aims to provide an initial contribution to bridge this knowledge gap through a longitudinal study about the university paths of high-school students, included the educational choices (STEM / non-STEM course of study). The study findings are based on a dataset derived from record linkage of data from ISTAT survey on second-generation integration (ISG 2015) and MUR data on university enrollments from the academic year 2015-2016 to 2022-2023. The study focuses particularly on which factors (territorial and school-related), behaviours are associated with the choice of different scientific-disciplinary groups, with a focus on STEM disciplines. The hypothesis is that in Italy, gender and citizenship may play an important role in the choice of a STEM path, and that foreign girls could be doubly disadvantaged.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has profoundly disrupted private lives, with over 7.89 million Ukrainians displaced as of November 2022. Forced separations have impacted social, economic, and health outcomes, yet limited research addresses the effects on family relationships, especially in Germany, which hosts the largest number of Ukrainian refugees in Europe.

This study investigates changes in family and social connectedness among Ukrainian refugees in Germany after the war. It examines how these changes influence individual outcomes like relationship satisfaction, loneliness, and life satisfaction, and explores the role of alternative communication tools (e.g., video calls, social media).

Data sources include Google Trends, analyzing online search behavior related to family connections before (2020–2021) and after (2022–2023) the war, and longitudinal survey data from the Ukraine SOEP (2022–2023), detailing refugees’ experiences, family dynamics, and social connections.

Preliminary results show shifts in online search patterns for Ukrainian family-related keywords, with significant differences between pre- and post-war periods. By combining digital trace data with survey insights, this study offers a deeper understanding of how family relationships respond to large-scale crises, providing evidence for policies addressing the well-being of refugee populations.