Refugees 's experiences across a life span : a qualitative study of perceived resources and demands among Iranian refugees in Norway

Abstract

This study explored the experiences of Iranian refugees across their life span in Norway. More specifically, the aim was to identify what resources and demands were encountered in each period of the asylum seeking, the resettlement, and the present life of Iranian refugees and how participants perceived and experienced these resources and demands. A qualitative approach, was used to capture in detail the life experiences of individuals. Nine Iranian refugees coming to Norway as asylum seekers or ‘resettlement refugees’ were interviewed with semi-structured interviews. They were recruited by snowball sampling and had stayed between seven to 21 years in Norway at the time of the interview. Results show that this group of Iranian refugees experienced demands regarding the location of the reception centre, lack of meaningful day-to-day activity, legal status insecurity, and lack of safety in their asylum seeking period. Moreover, they perceived social support as a helpful resource during this period of time. Further findings show that Iranian refugees encountered demands in relation to employment, mastering the language, and discrimination and prejudice in their resettlement to present life period. In addition, they identified social support and education as a helpful resource during this period of time. Findings indicate the importance of examining the post-migration life experiences of forced migrants in the host societies.