Waiting in uneven geographies of asylum reception and the social mobility of refugees

Many studies have attributed differences in social mobility outcomes among refugees to explanations on the individual level. However, research is increasingly emphasizing that focusing on individual level characteristics may divert attention from the social, political, and economic conditions in which social mobility takes place. One contextual factor faced by refugees across Europe is obligatory asylum reception. This study investigates the relationship between reception circumstances and opportunities for social mobility. Building on existing research, we argue that in addition to the length of reception, the spatial, material, and institutional conditions of reception matter because they influence refugees’ opportunities to accumulate social and human capital while waiting. Utilizing the Dutch register data, we followed the labor market entry, enrolment in education, and Dutch language acquisition of all refugees who arrived between 2014–2017 for a period of five years using survival analysis. Our findings confirm that waiting time can have a damaging effect on the social mobility of refugees. In addition, our analysis shows that remote reception locations hinder social mobility. A large distance between the reception center and the first independent dwelling also has a negative effect. Finally, we demonstrate that prolonged stays in irregular reception centers delay social mobility.