Valuable Beyond Vulnerable: A Scoping Review on the Contributions of Older Forced Migrants in Post-migration Recovery

Prince Chiagozie Ekoh; Christine A. Walsh

doi:10.1007/s13753-024-00549-7

Volume 15 Issue 2

Apr. 2024

Turn off MathJax

Article Contents

Article Navigation > International Journal of Disaster Risk Science > 2024 > 15(2): 186-197

Prince Chiagozie Ekoh, Christine A. Walsh. Valuable Beyond Vulnerable: A Scoping Review on the Contributions of Older Forced Migrants in Post-migration Recovery[J]. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2024, 15(2): 186-197. doi: 10.1007/s13753-024-00549-7

Citation:

Prince Chiagozie Ekoh, Christine A. Walsh. Valuable Beyond Vulnerable: A Scoping Review on the Contributions of Older Forced Migrants in Post-migration Recovery[J]. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2024, 15(2): 186-197. doi: 10.1007/s13753-024-00549-7

Citation:

PDF

Valuable Beyond Vulnerable: A Scoping Review on the Contributions of Older Forced Migrants in Post-migration Recovery

doi: 10.1007/s13753-024-00549-7

Prince Chiagozie Ekoh^{1,2
,
,},
Christine A. Walsh¹

1. Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada;
2. Department of Social Work, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Nigeria

Funds:

The first author thanks the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation and the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship for their generous support in funding his doctoral program.

Accepted Date: 2024-02-29

Available Online: 2024-10-26

Publish Date: 2024-04-09

Abstract

Abstract

During times of crisis, including pandemics, climate change, and forced migration, much of the discourse in ageing research and intervention centers on the vulnerabilities of older adults. Unfortunately, the valuable contributions of older adults to post-disaster recovery and healing are often overlooked and undervalued. Our aim in this scoping review is to shed light on the critical contributions of older forced migrants to post-migration recovery. We set the scene by introducing the two significant global demographic changes of the twenty-first century: forced migration and ageing. We provide a discourse on older forced migrants, ageing in situations of forced migration, and some of the challenges faced by older forced migrants. We then present some of the substantial roles of older forced migrants in post-migration recovery, including building resilience, contributing to culture and language transfer, providing emotional support, offering mentorship and leadership, participating in community building, and fostering social integration. We close by highlighting some of the lessons that can be drawn from understanding the unique roles played by older adults in post-forced migration recovery and the key actions necessary to promote these roles.
- Older displaced persons,
- Older forced migrants,
- Older refugees,
- Post-forced migration recovery

FullText(HTML)

References(81)

References

[1]	Ahmad, F., N. Othman, and W. Lou. 2020. Posttraumatic stress disorder, social support and coping among Afghan refugees in Canada. Community Mental Health Journal 56(4): 597-605.
[2]	Ali, M.I. 2014. Stories/storytelling for women’s empowerment/empowering stories. Women’s Studies International Forum 45: 98-104.
[3]	Arksey, H., and L. O’Malley. 2005. Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology 8(1): 19-32.
[4]	Asplet, M. 2013. Internal displacement: Responsibility and action. Geneva: UNCHR. http://archive.ipu.org/PDF/publications/Displacement-e.pdf. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[5]	Baspineiro, R. 2022. “Invisible” migration and bodies that expire: The reality of older migrants in Latin America. Equal Times, 25 May 2022. https://www.equaltimes.org/invisible-migration-and-bodies#.YsORrhPMJbV. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[6]	Bei, B., C. Bryant, K. Gilson, J. Koh, P. Gibson, A. Komiti, H. Jackson, and E. Judd. 2013. A prospective study of the impact of floods on the mental and physical health of older adults. Ageing and Mental Health 17(8): 992-1002.
[7]	Boutmira, S. 2021. Older Syrian refugees’ experiences of language barriers in postmigration and (re)settlement context in Canada. International Health Trends and Perspectives 1(2): 404-417.
[8]	Bukonda, N.K.Z., B. Smith, T.G. Disashi, J. Njue, and K.H. Lee. 2012. Incidence and correlates of diarrhea, fever, malaria and weight loss among elderly and non-elderly internally displaced parents in Cibombo Cimuangiin the Eastern Kasai Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Journal of Population Ageing 5(1): 47-66.
[9]	Burton, A., and C. Breen. 2002. Older refugees in humanitarian emergencies. Lancet 360: s47-s48.
[10]	Cook, J. 2010. Exploring older women’s citizenship: Understanding the impact of migration in later life. Ageing and Society 30(2): 253-273.
[11]	Cummings, S., L. Sull, C. Davis, and N. Worley. 2011. Correlates of depression among older Kurdish refugees. Social Work 56(2): 159-168.
[12]	Cunningham, U., and J. King. 2018. Language, ethnicity, and belonging for the children of migrants in New Zealand. SAGE Open 8(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244018782571.
[13]	Du Cros, P., S. Venis, and U. Karunakara. 2013. Should mortality data for the elderly be collected routinely in emergencies? The practical challenges of age-disaggregated surveillance systems. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 107(11): 669-671.
[14]	Dziechciaż, M., and R. Filip. 2014. Biological psychological and social determinants of old age: Bio-psycho-social aspects of human aging. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine 21(4): 835-838.
[15]	Ekoh, P.C., and U.O. Okoye. 2022. More than just forced migrants: Using intersectionality to understand the challenges and experiences of older refugees in Western societies. Journal of Social Work in Developing Societies 4(2). https://journals.aphriapub.com/index.php/JSWDS/article/view/1603.
[16]	Ekoh, P.C., P.U. Agbawodikeizu, E.O. George, C.D. Ezulike, and U.O. Okoye. 2021. More invisible and vulnerable: The impact of COVID-19 on older persons in displacement in Durumi IDP camp Abuja, Nigeria. Quality in Ageing and Older Adults 22(3/4): 135-146.
[17]	Ekoh, P.C., C. Ejimkaraonye, P.U. Agbawodikeizu, N.E. Chukwu, T.J. Okolie, E.O. Ugwu, C.G. Otti, and P.L. Tanyi. 2023. Exclusion within exclusion: The experiences of internally displaced older adults in Lugbe camp, Abuja. Journal of Aging Studies 66: Article 101160.
[18]	Ekoh, P.C., A.O. Iwuagwu, E.O. George, and C.A. Walsh. 2022. Forced migration-induced diminished social networks and support, and its impact on the emotional wellbeing of older refugees in Western countries: A scoping review. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics 105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2022.104839.
[19]	Field Exchange. 2012. The impact of displacement on older people. https://www.ennonline.net/fex/44/older#:~:text=HelpAge%20and%20IDMC%20research%20and,rarely%20consulted%20within%20IDP%20operations. Accessed 24 Feb 2024.
[20]	Flynn, M., and L. Wong. 2022. Older migrants and overcoming employment barriers: Does community activism provide the answer? Frontiers in Sociology 7: Article 845623.
[21]	Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data. 2022. Data on disability and migration: What do we know? https://www.data4sdgs.org/blog/data-disability-and-migration-what-do-we-know. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[22]	Good, G.A., S. Phibbs, and K. Williamson. 2016. Disoriented and immobile: The experiences of people with visual impairments during and after the Christchurch, New Zealand, 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness 110(6): 425-435.
[23]	Gustafsson, B., V. Jakobsen, H.M. Innes, P.J. Pedersen, and T. Österberg. 2021. Older immigrants—New poverty risk in Scandinavian welfare states?. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 48(19): 4648-4669.
[24]	Handicap International and HelpAge International. 2014. Hidden victims of the Syrian crises: Disabled, injured and older refugees. https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/40819. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[25]	Hatzidimitriadou, E. 2010. Migration and ageing: Settlement experiences and emerging care needs of older refugees in developed countries. Hellenic Journal of Psychology 7(1): 1-20.
[26]	Helman, C.G. 2005. Cultural aspects of time and ageing. EMBO Reports 6: S54-S58.
[27]	HelpAge and Handicap International. 2012. A study of humanitarian financing for older people and persons with disabilities, 2010-2011. https://www.helpage.org/silo/files/a-study-of-humanitarian-financing-for-older-people.pdf. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[28]	HelpAge International. 2016. Older voices in humanitarian crisis: Calling for change. London: HelpAge International.
[29]	HelpAge International. 2014. Hidden victims: New research on older, disabled and injured Syrian refugees. https://www.helpage.org/news/hidden-victims-new-research-on-older-disabled-and-injured-syrian-refugees/. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[30]	HelpAge International. 2018a. Older people in displacement: Falling through the cracks of emergency responses. https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/resource-documents/12292.pdf. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[31]	HelpAge International. 2018b. Missing millions: How older people with disabilities are excluded from humanitarian response. https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/media/23446. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.2024.
[32]	HelpAge International and IDMC (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre). 2012. The neglected generation: The impact of displacement on older people. https://www.internal-displacement.org/publications/the-neglected-generation-the-impact-of-displacement-on-older-people. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[33]	Hutton, D. 2008. Older people in emergencies: Considerations for action and policy development. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. https://extranet.who.int/agefriendlyworld/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/WHO-Older-Persons-in-Emergencies-Considerations-for-Action-and-Policy-Development-English.pdf. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[34]	ICEDLSH (International Centre for Evidence in Disability at London School of Hygiene) and TMHI (Tropical Medicine and HelpAge International). 2018. Missing millions: How older people with disabilities are excluded from humanitarian response. London: ICEDLSH and TMHI.
[35]	IDMC (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre). 2011. Flood-displaced women in Sindh Province, Pakistan: Research findings and recommendations. https://reliefweb.int/report/pakistan/impact-flood-induced-displacement-women-sindh-province. Accessed 24 Feb 2024.
[36]	IZA Institute of Labor Migration. 2021. Population aging and migration. https://docs.iza.org/dp14389.pdf. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[37]	Jackson, D., and J. Mannix. 2003. Mothering and women’s health: I love being a mother but... there is always something new to worry about. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing 20(3): 30-37.
[38]	Karasapan, O. 2016. The older refugee and community resilience. Arab Voices, 24 June 2016. https://blogs.worldbank.org/arabvoices/older-refugee-and-community-resilience. Accessed 24 Feb 2024.
[39]	Koh, L.C., R. Walker, D. Wollersheim, and P. Liamputtong. 2018. I think someone is walking with me: The use of mobile phone for social capital development among women in four refugee communities. International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care 14(4): 411-424.
[40]	Kuittinen, S., R.-L. Punamäki, M. Mölsä, S.I. Saarni, M. Tiilikainen, and M.-L. Honkasalo. 2014. Depressive symptoms and their psychosocial correlates among older Somali refugees and native Finns. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 45(9): 1434-1452.
[41]	Lergetporer, P., M. Piopiunik, and L. Simon. 2021. Does the education level of refugees affect natives’ attitudes? European Economic Review 134: Article 103710.
[42]	Leseho, J., and L. Block. 2005. “Listen and I tell you something”: Storytelling and social action in the healing of the oppressed. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling 33(2): 175-184.
[43]	Lima, S., L. Teixeira, R. Esteves, F. Ribeiro, F. Pereira, A. Teixeira, and C. Magalhães. 2020. Spirituality and quality of life in older adults: A path analysis model. BMC Geriatrics 20: Article 259.
[44]	Löckenhoff, C.E., F.D. Fruyt, A. Terracciano, R.R. McCrae, M.D. Bolle, M.E. Aguilar-Vafaie, L. Alcalay, J. Allik, et al. 2009. Perceptions of aging across 26 cultures and their culture-level associates. Psychology and Aging 24(4): Article 941.
[45]	Lössbroek, J., B. Lancee, T. van der Lippe, and J. Schippers. 2021. Age discrimination in hiring decisions: A factorial survey among managers in nine European countries. European Sociological Review 37(1): 49-66.
[46]	Lupieri, S. 2022. “Vulnerable” but not “Valuable”: Older refugees and perceptions of deservingness in medical humanitarianism. Social Science & Medicine 301: Article 114903.
[47]	Malone, J., and A. Dadswell. 2018. The role of religion, spirituality and/or belief in positive ageing for older adults. Geriatrics 3(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics3020028.
[48]	Migration Data Portal. 2022. Older persons and migration. https://www.migrationdataportal.org/themes/older-persons-and-migration. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[49]	Montoro-Ramírez, E.M., L. Parra- Anguita, C. Álvarez- Nieto, G. Parra, and I. Lopez-Medina. 2022. Effects of climate change in the elderly’s health: A scoping review protocol. BMJ Open 12: Article e058063.
[50]	National Disaster Risk Reduction Centre. 2016. Assessing the impact of Nepal’s 2015 earthquake on older people and persons with disabilities and how gender and ethnicity factor into that impact. Study report submitted to HelpAge International. Kathmandu, Nepal: NDRC.
[51]	Nelson, A., and B. Arthur. 2003. Storytelling for empowerment: Decreasing at-risk youth’s alcohol and marijuana use. The Journal of Primary Prevention 24: 169-180.
[52]	Oberman, K. 2020. Refugee discrimination—The good, the bad, and the pragmantic. Journal of Applied Philosophy 37(5): 695-712.
[53]	Okolie, T.J., P.C. Ekoh, S.C. Onuh, and E.O. Ugwu. 2023. Perspectives of rural older women on the determinants of successful ageing in southeast Nigeria. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology 38(2): 173-189.
[54]	Osterlund, P.B. 2022. Turkey: Man arrested after kicking elderly Syrian woman in video. Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/1/turkey-man-arrested-after-kicking-elderly-syrian-woman-in-video. Access 17 Aug 2023.
[55]	Pieterse, S., and S. Ismail. 2003. Nutritional risk factors for older refugees. Disasters 27(1): 16-36.
[56]	Pot, A., M. Keijzer, and K. De Bot. 2020. The language barrier in migrant aging. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 23(9): 1139-1157.
[57]	Seedat, S., W.P. Pienaar, D. Williams, and D.J. Stein. 2004. Ethics of research on survivors of trauma. Current Psychiatry Reports 6(4): 262-267.
[58]	Shemirani, F.S., and D.L. O’Connor. 2006. Ageing in a foreign country: Voices of Iranian women ageing in Canada. Journal of Women & Aging 18(2): 73-90.
[59]	Sood, S., and A. Bakhshi. 2012. Perceived social support and psychological well-being of aged Kashmiri migrants. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences 2(2): 1-7.
[60]	Sundquist, K., L.M. Johansson, V. DeMarinis, S.E. Johansson, and J. Sundquist. 2005. Posttraumatic stress disorder and psychiatric co-morbidity: Symptoms in a random sample of female Bosnian refugees. European psychiatry: The Journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists 20(2): 158-164.
[61]	Theron, L., K. Cockcroft, and L. Wood. 2017. The resilience-enabling value of African folktales: The read-me-to-resilience intervention. School Psychology International 38(5): 491-506.
[62]	Tong, H., Y. Lung, S.L. Lin, K.M. Kobayashi, K.M. Davison, S. Agbeyaka, and E. Fuller-Thomson. 2021. Refugee status is associated with double the odds of psychological distress in mid-to-late life: Findings from the Canadian longitudinal study on aging. International Journal of Social Psychiatry 67(6): 747-760.
[63]	Tricco, A.C., E. Lillie, W. Zarin, K.K. O’Brien, H. Colquhoun, D. Levac, D. Moher, and M.D.J. Peters et al. 2018. PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and explanation. Annals of Internal Medicine 169(7): 467-473.
[64]	Turton, D. 2003. Refugees and “other forced migrants”. Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. https://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/files/files-1/wp13-refugees-other-forced-migrants-2003.pdf. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[65]	UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees). 1951. The 1951 refugee convention. https://www.unhcr.org/1951-refugee-convention.html. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[66]	UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees). 2002. Older refugees. https://www.unhcr.org/handbooks/ih/age-gender-diversity/older-refugees. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[67]	UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees). 2015. Older persons. https://emergency.unhcr.org/entry/43935/older-persons#:~:text=An%20older%20person%20is%20defined,or%20age%2Drelated%20health%20conditions. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[68]	UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees). 2016. Strengthening protection of persons with disabilities in forced displacement: The situation of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) with disabilities in Ukraine. https://www.unhcr.org/what-we-do/protect-human-rights/safeguarding-individuals/persons-disabilities/strengthening. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[69]	UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees). 2017. Global trends: Forced displacement in 2017. https://www.unhcr.org/globaltrends2017/. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[70]	UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees). 2019a. Older persons in forced displacement—Intersecting risks. Expert Group Meeting on Older Persons in Emergency Crisis. https://social.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/migrated/22/2019/05/UNHCR-Expert-Group-meeting-on-aging_Lange.pdf. Accessed 24 Feb 2024.
[71]	UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees). 2019b. Refugee education in crisis: More than half of the world’s school-age refugee children do not get an education. https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2019/8/5d67b2f47/refugee-education-crisis-half-worlds-school-age-refugee-children-education.html. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[72]	UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees). 2020. Older persons. https://www.unhcr.org/older-persons.html. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[73]	UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees). 2022. Refugees need better mental health support amid rising displacement. https://www.unhcr.org/news/news-releases/refugees-need-better-mental-health-support-amid-rising-displacement. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[74]	UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees). 2023a. Data and statistics: Mid-year trends. https://www.unhcr.org/mid-year-trends. Accessed 14 Jan 2024.
[75]	UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees). 2023b. Operational data portal: Ukraine refugee situation. https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine. Accessed 24 Jan 2023.
[76]	UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees) and HelpAge International. 2021. Working with older persons in forced displacement. Geneva: UNHCR. https://www.refworld.org/docid/4ee72aaf2.html. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[77]	UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) and IDMC (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre). 2019. Protecting and supporting internally displaced children in urban settings. https://www.unicef.org. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[78]	United Nations Human Rights. 2022. Principles and guidelines, supported by practical guidance, on the protection of migrants in vulnerable situations. https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/Migration/PrinciplesAndGuidelines.pdf. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[79]	Wang, S.C., J.W. Creswell, and D. Nguyen. 2017. Vietnamese refugee elderly women and their experiences of social support: A multiple case study. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology 32(4): 479-496.
[80]	WHO (World Health Organization). 2021. Ageing and health. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.
[81]	World Bank. 2021. Fragility, conflict and violence. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/fragilityconflictviolence/overview#1. Accessed 17 Aug 2023.