Primary integration outcomes in a newly resettled Bhutanese refugee community

Abstract

This study explores primary integration outcomes among 270 Bhutanese refugees, including education, employment, income, and health variables. Findings confirm that Bhutanese refugees are at a distinct disadvantage due to lower education and employment levels compared with other refugee groups. Almost a third fewer refugees have a high school degree compared with a national study of Bhutanese refugees. Women are employed at a rate 40 percent lower than the US population, and poverty levels are dramatically higher. The findings point to a need to adopt a more nuanced approach to studying integration outcomes and move away from a one-size-fits-all model of resettling refugees.