Analysis of the relational integration for refugees in Spain: the role of ethnicity

Abstract

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Examining the social networks of refugees may help understand how these informal structures affect their integration into the host society. Our study aims to analyse the relational integration of refugees by investigating the ethnic diversity of their social networks. For this purpose, we collated data from a nationwide survey of 406 refugees and identified three types of social networks: ethnic, mixed, and native. Subsequently, we analysed multiple correspondences to identify the variables influencing relational evolution in social networks. We found that the expansion of refugee networks into the native population was affected by structural and cultural factors. Ethnic networks were the most common relational structures among the refugee populations. The duration of residence in the host country did not affect access to native networks; instead, structural factors (i.e. exportability of human capital and language proficiency) and cultural factors (i.e. nationality and religion) determined the affiliation to these networks