Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies
Volume 17, Issue 3, 2019, Pages 389-404

“I'll Always Be a Refugee”: The Lived Experience of Palestinian Refugee Women of Moving to a Small Society in Iceland (Article)

Kristjánsdóttir E.S.* , Skaptadóttir U.D.
  • a School of Business, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
  • b Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland

Abstract

This study focuses on a group of refugee women from the Middle East who were forced to leave their homes, live in a refugee camp, and move to a small town in Iceland. Interviews were conducted to explore their experiences of resettlement in their new home. Five themes emerged: receptivity of the community, “Islamic way of life,” gender roles, lack of social ties, and language barrier. The women found security in the community and established close ties with other refugee women. However, the women felt lonely and isolated due to limited interaction with locals, which exacerbated their ability to integrate. © 2018, © 2018 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Author Keywords

culture Integration Women language Refugees

Index Keywords

refugee relocation language Iceland forced migration womens status
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85055543270&doi=10.1080%2f15562948.2018.1499065&partnerID=40&md5=c5fd9dc5851a2b153a9a499eda7853d6
DOI: 10.1080/15562948.2018.1499065
ISSN: 15562948
Original Language: English