The land of a thousand refused asylum seekers – the state of resources, coping strategies and prospects for the future: experiences of refused asylum seekers living in Finland

Abstract

The aim of the thesis was to examine the experiences of refused asylum seekers in Finland by finding out their state of resources, coping strategies and prospects for the future. In addition, the thesis considered the respondents’ messages to Finnish decision-makers. In this thesis, the term of a refused asylum seeker is used for individuals whose claim for asylum has been refused by the Finnish Immigration Service and who additionally may have an ongoing subsequent asylum application or appeal. The study results were based on semi-structured interviews with six refused asylum seekers. The sustainable livelihoods framework was utilized to design the interview questions and analyse results regarding resources. The theoretical framework consisted of these concepts: social inclusion/exclusion, social capital, resilience and agency. The data was analysed by using thematic analysis method. The research questions were following: a) how do the refused asylum seekers describe their resources?, b) how do the refused asylum seekers describe their coping strategies?, c) how do the refused asylum seekers perceive their future?, and d) what are the messages of the refused asylum seekers to Finnish decision-makers? The results from this study indicate that the interviewees lacked access to different resources due to their legal status. Their social assets were generally quite limited, but existing networks had a valuable meaning for them. Access to health services was constrained, and the need for psychosocial support was particularly high. The respondents coped usually by building social networks and working, in addition, some experiences were gained of the grey market. The interviewees were reluctant towards asking people for help, financially or otherwise, and the feelings of mental distress were usually not shared with anyone. The overarching similarity was the fear of being deported. The interviewees hoped to learn the Finnish language, get a job and study a vocational qualification. The main messages of the respondents were that their asylum cases were not comprehensively and correctly addressed, and the legal assistance was inadequate. In addition, the respondents had a desire to be included in the Finnish labour market, and they did not want to return to the country of origin even though they had received a negative decision on their asylum application.