Linda Tip is a Principal Lecturer in Psychology whose research is centred around the psychological side of migration; in particular, the social welfare of refugees and asylum seekers. Most recently, Linda has been exploring the use of digital technologies in relation to the well-being and successful integration of refugees, where she defines integration as equality of access and treatment between established residents and people who arrived as refugees. Her current project is investigating the effect of digital technology on Unaccompanied Refugee Children and Young People (URCYP). Here, Linda talks about her work in the field to date.

Migration’s psychological impact

‘I became interested in the psychological impact of migration at the beginning of my academic career. I worked as research assistant to an academic who studied cross-cultural psychology while I was studying for my psychology BSc, as well as during my MSc.

‘Later, I became a post-doctoral research fellow, investigating people who were resettled to the UK through a refugee resettlement programme. At that time there was only one such programme – the Gateway Protection Programme. Working with organisations in Manchester, Norwich, Sheffield and Brighton, I investigated multiple aspects of the well-being of resettled refugees and how best to support them. Something many refugees spoke about during these research interviews was the difficulties they had navigating the ‘British system’.

New country, new confusion

‘The ‘British system’ in this context means the essential administrative tasks we’re required to carry out in order to participate successfully in life in the UK. Tasks such as completing job applications, filling in forms related to healthcare, accessing education and interacting with many services, opportunities and legal requirements. Most of these tasks need to be carried out digitally and although many of the refugees I spoke to were computer literate, they frequently struggled with the process because of challenges such as language, including unfamiliar terminology and confusing question structure.

‘I know from my own experience, coming to the UK from the Netherlands in 2008, that official documents such as application forms can use language that is confusing to a non-native speaker – the subtle nuance of language may be obvious to a native speaker but can seem impenetrable for others. It became clear to me that digital technology, both in ‘navigating the British system’ as well as other uses, plays a part in the well-being and social integration of refugees, in positive and negative ways, and this led to my interest in researching the topic in depth.

Knowledge through collaboration

‘I joined the University of Brighton as a Lecturer in Psychology in February 2018 and in May of that year I won a Rising Stars Award, which gave me funding to explore the possibilities of using digital mental health interventions to improve the well-being of refugees in the UK. For this research project we created a steering group that included several significant organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Refugee Council and Brighton and Hove City Council. Working with these and other collaborators enabled a valuable knowledge exchange based on the wide ranging experience and research of all participants. We explored the possibilities and potential pitfalls of multiple types of digital technology use and published a paper on our findings in the Journal of Refugee Studies.

‘It was my work with digital technologies that led to my connecting with the CDCI, where I eventually joined the management board. My research carried out through the Rising Stars Award has now led to a new project, funded through the UKRI-funded eNurture Network, looking specifically at Unaccompanied Refugee Children and Young People (URCYP).

Unaccompanied Refugee Children and Young People

‘For my eNurture project, I’m working with Linda Morrice from the University of Sussex to examine the multiple ways in which Unaccompanied Refugee Children and Young People (URCYP) engage with digital resources. In doing so, we seek to identify the resources which offer support to URCYP, for example online resources and social media which support education, language learning and the building of social connections and belonging. On the flipside, we’re also exploring the risks that access to unfamiliar social media, online material and transnational social connections, can present for the safety and well-being of these young people.

‘This research is at an early stage and I cannot yet say what the pros and cons of different digital experiences are for this group. This is something that I very much want the young people involved to lead on, without any preconceived ideas coming from me as a researcher. We are working with young people under the age of 18 and want them to explore their own, direct experience. We’d like them to be open about what their digital experiences have been and talk about how those experiences have impacted on them, good or bad.

‘We’re working with two young ambassadors, both of whom have lived experience of being young refugees and who work for organisations that support young refugees locally.

‘I hope that through this research we will be better able to support these vulnerable young people. Unaccompanied child refugees are isolated and have an innate need to connect with peers. It’s important that we find safe ways for them to do this alongside accessing other digital support and opportunities. Essentially, we are asking: ‘What would you like the professionals who work with refugees to know about your situation? What do you need as support?” In this way, URCYP can explain to professionals where they feel safe or unsafe and clarify the kind of help and support that they need in order to enhance their wellbeing whilst living in the UK. The information that we gain through this research will also be useful to people such as teachers and foster parents who want to interact successfully with those in their care.

PhD supervision and common goals

‘There is enormous scope for research into the consequences of digital technologies on aspects of migration. Currently, I am supervising four PhD students on a variety of topics, two of whom are linked to the CDCI. Liliane Broschart is investigating the role of digital and print resources used in English language acquisition in relation to the well-being and social integration of refugee children living in the UK. Sidney Lupupe Mushinge is investigating the impact of ‘digital by default’ policies on public and third sector organisations and their clients, particularly those for whom English is an additional language, such as migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

‘As a social psychologist, I look at the general well-being of refugees, including factors such as access to education, employment and the kind of social networks that enable individuals to function successfully in the society in which they live. Quite often, I find that refugees I have worked with have had their mental health and social well-being more affected by their experience after arrival than by the trauma that caused them to flee their country of origin.

‘Young refugees over 18 are frequently disillusioned with the UK. They want to participate to the best of their ability but then find there is no access to education for them. They end up being referred to the Jobcentre, and as a result often remain stuck in low-level jobs. The effect of their individual stories on me is profound. They are often traumatic to hear, but at the same time they inspire me to want to make a difference and to change lives for the better.’