The Role of Spanish Universities in the Integration of Refugee Students: An Analytical Study in the Context and Practices of Higher Education.

In recent years, Spanish universities have integrated refugees through academic initiatives. A national government program, driven by the Ministry of Universities, provides financial support for the University Refuge Action Plan, aimed at facilitating access to higher education and promoting integration. The University of Burgos led a research project evaluating the plan's impact on 27 universities across Spain. This study used a mixed-methods approach that combined quantitative and qualitative data. Information was gathered through surveys administered to 21 universities and 33 refugee students, along with four focus groups, in subsidized universities across four autonomous communities. Quantitative analysis used descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon test for refugee enrollment variations. Qualitative focus group data underwent thematic coding in ATLAS.ti, with manual theme extraction. The findings revealed a significant increase in refugee student enrollment in undergraduate courses, rising from an average of four in 2021/22 to eight in 2023/24. The Plan has improved the educational and integration prospects of students, researchers, and lecturers, although its impact on technical and administrative staff members is less pronounced. Overall, universities have reported improvements in their service quality and diversity. Language support remains crucial, with 85.7% of universities offering Spanish courses. However, only 33.3% have employment promotion initiatives, indicating room for growth. Participants rated the program 8.68 out of 10, with Spanish courses scoring 9.16. Recommendations include increasing Spanish instruction hours, enhancing psychological and social support, and broadening leisure and employment opportunities. Volunteers noted positive changes in their views on refugees and other related issues. Despite these advancements, 95.2% of institutions acknowledge the need for further improvements, suggesting the need for diversification of rights holders' profiles and increased outreach efforts.