Refugee resettlement in England and Japan: Outcomes and experiences

・Date: July 2, 2025

・Time: 5:30 pm -7:30 pm (JST)

・Format: Hybrid

・In-person: Room 301, Building 10, Sophia University

・Online: ZOOM

 Please register from here: https://forms.office.com/r/ap2qXTLzA8

 

Abstract

Following the Taliban takeover in August 2021, 22,833 Afghan evacuees arrived in the UK under two official resettlement schemes. All have been granted permission to stay permanently, along with the right to work, access education and healthcare, and receive public benefits. In Japan, more than 800 Afghans arrived through government- and privately-sponsored evacuation efforts, and some have been recognized as refugees. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 subsequently brought many Ukrainians to both countries. This seminar offers a comparative perspective on the experiences of Afghans and Ukrainians who fled to the UK and Japan in the aftermath of political upheaval, and examines how host societies are creating enabling environments that shape their life chances.  

 

Program

Welcome

David Slater (Professor of Anthropology, Sophia University) 

Afghan resettlement in England: Outcomes and experiences

 

Olga Cara (Associate Professor, University College London)

The presentation will examine initial findings from the project Afghan resettlement in England: Outcomes and experiences, funded by the Nuffield Foundation. This project aims to improve the effectiveness of Afghan resettlement schemes in England. The UK team will present early results related to employment, education, lifelong learning, overall well-being, and sense of belonging. Several key variables have been identified as particularly important in understanding experiences and outcomes. These include gender, age, family structure, language proficiency, and previous qualifications and work experience.

Olga Cara is an Associate Professor in the Sociology of Education at the Centre for Sociology of Education and Equity, IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society. She has expertise in mixed methods and quantitative methodologies, with research interests in the relationship between ethnicity, language, and education, as well as parental engagement. Olga has more than 20 years of international experience investigating these issues, using large administrative datasets in the UK and Baltic countries. She has published several works on the Russian-speaking minority in Latvia, the Latvian diaspora in England, and the education of pupils who use English as an Additional Language (EAL) in England. Contact: o.cara@ucl.ac.uk

 

 Afghan Youth Navigating Belonging in England through Photovoice (On-line appearance)

Mustafa Raheal (Research Assistant, University College London)

The study involved 17 participants aged 16–19 using Photovoice, a visual and participatory method that centers youth perspectives. Over five bi-monthly sessions, the young participants captured nearly 500 photographs, accompanied by recorded discussions and individual interviews. The research highlights the complex emotional and relational landscapes navigated by young Afghans and offers critical insights for inclusive policy and practice in refugee integration, youth support, and urban planning across diverse regions of the UK.

Mohammad Mustafa Raheal is a PhD candidate at the University of Bath and a Research Assistant at UCL’s IOE – Faculty of Education and Society. He is also a Research Fellow at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. His research focuses on refugee resettlement, humanitarian aid, and inclusive development, with current work on Afghan refugee experiences in the UK. A Chevening and British Council Scholar, he has collaborated with organizations including GIZ, Sida, and the Folke Bernadotte Academy. Mustafa brings both lived experience and academic expertise to participatory and rights-based research with displaced communities. Contact: m.raheal@ucl.ac.uk

 

The UK’s response to people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine: critical reflections on the “Homes for Ukraine” scheme

Silke Zschomler (Honorary Research Fellow, University College London)

This presentation offers critical reflections on the UK government’s response to Ukrainians fleeing their country following Russia’s 2022 invasion. It focuses on “Homes for Ukraine,” a visa-based private sponsorship and hosting scheme. The scheme has created new geographies of support, as well as racialised, classed, and gendered “hierarchies of belonging,” during a period marked by increasing economic inequality and hardening borders. At the same time, it embodies contradictions within its exclusionary remit. Our place-based research on the policies and practices of the hosting scheme included interviews and multi-modal, participatory ethnographic fieldwork with Ukrainians, as well as interviews with hosts, practitioners, experts, and support workers in a London borough and in Oxford/Oxfordshire.

Silke Zschomler is an affiliate research fellow at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, and a research fellow at the University of the Arts London. A social scientist with a multidisciplinary background, she is interested in the lived experiences of migrants and those seeking sanctuary and refuge. Her research is situated at the intersection of migration and displacement, place-based inequalities, urban multiculture and diversity, and language/language learning. Methodologically, her work centres on ethnography, participatory and collaborative approaches, and the co-production of knowledge.

 

 Afghan Resettlement and their Challenges in Japan

Reiko Ogawa (Professor, Graduate School of Social Sciences, Chiba University)

 

This presentation draws on in-depth interviews with 18 evacuees, online surveys, and three years of action research conducted in collaboration with the evacuees. It examines the resettlement processes of Afghan evacuees in Japan, their (non-)entitlement to refugee status, and the challenges they face—particularly in the areas of employment and education. The presentation also offers a comparative perspective, looking at the resettlement of Afghans in other countries, such as South Korea.

Reiko Ogawa specializes in sociology, migration and refugee studies, and gender. Her research focuses on labor migration in East Asia, including policy and institutional frameworks as well as the lived experiences of migrants. She also serves as a Visiting Researcher at Waseda University and Hokkaido University, and as Deputy Director of the Center for Relational Studies on Global Crisis at Chiba University. Contact: reiogawa@chiba-u.jp

 

The Challenges of Afghan Migrants in Japan

Hasibullah Mowahed (Lecturer at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and Research Fellow at Chiba University)

This research explores the challenges faced by Afghans who evacuated to Japan or migrated there after the Taliban regained power on August 15, 2021. Afghan immigrants in Japan encounter numerous obstacles that affect their resettlement process. These challenges demand attention and action, as they directly impact the successful integration of these individuals into society. Setting aside cultural shock, the major issues include language barriers, unemployment, and lack of educational opportunities. The research draws on interviews, observation, and practical experience. It also offers a comparative perspective on the resettlement of Afghans in other countries, such as Canada and Germany.

Hasibullah Mowahed previously served as an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Economics at Kabul University and as Deputy Director General (Statistics Division) of the National Statistics and Information Authority of Afghanistan (Chief Statistician). Currently, he is a scientific board member of the Transborder Economic International Journal at the University of Rzeszów, Poland. Recently, he has been conducting research on the employment and educational situations of Afghan migrants in Japan. Contact: hasib313@gmail.com

This event is co-organized by David Slater, Sophia University Institute of Comparative Culture and Reiko Ogawa, Chiba University Research on Migration and Refugee Studies–Acknowledgements: Kaken Grant-in-Aid (24H00153)