The author, a former resident of Al-Hasakah, Syria, and current resident of Albany Park, Chicago, USA, reflects on her integration experiences, new and old. She compares and contrasts integration in both spaces in an effort to better understand the complexity of coexistence.
Syria
Sydney, Australia
This case report examines how young people, like the author, interact with the legal system in Australia and focus on the three areas of law practiced by Legal Aid: Civil, Criminal, and Family. It will look through the lens of the author’s experience moving to Fairfield as a refugee and now working in refugee services.
Çarşamba, Bursa, Turkey
Zahed Mukayed, a Syrian refugee living in Istanbul, and Ezgi Irgil, a Turkish PhD student living in Sweden, discuss their research with Syrian refugees in Ezgi’s hometown of Bursa. They argue that a lack of Turkish government action on settlement or resettlement for refugees creates distrust and uncertainty. This disrupts everyday life, as Syrian parents worry about the future of their children should they remain in Turkey or return to Syria. This report focuses on three main concerns for Syrian children: potential statelessness, loss of the Arabic language, and racism.
Tripoli, Lebanon
This case study explores how the Syrian influx has affected Tripoli, with a focus on urban poverty, including how relationships between Lebanese and Syrians have deteriorated as competition over jobs intensifies, security concerns increase, and decrepit public infrastructure has been further strained. It highlights the responses of Syrian refugees and the Lebanese population, ending with some ideas about ways to improve employment prospects and economic stability.