Syftet med denna studie var att se på de anvisade boendenas betydelse för integrationen av de ensamkommande barnen som kom till Sverige under 2015. Detta gjordes genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex av de idag (2024) vuxna som kom som ensamkommande barn 2015. Diaz integrationsmodell tillämpades för att analysera resultaten som framkom i studien. Resultaten visade att boendepersonalen, språket och känslan av trygghet utgjorde de viktigaste delarna av boendets betydelse för integrationen. Resultaten visade även hinder och möjligheter för integration. Hindren var bland annat brister på svenska relationer och att aktiviteter enbart utfördes med andra utlandsfödda. Möjligheterna var bland annat att de fick stöd för att lära sig om samhället och kulturen. Studiens resultat stämmer med tidigare forskning som visade att det var viktigt med stödjande funktioner och att ensamkommande barn upplevde att de var isolerade från resten av samhället. / The purpose of this study was to look at the designated housing´s importance for the integration of the unaccompanied minors who came to Sweden in 2015. This was done through semi-structured interviews with six of the current (2024) adults who arrived as unaccompanied minors in 2015. The Diaz integration model was applied to analyze the results. The results showed that the housing staff, language and the feeling of safety were the most important elements of the housing´s importance. The results also showed barriers and opportunities for integration. The obstacles included a lack of Swedish relationships and the fact that activities were only carried out with other foreign-born people. The opportunities included support in learning about the society and the culture. The results of the study are consistent with previous research that supportive functions are important and that unaccompanied children felt that they were isolated from the rest of society.

The theme of the work is to compare social and legal situation of unaccompanied minors (UAMs) from third countries, who find themselves in the territory of the Czech Republic and Austria, and these countries have subsequently provided them care and protection. Work aims to describe the history of the system of care, possible types of residence of these children, conditions of their security and identifying of their age in the two above-mentioned countries. Emphasis is also on the system of care, involving social and legal protection, housing, custody area, education, health care, as well as the search for durable solutions in the area of residence, the family reunification and reintegration. Then, I will try by using analysis to compare what these various aspects of their social and legal situation differ in, what they are identical in or which country better respects the so-called "appropriate procedures of Separated Children in Europe Programme ". I would also like to point out some deficiencies in the system or vice versa examples of good practice in both countries.

Under år 2015 sökte 162 877 personer asyl i Sverige. Större delen av de asylsökande kom från det krigshärjade Syrien, det var 51 338 asylsökande (Migrationsverket, 2016). Syftet med uppsatsen var att undersöka socialsekreterares upplevelse av den psykosociala arbetsmiljön, samt upplevd kompetens i arbetet, på en kommunal enhet för ensamkommande barn till följd av ökad arbetsbelastning som en konsekvens av flyktingkrisen. Syftet besvarades genom följande frågeställningar: Hur upplever socialsekreterare sin psykosociala arbetsmiljö? Hur upplevs kompetensen i det dagliga arbetet hos berörda socialsekreterare? Metoden för studien var kvalitativ. Fem semistrukturerade intervjuer utfördes med socialsekreterare på en kommunal enhet för ensamkommande barn. Resultatet visade att socialsekreterarna upplever att deras psykosociala arbetsmiljö är stressfylld till följd av hög arbetsbelastning som uppkommit till följd av flyktingkrisen. Resultatet visade också att socialsekreterarnas upplevda kompetens i arbete var varierande, det som var gemensamt var att samtliga upplevde att de utökar sin kompetens i arbetet och mötet med de ensamkommande barnen. / In 2015, 162,877 people sought asylum in Sweden. Most of the asylum seekers came from wartorn Syria, there were 51,338 asylum seekers (Immigration Service, 2016). The main purpose of the paper was to examine the social workers experience of the psychosocial work environment, and perceived competence at work, at a municipal unit for unaccompanied minors as a result of the increased workload as a result of the refugee crisis. The purpose was answered by the following questions: How do social workers their psychosocial work? How perceived competence in the daily work of the social workers? The method of the study was qualitative. Five semi-structured interviews were conducted with social workers at a municipal unit for unaccompanied minors. The results showed that social workers feel that their psychosocial work is stressful due to the heavy workload arising in consequence of the refugee crisis. The results also showed that social workers perceived competence at work was varied, all experienced that they expand their skills at work through meeting with the unaccompanied minors.

Studiens huvudsyfte är att utforska HVB-personalens känslomässiga påfrestningar i samband med bemötandet av ensamkommande flyktingbarn samt att utforska personalens upplevelser av sin psykosociala arbetsmiljö i relation till interaktion med ungdomarna. Studien är baserad på fenomenologisk ansats, med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer med 10 medarbetare. Resultatet redogör för medarbetarnas upplevelser i samband med bemötandet av ensamkommande flyktingbarn samt medarbetarnas upplevelser av sin psykosociala arbetsmiljö i relation till interaktion med ungdomarna. Enligt resultatet upplevs arbetet med ensamkommande barn som både givande och krävande. Social kompetens upplevs vara den viktigaste kunskapen men även språk- och kulturkompetens betonas. Dessutom lyfts lyhördhet och respekt för andra människor fram som centrala aspekter. Enligt respondenternas utsagor upplevs den psykosociala arbetsmiljön någorlunda stressande. Medarbetarna använder sig av olika copingstategier för att hantera den emotionella påverkan. Studiens slutsats är att arbetet på HVB-hem är psykiskt och emotionellt påfrestande vilket ökar tendensen till psykisk ohälsa. / The purpose of this study was to explore the HVB staff's emotional strain associated with their work. The study is based on a phenomenological approach, using semi-structured interviews of ten employees. According to my results the personnel experienced working with unaccompanied minors as both rewarding and demanding. Social skills are the most important knowledge in this kind of work, but language and cultural competence are also desirable. Sensitivity and respect for other people are highlighted as central issues in this kind of work. The psychosocial environment is perceived as stressful. Workers use various coping strategies to manage their stress. The study concludes that work in the HVB home is mentally and emotionally stressful and strenuous, increasing the risk of mental illness.

[pt] Desde o início do século XX, os países da União Europeia tem sido o destino de milhares de crianças e adolescentes que chegam desacompanhados, isto é, sem a proteção de um adulto responsável por elas. Eles vêm prioritariamente da África e do Oriente Médio, através de três rotas principais, que levam à Espanha, através do Estreito de Gibraltar (Mediterrânea Ocidental), à Itália (Mediterrânea Oriental), e à Grécia e Bálcãs (Fronteira Ocidental). O principal objetivo do presente estudo é analisar as políticas públicas de acolhimento e proteção de menores migrantes que chegam desacompanhados à Espanha e à França e sua conformidade com os principais instrumentos internacionais e europeus de proteção às crianças e aos imigrantes. Também é analisado o papel da sociedade civil tanto no suporte ao acolhimento e integração de menores imigrantes desacompanhados, como na defesa seus direitos através de campanhas de advocacy. / [en] Since the beginning of the 20th century, European Union countries have been the destination of thousands of children and adolescents who arrive unaccompanied without the protection of an adult. They come primarily from Africa and the Middle East through three main routes, which lead to Spain, across the Straits of Gibraltar (Western Mediterranean), Italy (Eastern Mediterranean), and Greece and the Balkans (Western Border). This study aims to analyse public policies for the reception and protection of migrant minors who arrive unaccompanied in Spain and France and their compliance with international and European principles for protecting children and immigrants. The role of civil society in supporting unaccompanied minors reception and integration and defending their rights through advocacy campaigns is also explored.

The on-going conflicts and hardships in various parts of the world, especially in theMiddle East and regions like Syria and Somalia, have triggered a significant wave ofmigration towards Europe. A considerable fraction of these migrants comprisesunaccompanied minors. This research study aims to explore how pre-migration,migration, and post-migration factors influence the mental health and well-being ofSyrian and Somali unaccompanied minors in Sweden during the asylum-seekingprocess. The study is qualitative in nature, employing six in-depth semi-structuredinterviews as its primary data collection method. Using the frameworks of the Senseof Coherence theory and coping theory, the research delves into the challengesunaccompanied minors encounter during the asylum process and the subsequentimpacts on their mental health. The findings suggest that the asylum-seeking processsignificantly impacts the mental health of unaccompanied minors, eliciting mentalhealth issues such as depression, anxiety, and feelings of uncertainty and insecurity.These influences are not confined to mental well-being alone but also permeate otheraspects of their lives. This study therefore highlights the necessity of acknowledgingand addressing the complex link between the asylum-seeking process and mentalhealth among unaccompanied minors.

The aim of this study was to reach an understanding of how young adults with permanent residence permit, who came to Sweden as unaccompanied asylum seeking minors, experience their confrontation with the Swedish society. Another purpose was to understand how these young adults view Sweden and its inhabitants, as well as the experience of starting a new life in Sweden. In order to investigate these questions, a qualitative method consisting of five interviews with five young men was conducted. The results showed that the respondents feared the meeting with the immigration board and that they feel that school is divided in two groups, Swedes and immigrants. People with nonethnic Swedish background who have lived in Sweden for a long time are seen as Swedes, and in that meaning assimilated. One important conclusion we made was that the division between Swedes and immigrants have a negative influence on the immigrants´ integration in the society. Another conclusion is that school has to take more responsibility to give the children a more meaningful life.

Abstract This doctoral thesis focuses on children’s participation in a Finnish reception centre. Using participatory action research (PAR) as the research methodology, the study engaged 12 unaccompanied asylum-seeking girls from Somalia, Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo to consider children’s participation during the asylum process, and to explore the ways in which the girls’ participation and wellbeing could be promoted. The research questions, which were formulated during the process in cooperation with the girls, were the following: How do the unaccompanied asylum-seeking girls view participation, its relevance and the possibilities for it during their asylum period? How does the liminality of their life situation promote or hinder their participation? How do the intersecting social categories affect their participation? Methodologically, the study focused on how PAR can be applied to promote children’s participation in institutional care in a culturally and gender-sensitive way. The conceptual framework consists mainly of critical pedagogy and intersectionality. Critical pedagogy made the foundations for the PAR, whereas intersectionality helped to comprehend the liminality of the girls’ life worlds. Both theoretical perspectives contributed to understanding and implementing the participatory paradigm. The findings show that the unaccompanied girls’ experiences of participation cannot be explained only through the girls’ vulnerability or their resilience, as they clearly belong to both categories and move within them. The participation, which was meaningful for the girls, reflected their fluid positions in relation to their gender, age and status as asylum seekers. Participation meant both the right to voice opinions and the possibility to choose silence, as well as the opportunity to include ‘ordinary things’ into their lives. / Tiivistelmä Tämä väitöstutkimus keskittyy lasten osallisuuteen suomalaisessa vastaanottokeskuksessa. Yhteensä 12 yksin maahan tullutta turvapaikanhakijatyttöä Somaliasta, Angolasta ja Kongon demokraattisesta tasavallasta osallistui toimintatutkimuksen keinoin pohtimaan lasten osallisuutta turvapaikkaprosessin aikana, ja miettimään keinoja miten lasten osallisuutta ja hyvinvointia voisi edistää. Tutkimuskysymykset, jotka muotoiltiin prosessin edetessä yhdessä osallistujien kanssa olivat seuraavat: Miten yksin maahan tulleet turvapaikanhakijatytöt käsittävät osallisuuden merkityksen ja mahdollisuudet heidän turvapaikkaprosessinsa aikana? Miten elämäntilanteen liminaalisuus heikentää tai edistää heidän osallisuuttaan? Miten ristikkäiset sosiaaliset kategoriat vaikuttavat heidän osallisuuteensa? Tutkimus pureutuu myös siihen, miten osallistavaa toimintatutkimusta voidaan käyttää kodin ulkopuolella asuvien lasten osallisuuden tukemiseen kulttuuri- ja sukupuolisensitiivisellä tavalla. Tutkimuksen käsitteellinen viitekehys rakentuu pääosin kriittisen pedagogiikan ja intersektionaalisuuden teorioista. Toimintatutkimus pohjautuu kriittiselle pedagogiikalle, kun taas intersektionaalisuus auttaa ymmärtämään tutkimuksen tyttöjen elämäntilanteen liminaalisuuden. Molemmat teoreettiset näkökulmat auttoivat tulkitsemaan ja toteuttamaan osallistavaa paradigmaa. Tulokset osoittavat, että yksin maahan tulleiden turvapaikanhakijatyttöjen osallisuuden kokemukset ovat moninaisia ja muuttuvia. Turvapaikanhakijastatuksen mukanaan tuoma haavoittuvaisuus ei riitä selittämään tyttöjen kokemuksia, kuten ei myöskään heidän elämänkokemuksensa mukanaan tuoma sinnikkyys ja vahvuus. Tutkimuksen tytöt olivat sekä haavoittuvaisia että vahvoja, ja heidän asemansa näissä kategorioissa oli joustava. Merkitykselliseen osallisuuteen vaikuttivat myös tyttöjen muuttuvat positiot, jotka liittyivät heidän sukupuoleensa, ikäänsä ja turvapaikanhakija-asemaansa. Osallisuus tarkoitti tytöille sekä oikeutta ilmaista mielipiteensä että vaieta, kuten myös arkisten asioiden sisällyttämistä jokapäiväiseen elämään.

The intended work examines how the relationship between the unaccompanied migrants and the hosts is formed within foster care. Foster care could be defined as "long-term and repetitive contacts," where specific forms of relationship are negotiated between individual actors. I ask what activities and practices the actors make significant concerning the arrival, what ideas and imaginations on the part of the actors enter into the relationship, and how emotional rules are negotiated in a relationship. Last but not least, the work examines how the individual actors relate to the category of unaccompanied minors, that is, how this category, which has its legal definition, is negotiated. Key words: unaccompanied minors, foster care, family practices, emotional work, reflexivity

Thesis (M. Dev. (Development in Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Since transition from the system of apartheid to democratic rule, South Africa became the destination for many migrants and refugees from across the African continent. Many children are travelling alone or become separated from their care givers or parents once they reach the country. The migration of residents of other African countries, particularly Zimbabwe, into the Limpopo province has resulted in the increase in the number of unaccompanied minors within the province, in Polokwane and the child protection system, and it requires collaborative intervention. The child protection system, particularly in the Child and Youth Care Centres, has unaccompanied minors who remain in the system for more than the stipulated time in relation to the Children’s Act 38 of 2005. The aim of the study was to explore the challenges faced by social workers in managing the cases of unaccompanied minors in Child and Youth Care Centers in Polokwane. This study employed a qualitative case study research design and one-on-one interview as a primary data collection method. The qualitative data was analysed using a thematic approach. The findings of this study indicate that most of unaccompanied minors were in dire situation and lack proper documentation. The findings also revealed that there were a number of critical child protection challenges that existed in the management of the cases of unaccompanied minors by government officials. The study further highlighted that social workers were not adequately capacitated and there was lack of intersectoral collaboration and insufficient resources to deal with the multiple issues that affect unaccompanied minors in Polokwane. It is therefore recommended that the social worker should also be capacitated regarding different items of legislation that deal with unaccompanied and foreign children in order to ensure proper implementation of the Acts. Department of Social Development must also popularise and provide training to social workers and all relevant stakeholders on the guidelines on separated and unaccompanied minors living outside their country of origin. DSD should make an amendment of the Children’s Act to include unaccompanied minors and also ensure that all stakeholders are trained. The researcher also recommends coordination of service among government departments in order to ensure an effective and integrated child protection system