Post-asylum reconstruction in France: a systematic review of mental health and employment integration.

Mary Jesenta  Ngabirano

doi:10.51168/sjhrafrica.v7i3.2502

Authors

Mary Jesenta Ngabirano Independent Researcher, Périgueux, France

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51168/sjhrafrica.v7i3.2502

Keywords:

Post-asylum reconstruction, Refugee integration, Mental health, Employment integration, France, Social determinants of health, Gender and intersectionality, Systematic review

Abstract

Background:

This study examines post-asylum reconstruction in France, focusing on the relationship between mental health recovery and employment integration. While refugee status provides legal protection, it does not guarantee psychological stability or economic inclusion. Many refugees continue to face persistent mental health challenges and barriers to accessing stable employment. Understanding how psychosocial recovery and labour market participation interact is essential for promoting sustainable post-asylum integration.

Methods:

Evidence from 65 sources, including policy papers, peer-reviewed studies, and grey literature, is compiled in this narrative desk review. The review uses a thematic approach to look at how gendered vulnerabilities, employment paths, mental health trajectories, and structural factors influence post-asylum integration in France.

Results:

The results show a close relationship between employment integration and mental health rehabilitation. After their status is confirmed, many refugees continue to endure symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, which are frequently connected to extended uncertainty during the asylum procedure. By encouraging autonomy, social engagement, and identity rebuilding, social support and secure, skill-matched employment serve as mediators of psychological rehabilitation. On the other hand, underemployment or precarious employment can increase stress and perpetuate marginalization. Both work paths and mental health outcomes are greatly impacted by structural factors, such as regional differences, labor market fragmentation, language competency, and acceptance of foreign credentials. Integration experiences are further shaped by intersectional and gendered elements, with refugee women encountering additional obstacles.

Conclusion:

Post-asylum reconstruction in France is shaped by the dynamic relationship between psychosocial recovery and economic participation. Sustainable integration requires coordinated, trauma-informed, and employment-sensitive policy frameworks that address structural barriers while supporting mental well-being.

Future Research:

Future studies should assess integrated policy initiatives intended to support long-term post-asylum reconstruction and investigate regional variations.

Author Biography

Mary Jesenta Ngabirano, Independent Researcher, Périgueux, France

is an interdisciplinary researcher specializing in migration, social integration, and mental health. Her work focuses on the lived experiences of refugees and asylum seekers, with particular attention to the post-asylum phase in France, where she investigates how legal recognition intersects with psychosocial well-being and labor market participation. Jesenta’s research combines narrative desk reviews, conceptual synthesis, and policy analysis to illuminate structural barriers, social determinants of health, and gendered dynamics affecting integration. She has contributed to publications exploring deferred life trajectories, informal social labor, and the complex relationship between employment, identity, and mental health among migrant populations. Through her scholarship, Jesenta seeks to inform evidence-based policy interventions that promote long-term social inclusion, mental health recovery, and equitable access to labor markets for refugees and other displaced populations.

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