MU researchers ask: How are young migrants faring in Irish schools?

Since 2015, the world has witnessed the worst ever refugee crisis, with unprecedented numbers seeking refuge across the globe

Over half of the world’s refugees are children aged under 18, many of whom have come from conflict-affected countries where they have experienced, often multiple, traumas. However, little is known about how these children and young people are faring in their host countries. How are they being supported in schools and in the wider community? What about their mental health and wellbeing – and to what extent have they been affected by the current pandemic? The ‘SALaM Ireland’ study* (www.cmhcr.eu/salam), led by Professor Sinéad McGilloway, is a collaborative school-based project being conducted by a Maynooth University team. The study is part of a larger international research programme called ‘SALaMA’ (Study of Adolescent Lives after Migration to America) led by Washington University, St Louis (USA) in partnership with Qatar Foundation International (QFI), who are funding the research (€156,000). The new SALaM Ireland study is the first research of its kind in Ireland. It aims to assess the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of post-primary school students (aged 13-18 years) who resettled to Ireland from Arab-majority countries. It will also identify and explore the sources of daily stress in these students’ lives as well as the supports available to them. This ambitious programme of research will generate one of the first and most extensive data sets worldwide on the wellbeing of Arabic-speaking newcomer students. The study findings will provide important insights into the experiences and needs of these young people and the nature and extent of any stress which they may be experiencing in their daily lives, both in school and the wider community. The study will also illuminate ways in which schools and communities support these students as they adapt to life outside their country of origin. Collectively, the results will help to inform practices and policies to better support this population in America, Ireland and possibly elsewhere in the world. The SALaM Ireland study is led by Professor Sinéad McGilloway, Founder/Director of the Centre for Mental Health and Community Research at MU Department of Psychology and Social Sciences Institute, in collaboration with senior co-investigators, Dr Rita Sakr (MU Department of English) and Dr Anthony Malone (MU Department of Education). MU became connected to QFI via Andrew Parish (BSc 1990) and fellow alum Paul Porter (BA 1990). Porter, who works at the Belfast Royal Academy, is currently working on a QFI-funded project that uses art to reach out to Syrian children and teach their students about Arabic. The school also initiated a ‘Study Buddy’ project in north Belfast to help immigrant students settle into school and to help give the school’s pupils an appreciation of their struggle, and to learn their culture and language.