Migration to Iceland has grown rapidly in recent years, including asylum-seekers and refugees. The research project, Education and social inclusion of refugee children and youth in Iceland (ESRCI) aims to critically explore the inclusion of Syrian and Iraqi refugee children and youth at pre-, compulsory and upper secondary school levels and the structures created for their learning and wellbeing in their social and educational settings. 

The ESRCI project involves refugee children and youth of different genders and their parents who have diverse educational and socio-economic backgrounds, in altogether 40 families in eleven municipalities in Iceland, as well as the children’s teachers, principals and where relevant, school counsellors in schools at pre-, compulsory and upper secondary levels, municipality persons and NGOs in their communities. 

By exploring the refugee children’s and youth’s access and participation in diverse educational contexts, including leisure time activities, as well as their social relations, the ESRCI project will provide important information for the Icelandic as well as international context on access and participation as well as what obstacles these children and youth meet in their diverse educational contexts. 

The main value of the ESRCI project for policy makers and practitioners in the Icelandic education system is providing insight into the educational experiences of refugee children and youth, challenges they face, their academic engagement and social wellbeing.