Received formal support in the eyes of the refugees: experiences of refugee parents in exile

<p>The humanitarian crises triggered by different events and processes will always create common anddifferent movements and protection needs regardless of the nature of events and reason for itsoccurrence. Refugee crisis as one of the humanitarian crisis examples has taken a broad place andreceived attention in society today. The aim of this survey was to research experiences of refugeeparents regarding formal support they or their family have received. The qualitative survey wasconducted in 2016 in Bulgaria, the host country for many refugees for decades, and a countrycontinually criticised for instances of brutal and inhuman treatment of refugees, as well as forinadequate protection of refugees who have been granted asylum in the country. Research hasshown that refugee parents lack support in both ways: receiving psychosocial, financial, material orpractical support and in help to enrol their children in school. The participants claimed that one ofthe biggest challenges they face in Bulgaria is insufficient support from public authorities whichcaused anxiety, anger and frustration for parents and difficulties in coping with their present lifecircumstances. Those challenges together with a high sense of responsibility and anxiety over thefuture prospects of their children represent the key factors of stress for refugee parents. Refugeeswho lack social support often feel less motivated to engage in activities that would facilitate theirintegration and they are prone to social isolation, because of which further investigation is needed tounderstand what is happening with the families who did not receive social support and how to reachthem. Whereas social support represents an effective mechanism for coping with the stress and thechallenges of displacement, these findings suggest the need for continuous professional support andimplementation of psychosocial interventions. Next, the refugee parents expressed their anger andfrustration over denied opportunities for inclusion of their children in the educational system. It isthus equally important to conduct further investigation on the resulting outcomes for children whohave been excluded from the educational system for longer periods of time. Furthermore, there isneed to investigate who supports children once they are involved in the educational system in a hostcountry and what kind of support is provided to them and to their families. This research study hasshown many challenges and issues faced by refugee parents in Bulgaria, and emphasises the need forBulgarian authorities to act responsibly and in accordance with international and national law.</p>