Dreams Across Distance: Refugee Student Aspirations and Their Support Networks in the Netherlands and Beyond

Abstract

This study explores how local and transnational support networks contribute to refugee students’ aspirations and capabilities in the Netherlands. Refugee students often face a range of obstacles they need to overcome to achieve their aspirations, especially at an adult age. Yet, academic literature on refugee students is often limited to youth and focused on the role of either local support networks, or transnational family. This study addresses these gaps by focusing on adult refugee students, and how both local and transnational support networks contribute to refugee students’ pursuit of educational aspirations. Educational aspirations are scrutinised as they reveal refugee students’ agency and active forms of resilience in the face of adversity, while also revealing how support networks intersect with navigating and overcoming constraints while pursuing these aspirations. In collaboration with the University Asylum Fund (UAF), refugee students aged 18 and above were included in this research. The research is conducted through interviews, surveys, and participant observation. Participants come from various countries of origin and are living throughout the Netherlands with a residence permit or currently in their asylum process. Refugee students therefore refer to refugees currently studying, or with educational aspirations. Using the aspiration-capabilities framework combined with the notion of resilience and support networks, this study shows that refugee students require enhanced resilience to achieve their educational aspirations. Support networks enhance refugee students’ resilience and foster capabilities such as financial resources, psychological well-being, study skills and practical information, ultimately contributing to a more effective pursuit of refugee students’ aspirations. A buddy programme can address remaining gaps, that of Dutch language acquisition, a (social) network, and academic and professional skills. By researching this, this study contributes to bridging the knowledge gap on adult refugee students and suggests policy implementations to address this gap in practice.