IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/joimai/v26y2025i1d10.1007_s12134-024-01180-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Key to Success? Social Network Brokerage in Buddy Programmes for Newly Arrived Migrants in the Flemish Region of Belgium

Author

Listed:
  • Gaëlle Mortier

    (University of Antwerp
    University of Antwerp: Universiteit Antwerpen)

  • Stijn Oosterlynck

    (University of Antwerp: Universiteit Antwerpen)

  • Peter Raeymaeckers

    (University of Antwerp: Universiteit Antwerpen)

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates how social network brokerage takes place in buddy programmes for newly arrived migrants from the perspectives of local volunteers and coordinators. There is research showing a positive effect of brokerage on social capital, but the literature on migrant mentoring shows that the objective of social networking is not always achieved. In this study, we aim to provide a more fine-grained picture of how buddy programmes contribute to the social networks of newcomers by adopting a multi-stakeholder perspective. We examine (a) the experiences of volunteers who take on the role of buddy to support the newcomer and (b) the modus operandi of coordinators responsible for monitoring the buddy programme. This will give us more insight into how they fulfil their brokerage role and which conditions of success there are for brokerage in buddy programmes for newcomers. We do this on the basis of interview data within a case study of buddy programmes in the Flemish region of Belgium. We find wide variety in brokerage behaviour of buddies (conduit, tertius gaudens, and tertius iungens). Our findings suggest that buddies can act as gatekeepers, where newcomers are deliberately kept separate from the host society. This exposes the limitation of working with volunteers to achieve network expansion. The paper concludes that integration policies take too little account of the agency of those involved, impacting brokerage behaviour. With this, we contribute to the literature on befriending programmes for newcomers within the context of migrant integration policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Gaëlle Mortier & Stijn Oosterlynck & Peter Raeymaeckers, 2025. "The Key to Success? Social Network Brokerage in Buddy Programmes for Newly Arrived Migrants in the Flemish Region of Belgium," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 77-99, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joimai:v:26:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s12134-024-01180-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s12134-024-01180-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12134-024-01180-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12134-024-01180-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shelley Gower & Zakia Jeemi & David Forbes & Paul Kebble & Jaya A. R. Dantas, 2022. "Peer Mentoring Programs for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Refugee and Migrant Women: An Integrative Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-18, October.
    2. Daniel W. L. Lai & Janki Shankar & Ernest Khalema, 2017. "Unspoken Skills and Tactics: Essentials for Immigrant Professionals in Integration to Workplace Culture," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 937-959, August.
    3. Inka Stock, 2019. "Buddy Schemes between Refugees and Volunteers in Germany: Transformative Potential in an Unequal Relationship?," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(2), pages 128-138.
    4. Lara‐Désirée Brinker, 2021. "Security Net and Ambassadors for Social Inclusion? The Role of Intermediaries in Host–Refugee Relationships in Homestay Programs," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(4), pages 232-242.
    5. Inka Stock, 2019. "Buddy Schemes between Refugees and Volunteers in Germany: Transformative Potential in an Unequal Relationship?," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(2), pages 128-138.
    6. Lara‐Désirée Brinker, 2021. "Security Net and Ambassadors for Social Inclusion? The Role of Intermediaries in Host–Refugee Relationships in Homestay Programs," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(4), pages 232-242.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Miranda J. Lubbers, 2021. "In Good Company? Personal Relationships, Network Embeddedness, and Social Inclusion," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(4), pages 203-210.
    2. Lara‐Désirée Brinker, 2021. "Security Net and Ambassadors for Social Inclusion? The Role of Intermediaries in Host–Refugee Relationships in Homestay Programs," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(4), pages 232-242.
    3. Maissa Khatib & Tanya Purwar & Rushabh Shah & Maricarmen Vizcaino & Luciano Castillo, 2024. "Empowerment and integration of refugee women: a transdisciplinary approach," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-18, December.
    4. Fang, Tony & Xiao, Na & Zhu, Jane & Hartley, John, 2022. "Employer Attitudes and the Hiring of Immigrants and International Students: Evidence from a Survey of Employers in Canada," IZA Discussion Papers 15226, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Yukiko Tanaka, 2023. "Healing Toward Interdependency: Building Skills and Resistance Through Immigrant and Indigenous Employment," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 211-229, March.
    6. Lara‐Désirée Brinker, 2021. "Security Net and Ambassadors for Social Inclusion? The Role of Intermediaries in Host–Refugee Relationships in Homestay Programs," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(4), pages 232-242.
    7. Miranda J. Lubbers, 2021. "In Good Company? Personal Relationships, Network Embeddedness, and Social Inclusion," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(4), pages 203-210.
    8. Faun E. Rice & Trevor R. Quan, 2023. "Beyond “Economic Immigration”: Understanding the Role of Labor Market and Lifestyle Expectations in Technology Sector Newcomer Experiences in Canada," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 24(6), pages 1167-1188, December.
    9. Jully Paola Merchán Tamayo & Jenepher Lennox Terrion, 2023. "“Un Paso Atrás, Dos Adelante”: Reporting the Experiences of Spanish-Speaking Latin Americans Navigating and Adapting to the Canadian Workplace," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 1865-1889, December.
    10. Robin Vandevoordt & Gert Verschraegen, 2019. "The European Refugee Controversy: Civil Solidarity, Cultural Imaginaries and Political Change," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(2), pages 48-52.
    11. Micheline Riemsdijk & Scott Basford, 2022. "Integration of Highly Skilled Migrants in the Workplace: a Multi-level Framework," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 633-654, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:joimai:v:26:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s12134-024-01180-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.