Social capital and the labour market integration experiences of Afghan refugees in the Netherlands

ABSTRACT

This study explores the access and use of social capital by Afghan refugees for their labour market integration in the Netherlands. Using a qualitative research method, I conducted 32 interviews with Afghan refugees who arrived in the Netherlands as part of different migration waves, obtained refugee status and integrated into the Dutch labour market for the first time. The findings reveal that Afghan refugees have access and use different types of social capital for support in their labour market integration process to a varying degree. The support from vertical bridging was found to be the most used and helpful form of social capital for many Afghan refugees in preparing for and entering into the Dutch labour market. No case of refugees who entered the Dutch labour market directly through the support from vertical bonding social capital was found. Moreover, it was found that access and use of different forms of social capital alone have no substantial impact on securing adequate employment and/or occupational status; however, there are also several other important factors.

KEYWORDS:

• Social capital
• labour market integration
• Afghan refugees
• the Netherlands

Acknowledgements

I am thankful to all those who put me in contact with interviewees, and to the interviewees for their participation in this study. Thanks to some Afghan diaspora members, especially to Tasawor, Nekzad and Dehpoor for their helpful feedback on the earlier draft of this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Several interviews were conducted as follow up with the interviewees who were already interviewed.

2. For the description of language level, please visit https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/table-1-cefr-3.3-common-reference-levels-global-scale

3. According to the interviewees, the waiting duration to get a social house depends on municipalities.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sayed Nasrat

Sayed Nasrat is a researcher at the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance/United Nations University – MERIT, Maastricht University, the Netherlands. His research interests include development economics, foreign aid, rural development, anti-corruption, refugee (labour market) integration, diaspora mapping and engagement, social protection, and open innovation. This article is not part of the author’s affiliated institution/s.