The Experiences of Female Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Accessing Higher Education in the Region Île-De-France

Abstract

As one of the leading members of the European Union, France is highly regarded in terms of the development of sustainable systems for managing migration flows and upholding human rights. Considering that the region Île-de-France receives the highest number of asylum demands in the nation, local government structures are facing the challenge of addressing the rights and needs of asylum seekers and refugees that extend beyond immediate humanitarian assistance and focus on long-term integration. Questions about the integration and education of asylum seekers and refugees have moved to the forefront of political and social discourse. While over 30% of the refugee population in France are women, there are many questions surrounding the specific situations and experiences of women as they tend to be absent from the general refugee narrative. Therefore, this research asks, what are the experiences of female asylum seekers and refugee in accessing higher education in the region Île-de-France? From a social constructivist perspective, this research looks at the experiences of 12 female asylum seekers and refugees as learn to identify with local contexts within a host society. By leaving their country of origin, asylum seekers and refugees are systematically degraded through marginalization and a lack of access to information and professional networks. In response, this research provides a thematic analysis of qualitative interviews in order to illuminate three overarching themes: Why is education important to you? What obstacles have hindered access to higher education? And what opportunities have been presented since settling in France?