Employers and education providers as sources of support for former refugee and migrant workers and students during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A social support analysis

Abstract

The paper contributes to the literature on social support theory by considering the social support offered by employers and education providers to former refugee and migrant workers and students during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Drawing on in‐depth interviews with 85 former refugees and migrants in Aotearoa New Zealand—74 of whom were engaged in work or study during the early phase of the pandemic—this study explores how employers and education providers responded to participants' needs during the public health crisis. The findings reveal that some employers and education providers engaged in various forms of instrumental, informational and emotional support. While participants were grateful for this support, its effectiveness was often limited because it failed to take into account workers' and students' specific needs, or the structural constraints they faced. This qualitative study highlights the importance of tailoring social support to the social realities of former refugee and migrant communities, and of situating their experiences within broader structural and institutional contexts.