A cross-border comparison of care strategies that women refugees and asylum seekers employ for survival during converging public health crises in Ireland and Northern Ireland

Dr Amanda Lubit    Dublin City University &  Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Germany

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that public health crises disproportionately impact already marginalised populations like displaced women (a term used throughout referring to refugees and international protection applicants). Impacts were gendered, racialised and unequally experienced, exacerbating existing inequalities. In order to improve societal outcomes during future crises, research is needed on how the most vulnerable sectors of society are impacted and respond. Vulnerable individuals suffer most during times of crisis, yet the impacts of a crisis also extend to broader society. For this reason, research and recommendations on displaced persons are vital for society to survive a crisis and thrive afterwards. This research will provide data on how converging crises interact and what vulnerable populations need to survive. This will enable local, national, and international governmental and nongovernmental organisations to better prepare for future crises in advance.

This research project takes a multi-modal ethnographic approach to examine the impact of multiple converging public health crises (the COVID-19 pandemic and Ukrainian refugee crisis, Brexit, economic and housing crises) on displaced women across the island of Ireland. The research will use the analytical concept of “care” to identify the ways individuals and organisations take care of one another during overlapping crises. This will allow for recommendations on public policy to better support marginalised populations in future crises.

An innovative combination of qualitative methods will be utilised, including semi-structured interviews, sensory ethnography, participant observation, digital ethnography, and a creative participatory element. The research will take a cross-border approach, occurring in three cities: Belfast (Northern Ireland), Dundalk (on the border) and Dublin (Republic of Ireland). This will benefit island-wide efforts at cohesion and collaboration by providing recommendations for joint crisis response in the future. Dissemination to multi-sectoral audiences (e.g. interdisciplinary scholars, refugee organisations, public health institutions, emergency management professionals and policymakers) is crucial to achieving this impact.

Dr Lubit will engage in interdisciplinary migration networks, present at international conferences, create a public research website, and host three community outreach events. Dr Lubit will be mentored over the 3 year fellowship by Professor Anthony Staines, Dublin City University and Professor Megha Amrith, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Germany.