Social issues and contemporary challenges

¶ … refugee or an immigrant is referred to as a person who has fled his/her homeland to another country because of a various reasons. Some flee because of war, famine, poor living condition, outbreak of diseases and political instability among other reasons. A good percentage of them are in search of better lives ahead therefore they undergo a lot for them to achieve that one day. Within the process of their settlement, some of the problems they go through revolve around psychosocial i.e., racism, discrimination, depression, language barrier, loss of valued social roles among others and socioeconomic which include loss of income, few resources within the camp, among others. Therefore, for a social worker to be able to assist them effectively, he/she should be able to understand some of their plight (Capps, 2004).

Knowledge and skills

A social worker should have the knowledge and skills which will help in the provision of quality services. A social worker should have specialized knowledge on the unique issues of the refugees and immigrant populations; these include knowledge of human rights, international and local law, and knowledge of social justice. They also need to be culturally competent with a wide field of knowledge on various groups they normally come across. Generally, as a social worker providing your services to the refugees and immigrants, you should have vast knowledge in the following fields (Balgopal, 2000). For example there is need to understand the key issues surrounding refugees and immigrants such as health, family dynamics, mental health, cultural diversity, education, language and economic circumstances.

Values

When working with refugees and immigrants, a social worker must understand the values their clients have. In as much as those individuals are refugees/immigrants they should be respected and given the chance to take charge of their lives and make decisions on their own. But also the values might have their limits too, an example being a refugee or an immigrant showing suicidal tendencies, he/she should not be given the powers to make decision on his/her own, so as to avoid casualties. In addition, a social worker should have his/her personal values such as his/her history, religion, culture and other life influences which may facilitate a good relationship with the client (refugee/immigrant) (Capps, 2004). At the same time the social worker should be aware of the immigrants set of beliefs and values, this may facilitate good working condition and relationship among them.

Practice principles, ethics and laws

Like any other profession, the social work especially those dealing with refugees and immigrants have the following practice principles and ethics which they must adhere to. These include; the fact that they should provide service, promote social justice and more so respect the immigrants or refugees' worth and dignity. Under the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers, respecting of the refugees/immigrants dignity is derived from the following. A belief in someone's right to self-determination, and accepting the refugees/immigrants need to control their individual destiny and choices in life (NASW, 2009).

As a social worker, you should understand some of rights a refugee has under the law of the land and the international refugees' laws. For instance, under Article 33 of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, it spells out clearly that a refugee is supposed not to be returned to his/her mother country where his/her life or freedom may be at risk on account of his/her religion, race, political opinion and nationality. Such are the fundamental laws which a social worker must be keen when handling a refugee (Capps, 2004).

Boundary issues

Boundary issues can sometimes be a difficult subject. One of the roles of a social worker is to work with other stakeholders to ensure that all immigrant found within the borders of a country are taken care of. A social worker has the mandate to recommend to the immigration officers for deportation and can also stop the deportation of a person if there is a reason not to. Therefore, a refugee may seek favors to prevent deportation and this in most instances becomes an ethical issue.

Social policy issues