Living the weathers and other stories

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A drawing of four kites flying in the wind.

Have you ever considered what role the weather plays in the processes of integration, or how the word ‘refugee’ shapes daily lives of the people it marks?  

How about what kind of places matter most for someone who was forced to make a home in a new country?  

Our new research Living the weathers and other stories explores these questions among people who live in Yorkshire and Humber and who were granted refugee protection at some point in their life in the UK.   

The emotional side of integration  

Where do people feel emotionally at ease and what makes them feel that way? We suggest that when looking at the emotional aspect of integration, we need to take into account the experiences, practices and connections people have in other places and in other times, that go beyond the ‘here’ [UK context] and ‘now’ [present day].  

This enables us to consider individuals’ past lives, present connections, and aspirations more attentively - their relationships, skills, knowledge, education, hopes for a good life - and to explore how these relate to living in the UK and integration processes.  

What’s the weather got to do with it?  

Find out how the weather shapes living in the UK, both in a very mundane practical way of what can and cannot be done; and emotionally through evoking connections and links to diverse places and times.  

The impact of the labelling someone a ‘refugee’  

Get more insight into how ‘being a refugee’ impacts everyday practices, opportunities, engagements, self-esteem and sense of belonging and how it can make people feel stuck, unable to resume their life.  

Helpful places

Read about how some specific places, such as libraries, community hubs, marketplaces or religious centres proved to be significant for day-to-day life in a new country, making mundane activities both hopeful and more positive.

Download your copy from the link below.

Background to the report

Produced by: Migration Yorkshire as part of the Refugee Integration Yorkshire and Humber project. 

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