Butler, Ceri Ann;
(2025)
The Integration of Refugee Health
Professionals in the UK NHS: The case of
refugee GPs in London.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
Abstract
The aim of this thesis is to critically explore the model of refugee integration adopted in the UK in the mid 2000s. The conceptual framework devised by Ager and Strang (2004b, 2008) is contrasted with the lived experiences of a cohort of highly skilled refugees as they sought to progress into medical training and employment. Data were collected through a series of interviews with 16 refugee doctors undergoing training in general practice, 15 of their trainer and seven key stakeholders working at the national level alongside a critical policy analysis. Overall, while Ager and Strang’s Indicators of Integration provided conceptual clarity around integration and a clear framework against which integration could be explored, their framework is challenged by the lived realities of ‘integration’ which highlight the homogenising nature of the model and its failure to capture wide variations in individual experiences. Focusing on the period post status determination, this model does not enable the experiences of those without a settled status, or those who had significant delays in the asylum process, to be fully considered. Overall, the appropriateness of the Indicators of Integration is challenged through critically assessing it against the lived experiences of a cohort of refugees seeking to integrate into a specific workplace and professional culture with assimilatory practices that pose significant barriers for integration into employment. The contemporary relevance of these findings is considered by examining current conceptions of refugee integration and policy responses to the integration of highly skilled refugees to inform new theoretical understandings of refugee integration.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | The Integration of Refugee Health Professionals in the UK NHS: The case of refugee GPs in London |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2025. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10207386 |
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