Loss and grief in the context of (forced) migration

(Forced) migration involves profound losses with long-lasting effects on individuals. In addition to losing their physical home and culture, some (forced) migrants also lose loved ones through death while living abroad. This type of loss comes with additional challenges, such as the inability to attend funerals or engage in traditional mourning practices. This chapter considers the implications of this cumulative loss for international social work practice within “glocal” contexts. Insights from psychology, sociology and social work lead us to argue that relational and culturally sensitive approaches to grief and mourning may be the most suitable to social work interventions within contexts of (forced) migration and international social work practice. However, the analysis illustrates that there is currently a lack of sufficient knowledge and training available to appropriately meet the particular needs of (forced) migrants experiencing grief and the loss of loved ones in other parts of the world.