Housing and integration of migrants in European Mediterranean countries: A scoping review

Introduction: It has been stated that housing plays a major role in the process of integration of migrants and refugees into a society, as housing location, accessibility, affordability and habitability among other factors, have direct impact on the ability of inhabitants to seek employment and access education and healthcare. However, there seems to be little literature about the integration outcomes and the improvement of wellbeing after different housing policies and housing solutions have been implemented. This research aims at reviewing the existing literature regarding housing interventions of any kind for migrants in European Mediterranean countries, with a focus on inclusion related outcomes. Methods: A scoping review was performed including different sources of information. Results: The review analysed 26 records -comprising 103 housing projects- with various study designs. The housing interventions were categorised into eight main types: collective accommodation, camps, squats, flatsharing, full apartments in only-migrants buildings, full apartments in mixed population buildings, financial support for housing, and other non-material interventions. Each type of intervention showed different integration outcomes and good practices associated with it, which have been categorised into 13 domains. Conclusions: Measuring integration is complex due to various factors, including the absence of a consensus definition and its multifaceted nature. This review reveals heterogeneous and scant outcome measures and employing Ager and Strang's integration framework facilitates categorisation and understanding. The reviewed good practices often lack supporting evidence, but frequently noted integration facilitators include stable housing and support in employment, education and social relations. Overall, while widely recognised as vital, robust evidence on housing interventions' impact on migrant integration is lacking, calling for further research.