Comparative analysis of resettled refugees’ social networks: A mixed-method approach with visualisation tools

Despite a growing interest in Social Network Analysis (SNA) within migration studies, refugees’ networks are still overlooked. Employing a mixed-method SNA (MMSNA), incorporating Hogan et al.’s participant-aided sociogram and Gephi, this article compares the networks of refugees resettled in England through the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) and Community Sponsorship (CS). Findings suggest that CS facilitates the development of wider, more diversified and more interconnected social networks compared to VPRS. The study highlights the role of individual and contextual factors in shaping networks while also underscoring the benefits of MMSNA, including visualisation tools, in advancing our understanding of refugees’ social networks.