Grief, Loss, and Acculturation: Navigating the Hidden Emotional Journey of Migration

Migration is often spoken about in terms of opportunity, safety, or the possibility of a new beginning. Yet for many people, the reality is more complicated. Alongside hope and relief, there is another experience that is often less visible: grief.

Whether someone has migrated voluntarily, under pressure, or through forced displacement, the emotional impact of leaving behind family, community, culture, and familiar routines can be profound. Grief in the context of migration is not simply sadness about distance — it is a complex emotional landscape that can shape identity, belonging, motivation, and the ability to adapt to life in a new society.

This blog explores how grief and loss can influence the acculturation process across diverse migrant populations, drawing on insights from recent qualitative research and international studies.

The Many Faces of Migration-Related Grief

Grief in migration does not look the same for everyone. It may include:

• Loss of family – separation from parents, siblings, children, or extended kin.

• Loss of community – losing the familiarity of shared language, customs, and social norms.

• Loss of cultural grounding – rituals, foods, religious practices, and traditions that once offered stability.

• Loss of choice – reduced control over employment, language, legal status, or everyday decisions.

• Loss of identity – not feeling fully “from here” or “from there”.

Studies have shown that unresolved grief can hinder a person’s ability to form new social bonds, engage with their surroundings, or feel a sense of belonging in their host country (Echterhoff et al., 2020; Sagbakken et al., 2020).

For many people, migration involves a sense of being physically present in a new country while mentally remaining in the place they left behind.

When Grief Becomes a Barrier to Acculturation

Acculturation involves learning to navigate a new cultural, linguistic, and social environment. This process can be significantly shaped by grief.

Research shows that grief can:

• Create emotional distance from the host culture

• Reduce motivation to participate socially or learn the language

• Trigger guilt or regret, especially when family were left behind

• Disrupt identity, making it difficult to make sense of who one is in the new setting

• Contribute to mental health difficulties such as low mood, anxiety, or emotional numbness

Killikelly et al. (2018) highlight that people who are separated from close family members often experience elevated and prolonged grief, which may continue to affect psychological adaptation long after resettlement.

Across different migrant groups — whether from Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, or the Middle East — studies consistently show that grief affects belonging, confidence, and engagement after migration.

Loss of Agency and the Feeling of Being “Stuck”

Many migrants arrive in host countries with restricted options. Employment barriers, financial limitations, language challenges, and visa uncertainty can limit autonomy. These practical restrictions can reinforce emotional loss.

Common experiences include:

• Feeling unable to make meaningful decisions

• Difficulty planning for the future

• Dependence on systems, authorities, or support services

• A sense of reduced control over everyday life

Research has shown that limited agency can intensify psychological distress and dampen confidence in one’s ability to integrate (Knausenberger et al., 2022). When people feel “stuck”, their motivation to engage with the host culture may decline, and grief may deepen.

Cultural Loss and Identity Disruption

Culture is not just language or tradition — it is comfort, understanding, familiarity, and safety. When people leave, they often lose parts of themselves that were tied to their community and cultural world.

Many migrants describe:

• Feeling “split” between cultures

• Missing the rhythms of daily life

• Feeling misunderstood or invisible in the host society

• Struggling to maintain cultural practices without a community

• Feeling guilt for adopting new cultural norms

Grief around culture can weaken the sense of belonging in the new country and make it harder to rebuild identity in a way that feels authentic.

How Grief Shows Up in Everyday Life

Migration-related grief can appear in subtle ways:

• Lack of motivation

• Feeling emotionally flat or disconnected

• Difficulty trusting new relationships

• Longing or preoccupation with the past

• Feeling guilty for moving forward

• Avoiding new social environments

• Feeling “paused” — not moving backward, but not fully moving forward

These signs are normal, but when they persist, they can hinder both psychological adaptation and acculturation.

Supporting Healing and Adaptation

The research suggests several helpful approaches that apply across diverse migrant populations:

1. Acknowledge grief as a normal part of migration

Many people feel pressure to be grateful or “strong”. Naming grief can reduce shame and validate the emotional reality of migration.

2. Create space for cultural continuity

This may include food, language, faith practices, music, or cultural celebrations. Continuity can reduce disorientation and support grounded identity.

3. Strengthen connection with others

Support groups, community centres, cultural associations, or peer networks reduce isolation and foster belonging.

4. Build agency in daily life

Even small acts — choosing a course, setting a goal, learning a new skill — help restore autonomy and confidence.

5. Seek emotional support when needed

Counsellors, psychologists, and community workers trained in migration-related distress can help people process grief and rebuild a sense of identity.

A Universal Experience in a Diverse World

Although the details differ, grief is a common thread across migrant populations. It can be deeply personal, but it is also a predictable part of the acculturation journey. Understanding this grief — and supporting people through it — is essential for helping individuals and families rebuild stable, fulfilling, and connected lives.

Migration reshapes identity. Grief accompanies leaving. But with support, continuity, and agency, people can integrate their losses into a renewed sense of self and future.