“You Are Always the Foreigner”

How Racism Shapes Migrant Women’s Lives Across Borders

While much of my research has centered on refugee women’s post-migration experiences in Switzerland, the stories shared by participants reflect global patterns of racism and exclusion that cut across national borders. Whether in Bern, Brisbane, or Berlin, women with refugee backgrounds often face overt hostility, subtle discrimination, and systemic barriers that affect their sense of safety, belonging, and psychological well-being.

Everyday Racism: Microaggressions, Mistrust, and Social Withdrawal

The migrant and refugee women in my research including participants from Kurdistan, Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, and South America described personal encounters with racism in Switzerland. These ranged from public slurs and physical intimidation to persistent microaggressions and cold institutional encounters. Many felt scrutinised on public transport, mistrusted by neighbours, or spoken to with hostility in service settings. One woman recounted being physically attacked; others spoke of “silent” rejection — being ignored in waiting rooms, avoided in queues, or visibly distrusted in shops.

These experiences were rarely isolated. They were cumulative and chronic, shaping how participants moved through the world. Over time, many began to withdraw socially, reduce contact with host communities, and limit their exposure to unfamiliar spaces. They turned inward — towards family, ethnic networks, and cultural traditions — not just for comfort, but as protection.

Such responses mirror international findings: refugees who experience racialised exclusion often retreat from public life and strengthen their cultural identity as a coping mechanism (Phillimore, 2020; Taloyan et al., 2011; Sam & Berry, 2016). This is not passive disengagement it is an act of self-preservation.

Psychological Consequences: Fear, Shame, and Inferiority

The emotional impact of racism was striking. Women spoke of:

• Fear of repeated harm

• Shame at being misjudged or visibly “other”

• Anger and powerlessness when excluded

• A persistent sense of inferiority

These were not fleeting emotions — they were deeply embodied. Some participants changed the way they dressed, avoided speaking their mother tongue in public, or stopped using public transport entirely. Others described racing heartbeats, stomach pain, or panic in unfamiliar or predominantly white Swiss spaces.

These accounts reflect a well-documented connection between racial discrimination and poor mental health outcomes in refugee populations. Research from both Europe and Australia shows that racism is associated with elevated risks of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and emotional dysregulation (Berry & Hou, 2017; Bendjo et al., 2019; Kämmer et al., 2023; Ziersch et al., 2020).

Structural Racism: When Systems Reinforce Exclusion

Racism was not only interpersonal. Participants described systemic barriers that deepened their exclusion — including restrictive visa conditions, housing segregation, employment discrimination, and patchy support services due to Switzerland’s decentralised cantonal migration system. For women in particular, these structural constraints were compounded by gendered barriers and caregiving responsibilities.

Similar patterns are evident in Australia. While the policy landscape differs, refugee women in Australia also face:

• Labour market exclusion, especially for those with non-European backgrounds or qualifications

• Subtle discrimination in health and education settings

• Media narratives that racialise or criminalise migrants and asylum seekers

• Housing discrimination and over-surveillance (Colic-Peisker, 2009; RCOA, 2023)

These forms of structural racism make integration more difficult — not because refugees resist it, but because systems often fail to offer equitable, culturally safe entry points.

"Belonging Is Not Offered to Us"

For Kurdish participants like Sema, Dilek, and Azra, cultural preservation became more than tradition — it became a way to survive in a society that felt hostile. Rather than seeking integration into a space that excluded them, they invested more deeply in their own culture, language, and faith communities.

As Dilek put it:

"You want to integrate, but when people look at you like a threat, you start to protect yourself. You shrink.”

These choices were not framed as rejection of Swiss society, but as a response to its failure to welcome. Many women saw their cultural roots as a stable source of identity in an environment that labelled them as perpetual outsiders — a pattern echoed in Australia, the UK, and Scandinavia (Panagiotopoulos et al., 2022; Taloyan et al., 2011).

What This Means Across Borders

The experiences of refugee women in this study reflect a transnational pattern:

• Racism erodes trust

• Discrimination fosters withdrawal

• Structural exclusion deepens vulnerability

• And cultural identity becomes a site of resistance and healing

Host countries — whether Switzerland, Australia, or beyond — often place the burden of integration solely on refugees. But integration does not occur in a vacuum. It requires safety, equity, and cultural respect. When those conditions are absent, separation and withdrawal are not failures — they are survival strategies.

As a clinician and researcher now based in Australia, I continue to witness how racialised refugee women navigate exclusion in subtle and explicit ways. Their strength is remarkable. But resilience should not be required to survive everyday life.

Until racism is addressed at both interpersonal and structural levels, refugee inclusion will remain conditional — and belonging will remain out of reach for many.

References:

Bendjo, S., et al. (2019). Mental health outcomes among refugees exposed to discrimination. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 21(5), 1123–1130.Berry, J. W., & Hou, F. (2017). Immigrant acculturation and well-being in Canada. Canadian Psychology, 58(2), 123–134.Colic-Peisker, V. (2009). Visibility, settlement success and life satisfaction in three refugee communities in Australia. Ethnicities, 9(2), 175–199.Fozdar, F., & Hartley, L. (2013). Refugee resettlement, social inclusion and discrimination in Australia. Social Inclusion, 1(1), 139–149.Jacob, S., et al. (2023). Refugee mental health and racial microaggressions: A systematic review. Journal of Refugee Studies, 36(2), 189–208.Kämmer, A., et al. (2023). Longitudinal associations between discrimination and mental health in refugee populations. European Journal of Public Health, 33(1), 52–58.Panagiotopoulos, C., et al. (2022). Cultural continuity, optimism and mental health among refugees. Transcultural Psychiatry, 59(1), 34–50.Phillimore, J. (2020). Refugee integration and trust: A conceptual framework. Journal of Refugee Studies, 33(1), 1–21.Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA). (2023). Barriers to refugee women's economic participation. https://www.refugeecouncil.org.auSam, D. L., & Berry, J. W. (2016). The Cambridge handbook of acculturation psychology. Cambridge University Press.Taloyan, M., et al. (2011). Discrimination, coping and cultural identity in Kurdish men in Sweden. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 57(5), 453–462.Ziersch, A., Due, C., & Walsh, M. (2020). Discrimination: A key component of refugee and asylum seeker health. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 55(3), 420–438.