Refugees/Displaced people in the workplace

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency there were 80 million forcibly displaced individuals worldwide as of the middle of the year 2020. Twenty-six million of them were refugees, persons who have been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster (Uganda National Roads Authority [UNRA], 2021). The call for papers for this special issue of Cadernos EBAPE.BR noted that “the growing number of refugees and displaced people and the work and life difficulties they face is a central social issue in the world today.” In addition to the difficulties experienced by refugees and displaced persons, there are corresponding challenges for the countries providing them refuge. The home and work environments faced by refugees will be greatly impacted as they seek to assimilate and rebuild their lives in a new country. The introduction of a large number of refugees into a country will greatly affect the work and life outcomes for all members of society in the host country. Research is needed to examine these issues from the perspective of individual refugees’ experiences, as well as, the larger societal effects on host nationals.

This special issue focuses on refugees and displaced people in Brazil. The main focus of the articles in this special issue is the integration of these refugees into the work environments of Brazil. Authors in this thematic issue of Cadernos EBAPE.BR examine a range of topics related to the large influx of refugees in Brazil. We present several articles in this special edition of Cadernos EBAPE.BR that address issues of racism and discrimination that refugees face and several articles that address ways refugees may overcome barriers and integrate into society. Several articles also discuss the role of Non-Government Organizations in assisting refugees with the integration and acculturation process. We hope that this special issue will increase our understanding of this humanitarian crisis and result in positive outcomes for refugees, displaced people, and Brazilian nationals.

When we published the call for paper over one year ago, none of us could have predicted a global pandemic of epic proportions that has infected over 116,064,564 and killed 2,576,761 people worldwide (Worldometers.info, 2021). While virtually little is known about the effects of the coronavirus on refugees, we can expect that COVID-19 has exacerbated the situation faced by refugees and displaced persons throughout the world.

You are invited to read the introductory piece to this special edition, written by Professors Sharon L. Segrest (University of South Florida), Amy E. Hurley-Hanson (Chapman University) and Cristina M. Giannantonio (Chapman University) who served as guest editors for this issue of Cadernos EBAPE.BR.

I wish you a pleasant read!

Ph.D. Sharon L. SegrestPh.D. Amy E. Hurley-HansonPh.D. Cristina M. Giannantonio

REFERENCES

• Uganda National Roads Authority. (2021). United Nations Refugee Agency Retrieved from https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance.html
  » https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance.html
• Worldometers.info. (2021). COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic Retrieved from https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/?Utm _ampaign=homeAdvegas1?%22
  » https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/?Utm _ampaign=homeAdvegas1?%22

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  28 June 2021
• Date of issue
  Apr-Jun 2021