Comparing assimilation processes: Why are some migrants more vulnerable to assimilation?

Abstract

In the past, countries built their refugee education systems on the possibility of refugees going back to their countries (Dryden-Peterson et al., 2019). Hence, refugees' native languages and origin countries' curriculum were the main tools in refugee education. Until 2012, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) encouraged host countries to educate refugees based on their origin country's curriculum and by their native language. However, UNHCR has changed the refugee education paradigm to make the quality of education a priority. Then, UNHCR supports countries to integrate refugees into their national education system (UNHCR, 2012). Host countries have opened public schools to refugee children, but the new situation brings new problems like decreasing immigrants' cultural and personal space in the educational environment. These problems push immigrants into an assimilation process. Turkey has experienced different practices for Syrian refugees. These practices have led to differences in Syrian refugees' assimilation and integration process, even on the same siblings. This research offers a lens to explore why some refugees are more vulnerable to assimilation and why some of them are integrated more quickly than others.