Migration News: “Getting to Know You”: On the Importance of Friendship for Social Integration

Friendships are essential for new migrants to feel emotionally welcomed and supported, and for them to adapt and adjust to the new cultural environment in the UK. Despite how often migrants seem to prefer to stay with their own ethnic groups, researchers in Germany find that this is not the case: refugees and people seeking asylum do want to make new friends from the local community. 

Unfortunately, language barriers and asylum accommodations often get in the way. When one with limited English skills is housed in a place where there are only other refugees and asylum seekers, and with few opportunities to meet people in the local community, of course it would be very hard for them to make local friends. This could even lead to social isolation, where some new migrants do not have any friends in the UK. And, while few migrants face such a total isolation, in a 2013-15 UK survey high levels of social isolation were found in many non-EU migrant groups. 

In this long journey of migration, we are all fellow travellers. While needs may vary, everyone needs the welcome and support of the local communities. Welcome Churches works to connect and refer immigrants, refugees and people seeking asylum to local churches, so that they can make new local friends and be supported emotionally. Welcome Churches also provides a hotel referral service, through which accommodation providers or workers can approach churches with trained volunteers - trained and equipped by us - to support the needs of those staying in asylum accommodations. 

Please support the work of Welcome Churches so that more people from Hong Kong, as well as those from different countries, can receive support from the local communities.