Ageing of migrants in Europe has become an important policy issue, especially within the context of health inequalities and increasing health care costs. Based on in-depth interviews with older Alevi/Kurdish refugees in London, we explore the cumulative impact of difficult migration trajectories on the experience of ageing. The findings highlight the important role of cultural capital and transnational ties throughout the refugees’ migration journeys and particularly at old age. However, the study indicates the double edge impact of strong ‘solidarity’ bonds, increasing isolation at old age due to lack of accumulation of capital and knowledge, particularly language, which are important in accessing health and social care services at old age.
Oglak, S. and Hussein, S. (2016) Active Ageing, Social and Cultural Integration of Older Turkish Alevi Refugees in London. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 36(1): 74-87.
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Founder and Director
Shereen Hussein is a Health and Social Care Policy professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), United Kingdom.
Shereen Founded the MENARAH Network in 2019, through an initial grant from the Global Challenge Research Fund, UKRI. She is a medical demographer with expertise in ageing, family dynamics, migration and long-term care systems. Shereen regularly collaborates with the United Nations, the World Health Organisation and the World Bank in policy and research focused on ageing in the Middle East and North Africa Region.
Shereen received her undergraduate degree in statistics and a postgraduate degree in computer science at Cairo University. She completed an MSc in medical demography at the London School of Hygiene and a PhD in quantitative demography and population studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom.
Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi, Turkey
Sema Oglak is a Professor at the University of Aydin Adnan Menderes, Department of Labor Economics and Industrial Relations. Following several post-doctoral posts, she became a visiting research fellow at the Social Care Workforce Research Unit, King’s College London, UK. Her research covered long-term care experiences of the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Israel and Italy. Her main research interests are in elderly long-term care policy and services, active ageing, health promotion, age-friendly environments, migrant care workers, and volunteering issues. She has been involved in several national and international projects related to long-term care services.
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