Central Capabilities to Well-Being in the Context of Forced Migration : A Scoping Review of Capability Approach-Based Literature

This is a sel -a chi ed e sion o an o iginal a icle. This e sion may di e om he o iginal in pagina ion and ypog aphic de ails. Au ho (s): Ti le: Yea : Ve sion: Copy igh : Righ s: Righ s u l: Please ci e he o iginal e sion: CC BY 4.0 h ps://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/4.0/ Cen al Capabili ies o Well-Being in he Con ex o Fo ced Mig a ion : A Scoping Re iew o Capabili y App oach-Based Li e a u e © The Au ho (s) 2024 Published e sion Nassa , A een Nassa , A. (2024). Cen al Capabili ies o Well-Being in he Con ex o Fo ced Mig a ion : A Scoping Re iew o Capabili y App oach-Based Li e a u e. Jou nal o In e na ional Mig a ion and In eg a ion, Ea ly online. h ps://doi.o g/10.1007/s12134-024-01202-4 2024 Vol.:(0123456789) Jou nal o In e na ional Mig a ion and In eg a ion h ps://doi.o g/10.1007/s12134-024-01202-4 Cen al Capabili ies oWell‑Being in heCon ex o Fo ced Mig a ion: AScoping Re iew o Capabili y App oach‑Based Li e a u e A eenNassa 1 Accep ed: 2 No embe 2024 © The Au ho (s) 2024 Abs ac This pape p o ides a comp ehensi e o e iew o he Capabili y App oach-based li e a u e ele an o o ced mig an s’ alued capabili ies o well-being. I s p ima y aim is o iden i y he capabili ies ha a e o cen ali y o well-being wi hin he con ex o o ced mig a ion. This esea ch applies Naz’s (2020) me hodological a gumen , iden i ying he elemen s o he ideal lis o capabili ies o well-being by e iewing li e a u e, in he con ex o o ced mig a ion. Following A ksey and O’Malley’s (2005) me hodological amewo k o scop- ing s udies, se en elec onic da abases we e sea ched, esul ing in he inclusion o en pee - e iewed jou nal a icles in his esea ch. Using desc ip i e and hema ic da a analysis me hods, his s udy e eals ha o ced mig an s alue h ee key capabili ies: he Capabili y o Legali y, which in ol es being able o be legally ecognised and secu e; he Capabili y o Educa ion, which emphasises being able o be educa ed a a ious le els o lea ning; and he Capabili y o Sociali y, which encompasses being able o be socially connec ed. While b oade scoping e iews and u he empi ical s udies a e s ill highly ecommended, he capabili ies iden i ied in his e iew ha e he po en ial o in o m policies and se ices ele an o he con ex o o ced mig a ion, ul ima ely imp o ing he o e all well-being o o ced mig an s in hos socie ies. Keywo ds Fo ced mig a ion· Capabili y app oach· Cen al capabili ies· Well- being· Scoping e iew In oduc ion Imagine being o cibly up oo ed om you home, o n away om e e y hing amilia and dea o you. Fo ced mig a ion, a haun ing eali y o millions a ound he wo ld, eme ges as a phenomenon anscending bo de s, cul u es, and * A een Nassa [email p o ec ed] 1 Uni e si y o Jy äskylä, Kokkola Uni e si y Conso ium Chydenius, Jy äskylä, Finland A.Nassa con inen s, lea ing in i s wake coun less indi iduals g appling wi h he ques o well-being. This complica ed phenomenon has cap u ed he a en ion o a ious s akeholde s a he na ional and in e na ional le els, including esea che s and policymake s, who ha e p oposed humane in e en ions and in eg a ion s a e- gies o imp o e he well-being o indi iduals wi h o ced mig a ion backg ounds. The enhancemen p ocess o people’s well-being necessi a es ini ially iden i y- ing hei well-being aspec s—capabili ies— a ious hings indi iduals ha e eason o alue being o doing (Sen, 1985, 1993). Subsequen ly, enhancing he well-being o indi iduals wi h o ced mig a ion backg ounds, h ough policies and se ices, necessi a es i s iden i ying hei capabili ies. Acco dingly, i is impe a i e o he p oponen s o he Capabili y App oach o unde ake an explo a ion ocused on iden- i ying he capabili ies cen al o he well-being o o ced mig an s in hos socie ies. This esea ch applies Naz’s (2020) me hodological a gumen , iden i ying he elemen s o he ideal lis o capabili ies o well-being by e iewing he li e a u e, in he con ex o o ced mig a ion. Th ough scoping and mapping he Capabili y App oach-based li e a u e published in he esea ch a ea o o ced mig a ion, he p ima y aim is o iden i y o ced mig an s’ alued capabili ies o well-being in hos socie ies. The o e a ching esea ch ques ion is, he e o e, se ou as ollows: Wha is known om he exis ing li e a u e based on he Capabili y App oach ega ding he capabili ies cen al o he well-being o o ced mig an s? The signi icance o his esea ch lies in i s con ibu ion o he enhancemen o he o e all well-being o o ced mig an s in hos socie ies. This is because he capabili ies iden i ied ha e he po en ial o in o m immig a ion, in eg a ion, wel a e, and humani a ian policies, as well as hei co esponding se ices, el- e an o he con ex o o ced mig a ion. Fu he mo e, he esea ch makes a al- uable con ibu ion o he ongoing me hodological deba e wi hin he Capabili y App oach communi y ega ding he iden i ica ion o cen al capabili ies. This pape is s uc u ed in six main sec ions. I i s in oduces o ced mig a- ion as he Resea ch Con ex hen p oceeds in he Theo e ical Backg ound by gi ing an o e iew o he Capabili y App oach o well-being. Subsequen ly, he me hodological amewo k adop ed in his scoping e iew is desc ibed in he Me hodology sec ion, a e which he cen al capabili ies a e p esen ed in he Findings sec ion. The pape ends wi h a Discussion and Conclusion. Resea ch Con ex : Fo ced Mig a ion Fo ced mig a ion is a mig a o y mo emen which, al hough he d i e s can be di e se, in ol es o ce, compulsion, o coe cion (IOM, 2019). I encompasses indi iduals compelled o lee hei homes and who a e o en ca ego ised in o di - e en legal o poli ical g oups, including e ugees, a icked pe sons, s a eless pe sons, asylum seeke s, and in e nally displaced pe sons (IDPs). These ca ego- ies a e dis inguished om he ca ego y o labou mig an s based on he o ce ul ci cums ances ha led o he mig a o y mo emen (S anko ic e al., 2021). Cen al Capabili ies oWell‑Being in heCon ex o Fo ced… Fo ced mig a ion is a complex phenomenon ha encompasses no only indi- iduals who quali y o in e na ional p o ec ion bu also anyone who expe iences displacemen due o a ious exis en ial h ea s (Cas les, 2006). These can a ise om socio-economic and s a e agili y, a med con lic , iolence, human igh s iola ions, en i onmen al deg ada ion, clima e change, de elopmen p ojec s, o na u al disas e s (Ze e , 2018). Fo ced mig a ion o en has a ious socio-cul- u al, economic, and poli ical consequences o popula ions a bo h des ina ion and o igin and o he mig an s hemsel es (Becke & Fe a a, 2019). The impac o o ced mig a ion on he la e a ies, depending on ac o s such as he indi- idual’s pe sonal cha ac e is ics, he d i e s o mig a ion, and he esponses om bo h na ional and in e na ional communi ies (Ruiz & Va gas-Sil a, 2013). Acco ding o he UNHCR (2024) global ends epo , he global popula ion o indi iduals o cibly displaced had exceeded 117.3 million people by he end o 2023. This popula ion o en ace a ange o legal, social, and economic hu dles when in eg a ing in o hos na ions, as e idenced in s udies conduc ed in coun- ies like Tü kiye (Aka & E doğdu, 2018), Jo dan (Sahin Mencu ek & Nashwan, 2020), and beyond. These mul i ace ed in eg a ion challenges ha e cap u ed he a en ion o some schola s who a gued o p o ec ion s a egies ha go beyond esou ce p o ision owa d c ea ing enabling condi ions o acili a e he de el- opmen o he capabili ies o indi iduals unde going o ced mig a ion. Landau (2008), o ins ance, a gued o p o ec ion as capabili y expansion o ee e u- gees om any so o commodi y dependency synd ome. In a simila ein, Kim (2012) a gued ha e o s owa ds suppo ing e ugees should ocus no only on g an ing p o ec ion bu addi ionally and mo e signi ican ly on wha capabili ies should be gua an eed. Theo e ical Backg ound The Capabili y App oach: Well‑Being andCen al Capabili ies O iginally d awn om he wo ks o he Nobel lau ea e economis Ama ya Sen (1979, 1985), he Capabili y App oach is one o he mos widely ag eed upon and con o e sial app oaches in poli ical philosophy, de elopmen s udies, wel a e economics and social policy (Ray, 2014). I is a b oad mul i-dimensional ame- wo k o e alua ing he social a angemen s o socie y and he in insic expe i- ence o de elopmen (Robeyns, 2005a). I is, u he mo e, a no ma i e e alua i e space o an indi idual’s well-being ha is based on nei he u ili ies, opulence o esou ce holdings no acquisi ion o basic needs o p ima y goods, bu on he subs an i e eedoms— he capabili ies— o choose a li e one has eason o alue and he abili ies o do aluable ac s o each aluable s a es o being (Sen, 1993, p. 30; 1999, p. 74). Sen’s (1985, 1993) Capabili y App oach elies hea ily on he no ma i e a gu- men ha well-being conce ns an indi idual’s capabili ies— a ious hings people A.Nassa ha e eason o alue being o doing. Since he app oach was in oduced, he issue o iden i ying capabili ies ha a e o cen ali y o a speci ic pu pose, such as lead- ing a digni ied o good li e has highly been con o e sial wi hin he Capabili y App oach communi y (Claassen, 2011). On one hand, Ma ha Nussbaum (2003) a gued o endo sing a speci ic lis o cen al human capabili ies o make he Capa- bili y App oach ope a ional o social jus ice. D awing om he A is o elian oo s o he concep o Eudaimonia, o human lou ishing, Nussbaum (2011) p oposed a lis o 10 capabili ies ha a e cen al o a li e o digni y. These a e, in sho , li e, bod- ily heal h and bodily in eg i y, senses, imagina ion and hough , emo ions, p ac ical eason, a ilia ion, o he species, play, and con ol o e one’s en i onmen . On he o he hand, Sen (2004) e ained om iden i ying cen al capabili ies and endo sing a canonical lis , a guing ha in a democ a ic socie y, his should be he esponsibili y o public discussions. Ra he han s icking o a philosophical heo y, Sen (2004) a gued ha indi iduals mus conside local consensus building h ough dialogue o iden i y capabili ies ha a e ele an o hei con ex . Robeyns (2003, 2005b) suppo s Sen’s (2004) a gumen agains endo sing a uni e sal, one-size- i s- all lis o capabili ies, easoning ha di e en capabili ies a e ele an o di e en con ex s and pu poses. Hence, in he p ocess o iden i ying ele an capabili ies and o mula ing a lis ailo ed o a speci ic con ex o policy implemen a ion, Robeyns (2005b) asse ed he necessi y o he app oach o be mo e epis emologically jus i- ied and poli ically legi ima e, going beyond me e philosophical p oposi ions and empi ical in es iga ions. Consequen ly, she in oduced i e selec ion c i e ia, a gu- ing ha he ini ial s ep should in ol e d awing an ideal lis o capabili ies. Acco d- ingly, Naz (2020) p oposed a me hodology o iden i y he elemen s o an ideal lis o cen al capabili ies o well-being by e iewing exis ing li e a u e ele an o he s udied con ex . Me hodology A scoping e iew was chosen as an app oach o e iewing he exis ing li e a u e as i is well-sui ed o desc ibe he ange o esea ch being done in a speci ic ield o s udy. Thus, his esea ch was conduc ed acco ding o A ksey and O’Malley’s (2005) me hodological amewo k o scoping s udies. The amewo k ollows a i e-s age app oach: (1) iden i ying guiding esea ch ques ions, (2) sea ching o el- e an s udies, (3) selec ing s udies o be included in he scoping e iew, (4) cha ing he da a and colla ing, and (5) summa izing da a and epo ing esul s. S age 1: Iden i ying heResea ch Ques ion andEligibili y C i e ia The ollowing esea ch ques ion guides he scoping e iew: Wha is known om he exis ing li e a u e ha has adop ed he Capabili y App oach ega ding he capabili- ies cen al o he well-being o o ced mig an s? While he e a e nume ous concep ualisa ions o and pe spec i es on well-being, he li e a u e included should align wi h he no ma i e a gumen o he Capabili y Cen al Capabili ies oWell‑Being in heCon ex o Fo ced… App oach; ha well-being conce ns an indi idual’s capabili ies— a ious hings people ha e eason o alue being o doing ( he analy ical lens and ocus). The ime ame was se o include only hose schola ly jou nal pee - e iewed s udies published be ween 1979 and 2021. The commencemen da e o 1979 was chosen because i ma ks he yea when Sen (1979) i s in oduced he concep o Capabil- i y in Tanne Equali y o Wha ? Only English-w i en li e a u e was included, due o he cos and ime ha would be equi ed o he ansla ion o o eign language ma e ials. The inclusion c i e ia se we e ha he li e a u e had o (a) be a pee - e iewed a icle, (b) be published in an academic jou nal, (c) be w i en in English, and ( ) be published be ween 1979 and 2021. Howe e , he exclusion c i e ia se we e ha li e a u e would be ejec ed whe e any o he ollowing cases applied: (a) had been w i en in an unde ined mig a ion con ex , (b) had no been w i en in he con ex o o ced mig a ion, (e.g., labou mig a ion), (c) had no adop ed he Capabili y App oach as a heo e ical amewo k, o (d) had no highligh ed capabili ies eason- ably alued by o ced mig an s hemsel es o hei well-being (i.e., o add ess epis e- mology- ela ed conce ns and o align wi h he no ma i e a gumen o he Capabili y App oach ega ding well-being). S age 2: Iden i ying Rele an S udies Se en elec onic da abases we e sea ched be ween No embe and Decembe 2021 includ- ing Scopus, Web o Sciences co e collec ion (Social Sciences Ci a ion Index (SSCI)), JSTOR, P oQues (Social Science Da abase), P oQues (Sociology Da abase), Wiley Online Lib a y, and Academic Sea ch P emie (EBSCOhos – Philosophe ’s Index). The s udy popula ion is o ced mig an s including e ugees, a icked pe sons, s a eless pe sons, asylum seeke s, and IDPs. Howe e , a p io sea ch was conduc ed using all he abo e-men ioned e ms indi idually and no ele an s udies we e iden- i ied o ei he a icked pe sons o s a eless pe sons. Thus, subsequen ly, hese ha e no been used as sea ch e ms. This is o eseeable, as hey a e no commonly applied e ms in academic li e a u e. The ollowing combina ion o sea ch e ms was he e o e used: (“Ama ya Sen” OR “capabili y app oach” OR capabili * OR “capabili y-based” OR “Ma ha Nuss- baum”) AND ( e ugee* OR displaced OR immig an * OR mig an * OR emig an * OR asylum). The sea ch was limi ed o: • Scopus: (sea ch in Ti le, Abs ac , Keywo ds), a pee - e iewed a icle om a schola ly jou nal sou ce, English language, and social sciences as a subjec a ea. • SSCI: (sea ch in Topic), a icle, and English language. • JSTOR: (sea ch in Abs ac ), a icle om schola ly jou nal sou ce. • P oQues Social Science and Sociology Da abases: (sea ch anywhe e excep ull ex s), pee - e iewed a icles om schola ly jou nal sou ces, and English lan- guage. A.Nassa • Wiley Online Lib a y: (sea ch in Abs ac ), a icle om schola ly jou nal sou ce, and sociology as a subjec a ea. • Philosophe ’s Index: (sea ch in Abs ac ), a pee - e iewed a icle om a schol- a ly jou nal sou ce, and English language. S age 3: Selec ion o S udies The elec onic da abases’ sea ch yielded a o al o 1278 hi s expo ed in o Endno e 20 e e ence managemen so wa e in which 753 duplica es ha e been iden i ied, which we e hen me ged. This signi ican numbe o s udies was acqui ed by delib- e a ely pu suing a b oad scope, a oiding limi a ions on he concep o well-being. Addi ionally, i can be a ibu ed o he equen use o he wo d capabili ies ou - side he li e a u e o he Capabili y App oach. The i les o he emaining 848 li e a- u es we e sc eened manually o exclude i ele an ones. Then, he abs ac s o he emaining 133 we e examined and checked o ele ance o he esea ch ques ion and eligibili y c i e ia, which esul ed in 38 li e a u es emaining. The ull ex s o hese li e a u es we e hen e ie ed and ead in-dep h, and consequen ly, 28 li e a- u es we e excluded due o hei i ele ance o he esea ch ques ion and he speci- ied eligibili y c i e ia. The selec ion o he ele an s udies p ocess esul ed in 10 jou nal a icles included in his e iew. Figu e1 gi es mo e de ails abou he sea ch p ocess. S age 4: Cha ing heDa a Key pieces o in o ma ion om he ele an 10 jou nal a icles we e cha ed and en e ed in o a da a cha ing o m using an Excel sp eadshee on which he ollow- ing key in o ma ion was eco ded: au ho (s), yea o publica ion, s udy loca ion, objec i e(s), s udy popula ion, me hodology, and impo an esul s. Table1 shows a desc ip ion o e iewed esea ch a icles. S age 5: Colla ing, Summa izing, andRepo ing heResul s A desc ip i e da a analysis me hod using Mic oso Excel was pe o med o desc ibe he main cha ac e is ics o all included s udies. The added alue o he e iew is no only in analysing he indings o he included li e a u e desc ip i ely bu also hema ically, using ATLAS. i 9 quali a i e da a analysis so wa e. The hema ic da a analysis me hod has become inc easingly common in conduc ing scoping e iews (see, e.g., Essex e al., 2021). The me hod was adop ed o loca e he common passages in he included li e a u e ele an o o ced mig an s’ cen- al capabili ies o well-being. The syn hesis o he hemes ollowed B aun and Cla ke’s (2021) guidance o hema ic analysis. A concep ually-d i en hema ic analysis app oach was adop ed, using he no ma i e a gumen o he Capabil- i y App oach— ha well-being conce ns an indi idual’s capabili ies, he a ious hings people ha e eason o alue being o doing (Sen, 1993)—as an analy ical amewo k o he indings o his li e a u e. The in en ional app oach o meaning Cen al Capabili ies oWell‑Being in heCon ex o Fo ced… h ough language in oduced by Hall (1997) was adop ed. This concep ualisa ion asse s ha language con eys a pe son’s unique pe spec i e on hings, hei eal- i y. The e o e, he p ocess o my unde s anding o meaning in he included li e a- u e is mainly in o med by an empa hic o ien a ion o da a in oduced by Ricoeu (1970), as ci ed by Willig (2017), o iden i y explici seman ic meanings in da a. Seman ic meanings we e iden i ied ac oss he included li e a u e, and om hese, pa e ns o sha ed seman ic meaning—sub hemes and hemes—we e syn hesised a ound a cen al o ganising concep . As an example o he analysis, in he s ud- ies o Agboli e al. (2019), Chase (2019), and an de Boo e al. (2020), o ced mig an s alued legal ecogni ion, legal secu i y, legal ce ain y, pe manen esi- dence, ci izenship acquisi ion, as well as discussed hei easons o aluing hese elemen s. Thus, I a gued ha all hese alued elemen s con ibu e o he same co e idea o cen al o ganising concep ha I e e o as Legali y. The same analy- sis p ocess was applied while de eloping he o he hemes. Finally, I e iewed he eme ging hemes collabo a i ely wi h he esea ch ad iso s o ensu e hei el- e ance o he esea ch opic and analy ical amewo k. Table2 shows he de el- opmen o hemes. Fig. 1 De ailed sea ch p ocess A.Nassa Table 1 Desc ip ion o e iewed esea ch a icles by au ho (s), yea o publica ion, s udy loca ion, objec i e(s), s udy popula ion, me hodology, and impo an esul s Au ho (s) and yea o publica ion S udy loca ion Objec i e(s) S udy popula ion Me hodology Impo an esul s Agboli e al. (2019) Belgium Examine he empowe men mig an women wi h (FGM/C) expe ienced as a esul o aking pa in heal h-p omo ing ac i i ies A o al o 9 mig an women seeking asylum in Belgium Aged be ween 18 and 50yea s A quali a i e s udy design: Indi idual in e iews Capabili ies o P ac ical Rea- son, A ilia ion, Emo ions, and Play we e ein o ced, while Con ol O e One’s En i onmen was dimin- ished G an ing e ugee s a us is uly empowe ing Chase (2019) The UK Explo e he capabili ies o asylum-seeking young A ghans du ing hei an- si ion o ins i u ional adul - hood, and he ela ionship be ween ul illing hese capabili ies and well-being A o al o 31 asylum-seeking young men om A ghani- s an A quali a i e s udy design: In-dep h in e iews and longi udinal e hnog aphic ieldwo k Well-being means enjoying sa e y, eedom and choice, and accessibili y o a ange o igh s and p o ec ions ha all a e con ingen on legal ecogni ion an de Boo e al. (2020) The UK Explo e he cha ac e is ics o he good li e o emale e ugees pos ese lemen in he UK A o al o 16 e ugees om di e en coun ies includ- ing Aze baijan, Sudan, Nige ia, Sie a Leone, I an and Sy ia A quali a i e s udy design: Fou ocus g oup discus- sions In e p e a i e phenom- enological analysis (IPA) app oach Legal secu i y, social cohe- sion and pe sonal agency a e h ee in e ela ed hemes essen ial o li ing a good li e Cla ke (2014) The UK Explo e he di e se e ec s o he educa ional se ices o (RCOs) in e ugees’ li es A o al o 71 e ugee se ice use s om di e en e hnic/ na ional backg ounds and o he 23 key esponden s A quali a i e s udy design: Semi-s uc u ed in e iews A mul iple case s udy app oach Di e en mani old social ac- o s a ec ing genuine access o educa ion Capabili y o be educa ed enla ges o he capabili ies Cen al Capabili ies oWell‑Being in heCon ex o Fo ced… in immig a ion policies o e ime in luence mig an s’ s a us mobili y in a ious ways, and hence hei capabili ies o s abilise hemsel es in he hos coun y. This poin esona es wi h Wol and de-Shali (2007, p. 84) concep o secu e unc ion- ings, emphasising ha indi iduals alue no only enjoying a ce ain le el o unc- ioning—in his case, being legally ecognised—bu also he abili y o sus ain i o e ime, he eby being ee om wo y. As shown by an de Boo e al. (2020), e en a e being g an ed e ugee s a- us, e ugees o en pu sue ci izenship o g ea e legal secu i y. This pu sui a gu- ably a ises because e ugees con inue o g apple wi h ch onic ea and unce ain y o e hei liminal legal s a us, making i di icul o plan o he u u e hey aspi e o, especially gi en he immig a ion policies changing in luenced by poli ical ins abili ies. G ace e al. (2018) e ms his poin as Violen Unce ain y, desc ib- ing i as a o m o iolence imposed on e ugees. I is enac ed h ough sys ema ic pe sonal, social, and ins i u ional ins abili y, injec ing ea in o basic daily in e - ac ions. No ably, he li e a u e ha highligh ed he impo ance o Capabili y o Legali y in he li es o o ced mig an s was conduc ed in Belgium (Agboli e al. 2019) and he UK (Chase, 2019; an de Boo e al., 2020). This ocus migh be a ibu ed o he simila unce ain expe iences o o ced mig an s in hese con- ex s, which sha e ex ended wai ing pe iods o ini ial asylum decisions and em- po a y esidence pe mi s g an ed o e ugees (see also ECRE, 2024; S ewa & Mul ey, 2013). Resea ch indings also clea ly unde sco e he signi icance o o ced mig an s being able o be educa ed a a ious le els o lea ning. The Capabili y o Educa ion is e iden ly cen al o o ced mig an s’ well-being due o bo h i s ins umen al and in insic alue. Ins umen ally, i ac s as a ca alys o o ced mig an s o de elop u he necessa y capabili ies, including employabili y ( ead, e.g., Dijk, 2022). Addi ionally, i holds in insic alue as o ced mig an s gain espec and ecogni- ion om socie y, as well as de elop sel -con idence, sel -es eem, and a sense o social belonging. The ins umen al and in insic alue o he Capabili y o Educa- ion in he li es o o ced mig an s was consis en ac oss all esea ch con ex s o he i e li e a u e pieces included in his heme ( he UK, Aus alia, Tü kiye, and Sou h A ica). This uni e sal alue could be a ibu ed o educa ion being ega ded as one o he basic human capabili ies essen ial o well-being. I s absence would subs an- ially disad an age any indi idual and is conside ed ounda ional o a ious capabil- i ies necessa y o lead a good li e (see also Te zi, 2007). In Walke ’s (2006, p. 163) accoun , i is s a ed ha Sen iden i ies educa ion as one o a ela i ely small numbe o cen ally impo an beings and doings ha a e c ucial o well-being. Likewise, Nussbaum (2011) iews educa ion as a undamen al en i lemen ha a jus socie y should endo se, equi ing a i ma i e go e nmen ac ion. The igh s o educa ion o o ced mig an s a e o en dependen on hei legal s a us in hos socie ies. Asylum seeke s and e ugees, in p inciple, ha e igh s o a ious o mal educa ional oppo uni ies in coun ies whe e he Capabili y o Edu- ca ion is alued (i.e., he UK, Aus alia, Tü kiye, and Sou h A ica). Howe e , ha - ing igh s o hese oppo uni ies does no gua an ee ha ing he Capabili y o Edu- ca ion (Walke , 2006). The e o e, i is c ucial o ecognise ha de eloping o ced mig an s’ Capabili y o Educa ion equi es mo e han me ely g an ing hem igh s A.Nassa o educa ion. Va ious socio-cul u al, economic, ins i u ional, and en i onmen al disad an ages hinde o ced mig an s’ abili y o con e he educa ional oppo uni- ies hey ha e igh s o in o genuine access o educa ion. Fo example, s udies by Lamb ech s (2020), Bake e al. (2023), Aka and E doğdu (2018), and Mkwananzi (2018) illus a e hese ba ie s in he UK, Aus alia, Tü kiye, and Sou h A ica, espec i ely. Gi en his, I s ongly a gue o he b oad p o ision o educa ional oppo uni ies o all o ced mig an s, ega dless o hei legal s a us. Addi ionally, i is essen ial o c ea e enabling condi ions ha help in con e ing hese oppo uni ies in o a genuine Capabili y o Educa ion. Las bu no leas , esea ch indings clea ly unde sco e he signi icance o o ced mig an s being able o be socially connec ed. This is because social connec ion wi h o he s cons i u es a undamen al aspec o he human condi ion, as well as being co e o a sense o belonging and well-being o o ced mig an s. Howe e , social iso- la ion and loneliness ha e been p ominen challenges in he con ex o o ced mig a- ion. I is e iden ha expe iencing loneliness, social isola ion, and disconnec ion signi ican ly impac he well-being o o ced mig an s (see, e.g., S ang & Quinn, 2019; Baillo e al., 2021). The indings o his e iew indica e ha o ced mig an s place signi ican alue on hei abili y o main ain ies wi h amily and iends back home, build ecip ocal ela ionships wi h locals, and es ablish social links in a new socie y as in eg al aspec s o hei o e all well-being. This poin aligns wi h he s ance p esen ed by Age and S ang (2008), emphasising ha a ious o ms o social connec ions—such as bonds wi h amily and wi hin one’s e hnic, na ional, o eligious communi y (social bonds), in e ac ions wi h indi iduals om di e en na ional, e hnic, o eligious backg ounds (social b idges), and links wi h he s uc- u es o he s a e (social links)—a e c ucial o he in eg a ion o o ced mig an s in hos socie ies. The de elopmen o o ced mig an s’ Capabili y o Sociali y equi es e ec i e communica ion wi h local popula ions and ac i e pa icipa ion in ac i i ies ha b ing joy and ul ilmen . This is especially impo an o helping hem cope wi h he challenges and s esses ha o en accompany displacemen om hei home and communi y. Howe e , e ec i e communica ion and ac i e pa icipa ion necessi a e linguis ic capabili ies as a p e equisi e. In bo h Jo dan and New Zealand, whe e he Capabili y o Sociali y is alued, dis inc social condi ions a ise. Fo ins ance, in Jo dan, he p edominan language is A abic, which acili a es smoo he communi- ca ion and pa icipa ion o Sy ian e ugees who sha e his linguis ic backg ound wi h he hos communi y. Con e sely, in New Zealand, he e ugee popula ion is linguis ically di e se (Immig a ion New Zealand, 2024), wi h many e ugees speak- ing languages o he han English, he p ima y local language. This linguis ic di e - si y p esen s unique challenges in os e ing social connec ions and necessi a es addi- ional language suppo and esou ces o enable e ec i e communica ion and ac i e pa icipa ion. Fu he mo e, i is essen ial o ecognise ha o he social condi ions also in luence o ced mig an s’ Capabili y o Sociali y. Fo ins ance, while p ejudi- cial a i udes, disc imina ion, and acism agains o ced mig an s nega i ely impac hei well-being, welcoming and inclusi e socie ies enhance o ced mig an s’ social connec edness wi h locals, he eby imp o ing hei o e all well-being. Cen al Capabili ies oWell‑Being in heCon ex o Fo ced… Conclusion The enhancemen o he well-being o indi iduals wi h o ced mig a ion back- g ounds, h ough policies and se ices, necessi a es i s iden i ying hei well-being aspec s—capabili ies—wi hin hos socie ies. By scoping he Capabili y App oach- based li e a u e, i can be concluded ha he Capabili ies o Legali y, Educa ion, and Sociali y a e o high cen ali y o o ced mig an s’ well-being in hos socie ies. While he Capabili y App oach p o es o be sui able o esea ch in o ced mig a- ion (see, e.g., Dijk e al., 2022), he scan numbe o a icles included in his e iew highligh s he u gen demand o addi ional s udies wi hin i s amewo k. Speci i- cally, a mo e in-dep h explo a ion h ough empi ical wo ks is essen ial o add ess he ques ion o which capabili ies o ce mig an s alue o hei well-being. I ully suppo Nussbaum’s asse ion ega ding he b oad ope a ional applicabil- i y o he lis o cen al human capabili ies. Simul aneously, I endo se he ecom- menda ions pu o h by Sen (2004) and Robeyns (2003) a guing o he iden i ica- ion o con ex -dependen capabili ies. While Nussbaum (2011) no ably emphasises he cen ali y o educa ion and social connec ion, Capabili y o Legali y, has no ecei ed much a en ion. I is no a sho coming in Nussbaum’s lis bu a he a o e- seeable aspec , conside ing ha he Capabili y o Legali y holds pa icula impo - ance in he con ex o o ced mig a ion. Despi e many simila i ies in he li ing condi ions o o ced mig an s, signi ican di e si ies pe sis . Consequen ly, i is c ucial o acknowledge ha he signi icance o he iden i ied capabili ies may a y ac oss di e en con ex s and phases o he o ced mig a ion p ocess. Fo ins ance, he Capabili y o legali y migh be pa icu- la ly c ucial du ing he asylum-seeking p ocess, while bo h he capabili ies o Edu- ca ion and Sociali y may become mo e ele an du ing he se lemen phase. The e- o e, democ a ic discussion and empi ical in es iga ion o hese capabili ies a e s ill needed o policy design and implemen a ion. The iden i ied capabili ies, cen al o he well-being o o ced mig an s, ex end beyond hei speci ic con ex ; people in di e se li ing condi ions may simila ly alue hem. The uni e sal esonance o hese capabili ies sugges s hei b oade sig- ni icance ac oss a ious con ex s, emphasising hei impo ance o indi iduals ac- ing di e en challenges and ci cums ances. Fu he mo e, he iden i ied capabili ies, al hough signi ican , may no ully encompass all aspec s con ibu ing o he well- being o o ced mig an s. Howe e , he capabili ies iden i ied in his e iew ha e he po en ial o in o m immig a ion, in eg a ion, wel a e, and humani a ian policies, as well as hei co esponding se ices, ele an o he con ex o o ced mig a ion. Limi a ions A limi a ion o his e iew lies in i s exclusi e eliance on li e a u e adop ing he Capabili y App oach. This app oach migh inad e en ly exclude aluable insigh s om li e a u es ha , while no explici ly adop ing he Capabili y App oach, s ill highligh s he beings and doings ha o ced mig an s alue o hei well-being. A.Nassa Recognising he po en ial ichness o pe spec i es ou side his speci ic amewo k is c ucial, and u u e esea ch should explo e a mo e di e se ange o li e a u e o p o ide a comp ehensi e unde s anding o he well-being aspec s o o ced mig an s in hos socie ies. Acknowledgemen s I would like o ake he oppo uni y o hank all commen a o s on ea lie e sions o his manusc ip , in pa icula Ka i Tu iainen, Johanna Kiili, Holge Ziegle , Aila-Leena Ma hies, and Ingo S amm. I am also g a e ul o all he schola s who a ended my session a he HDCA con e ence in An we p, and CARFMS23 con e ence in To on o, whe e a sho e e sion o his pape was p esen ed. Funding Open Access unding p o ided by Uni e si y o Jy äskylä (JYU). This esea ch is a pa o he ASTRA p ojec ha is unded by he Eu opean Union’s Ho izon 2020 esea ch and inno a ion p o- g amme unde he Ma ie Skłodowska-Cu ie g an ag eemen No. 955518. Decla a ions Disclaime This esea ch e lec s only he iew o he au ho ing esea che and does no necessa ily e lec o ep esen he opinion and posi ion o he ASTRA p ojec , educa ional ins i u ions, and pa ne o gani- sa ions in ol ed. The Eu opean Commission and he Ma ie Skłodowska-Cu ie Ac ions Ne wo k a e no esponsible o any use ha may be made o he in o ma ion i con ains. 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