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International Journal of
Population Studies Cultural identity and health risks in forced migration

are driven away from their homes every year, seeking Woźniak-Bobińska’s (2020) study reported that strong
safety from crises such as conflicts or natural disasters. governments have become the most powerful force for
However, the effects of migration transcend mere physical change. They utilize underhanded methods of obtaining
relocation. People who are forced to flee their homelands their desired results by instituting laws and rules that
are often abruptly disconnected from cultural roots that limit religious and political freedom, rights that should
are intertwined with their sense of self and community. be unalienable. Burkhardt (2017) asserted that people
This loss can profoundly undermine their social bonds who have fled unstable homelands and regions in which
and harm their mental wellness (Kirkbride et al., 2024). their fundamental human dignity was grievously violated
Refugees and migrants face immense challenges at every find themselves in exceptionally vulnerable positions. Da
stage of their arduous migration journeys. They must Costa’s (2006) study endorsed this conclusion: relocating
contend with scarcity, oppression, traumatic brutality, or to new domains may deny people fundamental human
the absence of sustainable living conditions before leaving rights and privileges such as the minimum comfort they
their homelands (Bempong et al., 2019). When they arrive deserve. However, generations of communities worldwide
at their relocation destinations, they confront uncertainties have upheld their prized traditions as integral facets of
about work authorization, stable housing, and healthcare their cultural character. Customs necessitate devotion to
access. Their resettlement and integration introduce endure and remain sustained in the distant future; thus,
even more complex difficulties concerning their gender consistency is a fundamental aspect of their definition.
perceptions, cultures, faiths, and joblessness (Alarcon, However, are cultural conventions authentically handed
2022). Meanwhile, nostalgia and hope for the future remain down to the next generation? Cultural personae are shaped
their constant companions. However, forced migrants and influenced by the sincerity with which ancestral
with courage, compassion, and community support can practices are communicated. Some regions of the world
surmount such obstacles (World Health Organization: have successfully preserved their unique practices, passing
WHO, 2021a). Furthermore, migrant populations tend them down through generations. However, globalization
to face heightened threats to their well-being without has endangered the continuation of certain practices in
access to their previous healthcare or support systems, other communities, making their youth less connected to
and preventable mortality occurs too often. A complex their ancestries (Matthews & Thakkar, 2012).
web of risks is created when massive groups of people are Forced migrants must strategically shape their identities
compelled to migrate against their will and rebuild their to navigate new settings but their predicaments emanate
lives elsewhere. Cultural norms provide communities with from inadequate support. Migrants face obstacles solely
an intrinsic sense of belonging but forced relocations often due to their immigration status, which encourages identity
challenge long-held traditions. Uprooted groups struggle fluidity (Hack-Polay et al., 2021). De Haas (2021) further
to safeguard their practices, tongues, and behavioral codes posited the principal question of how refugees reconcile the
when they arrive in unfamiliar lands. Nevertheless, some imposed identity with their inner selves. Variable identities
traditions endure surprisingly despite such upheavals. are not formed solely by chance or nature; Virupaksha
Certain communities recover their lost customs in their et al. (2014) indicated that complex demands, transitory or
new environments by sharing familiar stories and recipes permanent, encourage intentional identity creation.
with their compatriots, kindling nostalgia in a foreign
setting (Smeekes & Jetten, 2019). There is no substitute for Besides their native attributes, short- or long-term social
stability, but creativity sometimes stems from the tides of and mental positioning dynamically informs the sense of
change and ensures that some cultural continuity survives self of migrants. At times, certain migrants may highlight
such forced migrant journeys. Migrants encounter several identities that promote inclusion; at other times, they could
stressful experiences that could negatively affect their emphasize other traits to conceal their true selves: at all
mental health. For instance, they lose their social support times, their circumstances compel unconscious or careful
networks, religious rituals, and cultural norms; they must identity shifts (Timotijevic & Breakwell, 2000). Thus,
adjust to new societies; and they are forced to experience forced migrants manage their identities, utilizing them as
changes to their identities and self-concepts (Bhugra & survival and belongingness tools in lands other than their
Becker, 2005). birthplaces. Their experiences underscore the inhumanity
of reducing humans to mere legal classifications.
3.1.2. Cultural integration and adaptation To cite a contemporary example, Trovato et al.’s (2023)
Researchers have investigated the persistent imposition of study demonstrated that millions of Syrians fled their
cultural and ethnic identities on immigrants and asylum homeland and sought refuge in neighboring Lebanon
seekers worldwide (Lau & Rodgers, 2021a). For example, due to the unrelenting conflict that began in 2011. The

Volume 11 Issue 2 (2025) 4 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.4468