Purpose
There is substantial research on the experiences, needs and well-being of unaccompanied refugee adolescents, but less is known about existential aspects of their lives. The purpose of the ...current study is to explore existential meaning-making among unaccompanied refugee children.
Design/methodology/approach
The informants in this study are young unaccompanied refugees (n = 30) living in Norway, and young Norwegians (n = 46). The authors undertook a secondary analysis of in-depth qualitative refugee interview data and a quantitative analysis of questionnaire data from Norwegian informants.
Findings
Both the refugee youths and the Norwegian youths expressed that social relationships and connections to others were most important for meaning. Moreover, both groups emphasized the importance of relatedness and generativity, i. e. commitment to worldly affairs beyond one’s immediate needs. The main differences between the two groups were related to the significance attached to religion and to loneliness.
Research limitations/implications
The comparison between the two groups is only possible to some degree. Secondary analyses have some limitations, as well as strengths.
Practical implications
The findings may be useful for supporting young refugees, as they provide insights into less-studied aspects of their lives.
Originality/value
The originality of this study lies in the focus on and broad interpretation of meaning, of secondary data analyses, and of comparisons between youths that are refugees versus non-refugees.
In 2015, most of the refugees arriving in Germany originated from countries with poor hygienic and sanitary conditions. Stool samples of 1,230 minor refugees unaccompanied by adults were investigated ...for possible parasites. Giardia lamblia was by far the most frequently detected parasite (n=165); all other parasites were considerably less frequent and encountered in the following order: Hymenolepis nana (n=23), Entamoeba histolytica (n=17), Trichuris trichiura (n=8), and Blastocystis hominis (n=1). Ascaris lumbricoides was not detected among any of the screened refugees. Considerable differences in prevalence rates in refugees originating from different countries could be observed.
A Wager for Life Stubberud, Elisabeth; Akin, Deniz; Bang Svendsen, Stine H.
Nordic Journal of Migration Research,
12/2019, Volume:
9, Issue:
4
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
This article explores the experiences of queer children who have sought asylum alone in Norway, focussing on hope, fear and despair. The children who are denied asylum relate an experience of ...standing at the brink of death, while those who are granted asylum describe how the queer life they have hoped for is postponed by the settlement and integration system, where they live in isolation and in risk of violence and bullying. We analyse these experiences in light of decolonial theory in which the conditions of war and proximity to death are extended into the childrens’ lives under the custodianship of the Norwegian state. Drawing on queer theory, the wager is life as these children have known it. The potential is living beyond the coloniality of Being, in relationships and communities that provide the possibility of a meaningful life.
Keller et al discuss a critical appraisal of procedures, conditions and recent changes of unaccompanied minor asylum-seekers in Switzerland. The study aims to give an insight in the current numbers ...of UAM and their situation in Switzerland, being shaped by an ambiguous legal framework and important developments within the institutional setting. Compared to other European Countries there is only a very small body of research knowledge on UAM in Switzerland. Therefore, the study has to relate more to non-governmental organization (NGO)-material, statistics and media reports.
The United States is facing the challenge of a growing number of migrating unaccompanied minors. These children have often witnessed and experienced severe traumatic events before and during their ...journey to a foreign country. In addition, they face cultural shock, loss of social network, and language barriers while navigating complicated asylum procedures and the possibility of being returned back to their country of origin. As a result, they present with several emotional and behavioral difficulties, but also profound amounts of resiliency. This case study presents the treatment of a young unaccompanied minor experiencing severe post-traumatic stress disorder. A relational psychodynamic approach, integrated with trauma focused intervention, is illustrated.
Separated children seeking asylum in Europe have the right to a representative, typically in the form of a guardian, and the right to have their best interests taken into account. These rights are ...articulated in the Council Directives and Regulations regulating the Common European Asylum System. The original language used around the time of developing the Common European Asylum System related to 'harmonisation'. This article, therefore, looks at the level of harmonisation of the systems of guardianship, and the guardians' responsibility to determine and promote the best interest, for separated children seeking asylum in Europe. The article begins by defining the guardian and the best interest principle and outlining the relevant law, which presently exists in Europe. Three case studies were chosen to provide current examples of the differences in practice in Europe, namely: Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands. The question dealt with in this article is to what extent the three case study countries meet the minimum standards set out in European law in respect of guardianship and the best interests of separated children seeking asylum.
In order to establish identity of asylum seekers, part of which is age clarification, administrative authorities are obliged to investigate the credibility of allegations based on the usual means of ...evidence to determine the applicable legal background. In case of serious doubts concerning age minority declaration, medical expert opinion builds the key proof bound by a complex framework consisting of EU regulations, domestic legal backgrounds and the scientific ‘state of the art,’ the latter being largely influenced by the pursuit of the German ‘Study Group on Forensic Age Diagnostics.’ Our application example demonstrates the exceptional value of its guidelines serving evidence-based understanding of the age issue in borderline adults within the asylum context. The results deriving from a substantial number of cases disclose an unequivocal inclination of age-disputed male refugees towards concluding somatic development despite a tendency of low lying age reports.
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