Article
societies-12-0018Racial and Ethnic Inequalities, Health Disparities and Racism in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic Populism in the EU: Unveiling Anti-Migrant Attitudes, Precarious Living Conditions and Barriers to Integration in Greece9.pdf
Societies
(2022)
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact particularly on the most vulnerable populations, including immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees in the EU. The article depicts the results of the comparative research project “Local Alliance for Integration (LION/GSRI/University of West Attica/81018): Migrant and Refugee integration into local societies in times of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain and Greece” implementing a qualitative methodology. This article analyses via 32 in-depth interviews the experiences of immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees in Greece, the increased barriers towards integration due to racial and ethnic inequalities, precarity and health disparities during this period which function as a means of perpetuating exclusion in five sectors: (a) formal employment, (b) healthcare, (c) formal education and language training, (d) housing and social care/protection, and (e) intercultural coexistence as well as the new rise of a hostile rhetoric and anti-migrant attitudes under a COVID-19 pandemic populism. The unravelling of the narratives revealed perceptions and practices of inequality and uncertainty as well as of hope. The socioeconomic impact of the pandemic on immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees, similarities and differences that occurred and evidence of the ongoing obstacles they encountered during the pandemic are presented. Policy and practice implications include the implementation of prevention measures by the institutions that are tasked with the responsibility to remove hindrances, address unequal treatment, racial/ethnic and social inequalities and raise awareness on multiple ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified vulnerability.
This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Migration and the Rise of Populism
Keywords
- migration,
- immigration,
- migrants,
- immigrants,
- refugees,
- asylum,
- asylum seekers,
- racism,
- xenophobia,
- inequality,
- health disparities,
- access to health,
- access to healthcare,
- access to healthcare services,
- pandemic,
- covid-19,
- covid-19 pandemic,
- integration,
- social integration,
- hosting society
Disciplines
Publication Date
Winter December 14, 2022
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/soc12060189
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Citation Information
MDPI and ACS Style
Fouskas, T.; Koulierakis, G.; Mine, F.-M.; Theofilopoulos, A.; Konstantopoulou, S.; Ortega-de-Mora, F.; Georgiadis, D.; Pantazi, G. Racial and Ethnic Inequalities, Health Disparities and Racism in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic Populism in the EU: Unveiling Anti-Migrant Attitudes, Precarious Living Conditions and Barriers to Integration in Greece. Societies 2022, 12, 189. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc12060189
AMA Style
Fouskas T, Koulierakis G, Mine F-M, Theofilopoulos A, Konstantopoulou S, Ortega-de-Mora F, Georgiadis D, Pantazi G. Racial and Ethnic Inequalities, Health Disparities and Racism in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic Populism in the EU: Unveiling Anti-Migrant Attitudes, Precarious Living Conditions and Barriers to Integration in Greece. Societies. 2022; 12(6):189. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc12060189
Chicago/Turabian Style
Fouskas, Theodoros, George Koulierakis, Fotini-Maria Mine, Athanasios Theofilopoulos, Sofia Konstantopoulou, Fabiola Ortega-de-Mora, Dimitrios Georgiadis, and Georgia Pantazi. 2022. "Racial and Ethnic Inequalities, Health Disparities and Racism in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic Populism in the EU: Unveiling Anti-Migrant Attitudes, Precarious Living Conditions and Barriers to Integration in Greece" Societies 12, no. 6: 189. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc12060189