Finding home: a qualitative study of Congolese refugees' experiences of secondary migration to rural locations

The United States has a long history of engaging in refugee admission and resettlement. Numbers of refugee admissions vary year to year and are dependent upon the current federal administration policies and procedures of the time. The reasons behind an individual or family’s resettlement to the United States is varied and complex, and the process can include secondary migration within the United States after initial resettlement has occurred. Awareness of secondary migration as a phenomenon is growing within lay community members, within public health and public policy officials, and within academia. Because secondary migration often occurs to rural or non-urban areas of the United States, refugees are subject to unique financial, cultural, and social experiences that intersect with the rural or non-urban area to which they resettle. This study’s aim is to provide clarity with understanding reasons behind refugees’ secondary migration and to investigate their lived experiences from a strengths-based lens via use of a Consensual Qualitative Research methodology. This study interviewed eight Congolese refugees who engaged in secondary migration to rural or non-urban areas of the Midwestern United States. Findings of this study indicated that reasons for engaging in secondary migration included social, familial, and financial benefits, as well as opportunity to integrate into existing communities. Additionally, participants shared their hopes for themselves and their communities, as well as provided discussion on their resilience in the resettlement process.