Introduction

When looking at the issue of refugees and housing, concerns relating to rights, justice and equality are at the heart. Migration, particularly relating to refugees and their settlement in the West, has been the focus of damaging political rhetoric and community unrest, currently played out in widespread disturbances across the UK. This chapter sets out the scope of this book which is to consider the housing experiences of refugees. To do this, we have taken a housing pathways approach, which goes beyond the physical and structural aspect of housing. In doing so, we are able to better understand the individual and structural processes of settlement that impact the lives of refugees and gain an insight into the symbolic meaning of home.