I denna uppsats vänder vi siktet mot de professionella vuxna som arbetar med ensamkommande flyktingbarn. Syftet med studien är att skapa förståelse för och synliggöra den professionella socialarbetarebs åsikter och erfarenheter kring sitt arbete och med det som utgångspunkt problematisera bemötandets betydelse för ensamkommande barns etablering/integration i Sverige. Bakgrunden till studien återfinns kring en förförståelse kring en bristande integrationspolitik och att individer med invnadrarbakgrund många gånger hamnar i utanförskap genom majoritetens utmålande av invandrare som främmande och kulturellt avvikande. Arbetet med uppstasen bygger på en kvalitativ ansats där empirin baseras på intervjuer.Resultatet påvisar integrationens komplexitet och att personalen upplever att de saknar strategier för det integrationsfrämjande arbetet. I tolkningen av empirin kan vi utläsa flertalet motsägelser däribland att ansvaret för integrationen åläggs den enskilde individen samtidigt som informanterna ger uttryck för nödvändigheten av ett ömsesidigt bemötande. Utifrån ett intersektionellt perspektiv och en postkolonial begreppsapparat påvisar vi hur det sociala arbetets struktur skapar barriärer för ensamkommande barns möjligheter till en gynnsam etablering. Vi menar att den sociala praktiken befäster ett "Vi" och ett "Dom" genom ett normativt ställningstagande där ensamkommande barn konstrueras som "de andra". En viktig aspekt att uppmärksamma är synen på att ensamkommande barn en dag ska betala tillbaka till det svenska samhället. Vi finner denna syn problematisk och menar att en attitydförändring är nödvändig för att skapa goda grunder för en gynnsam etableringsprocess fri från fördomar kring ensamkommande barns främlingskap.

Botswana acceded to the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol and entered a reservation on section 26 relating to the freedom of movement of refugees within its borders justified on reasons of national security. As such, Botswana adopts a restrictive detention policy which requires that asylum seekers, whether alone or accompanied by their children, be held at the Francistown Centre for Illegal Immigrants pending transfer to the Dukwi Refugee Camp if their application for refugee status is successful or deportation if unsuccessful. Botswana is therefore notorious for detaining asylum seekers including children for prolonged periods, in undesirable physical conditions, and in the process violating the asylum-seeking children's rights to among others, not to be unlawfully detained, the right to an adequate standard of living, family unity, the highest attainable standard of health, and basic education. The study therefore seeks to explore the laws safeguarding the right of asylum-seeking children not to be unlawfully detained in Botswana in an effort to assess the extent to which such laws comply with the standards set by the Convention on the Rights of the Child as the core international standard for the protection of children's rights, and other relevant international and regional instruments. In addition, the study will assess the extent to which such laws are given effect in practice. The study will also explore best international and regional practices on the protection of the right of asylum-seeking children not to be unlawfully detained with specific emphasis on the laws of Sweden and South Africa. The study concludes with recommendations based on standards set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other relevant international and regional instruments, and best practices in the laws of Sweden and South Africa which Botswana may draw valuable lessons in order to effectively safeguard the right of asylum-seeking children not to be unlawfully detained.

This two-part small-scale research is positioned within a social constructionist interpretive epistemology. Both parts of the research used qualitative methods. Part One explores the perspectives of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) in relation to their educational experiences in the UK. It also considers the experiences, opportunities and challenges for school and college staff with supporting the educational needs of UASC in a shire county in England. The methodology employed to collect the data for Part One consisted of semi-structured interviews with six professionals and the ‘Talking Stones’ (Wearmouth, 2004) interview technique with six UASC. For Part Two of the research, a Collaborative Action Research (CAR) approach was used consisting of one cycle of three group supervision sessions with five professionals from Part One. Within the group supervision sessions, a Solution Circles framework was implemented and participants were encouraged to prepare cases to discuss and collaboratively problem solve. The benefits to supporting the needs of UASC by introducing professionals to the process of group supervision are also explored. Braun and Clarke’s (2006) interpretation of Thematic Analysis was employed across both phases as a method of data analysis. This enabled themes to be identified which emerged from the data. Two key findings were discovered to play a significant role in the UASC’s social and emotional wellbeing: the uncertainty of the UASC’s future in relation to their unresolved asylum status and their acquisition and fluency of English language. The latter is discussed in relation to how fully the students felt able to integrate and communicate their needs. Barriers to language also link closely to students accessing the curriculum and their experience of inclusion within the setting. An array of opportunities and challenges of supporting the social and emotional needs of UASC are outlined by school and college staff. Such findings include: recognising and identifying the social and emotional needs of UASC, a lack of experience and opportunities for staff training, challenges with inclusion and integration of UASC within the educational settings, funding and available resources, developing supportive and trusting relationships over time and forming social connections. Within the paper, these findings are explored in relation to Bronfenbrenner’s (1979; 1989) Ecological Systems Theory. Implications for educational professionals and for educational psychology practitioners are discussed.

This thesis aims to bring to light the perceptions of mentalities of government through the eyes of unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors in Sweden. It also seeks to offer some insight and reflections from a custodian perspective. Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children that come to Sweden are entitled to the same rights as the children holding citizenships in Sweden. The right to be heard and listened to is enshrined in the Convention of the Rights of the Child and holds great value during the asylum-process. Thus, the enforcement of these rights, among other rights, shows to be challenging in practice when scrutinizing the asylum process. With a pluralistic theoretical approach, leaning on the works of Hannah Arendt and Jacques Derrida, along with the narratives shared by the informants, this study aims to uncover the probabilities of feeling helpless during the asylum process, it also seeks to explore how mechanisms of power relations and control are configured according to the informants. Most laws regarding securing rights for refugees are formed by international organizations and constituted by national politicians. These laws operate to gain control at the hand of legality, thus the restrictiveness has been at the expense of the child’s best interest. As I believe more initiatives should be taken within the field of migration policy, by having unaccompanied asylum-seeking children as the point of departure, this study is an endeavor to help give them a voice.

The number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) has increased significantly in Sweden since the summer of 2006. Due to Sweden’s high rate of asylum application approvals, it has become a main destination country. Concurrently, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children have decreased in other more traditional European destination countries, such as Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway. The majority of the UASC come from Afghanistan and Somalia. There is insufficient knowledge regarding these children’s reasons and patterns for the migration to Sweden. This is a case study based on semi-structured interviews with key informants that have been strategically chosen for this study. The Migration System theory, which is based on key mechanisms of the globalization theory, is used in this study. Restricted asylum regulations in Western countries have created a “migratory industry” with human smugglers, which facilitate and expand the irregular migration. The migratory industry greatly influences the children’s choice of destination. Without the assistance of human smugglers, a migration would be impossible for these children. The conclusion of this study demonstrates the importance of informal social networks that are the reason behind the increase of UASC in Sweden.

BACKGROUND Good mental health makes integration and participation easier. Many refugees have a great deal of resilience and it is important to maintain it and where possible to strengthen it. How much psychological complaints and disorders occur is partly dependent on having (prospect of) work, education or other forms of participation in society, experiencing social support, and having a social network (with family and /or close friends). AIM The aim of this literature review is to explore evidence-based intervention methods that can support refugee children to integrate into the school environment of the resettlement country.  METHOD In this systematic literature review, information was collected on a database for empirical studies and analyzed so as to discover efficient interventions for refugee children who just arrived in a Nordic country to help them integrate in mainstream schools. RESULTS For children, cohesion and support within the family are of great concern. In addition, prevention, recognition and receiving good care are crucial. The review discusses educational progress and social inclusion and how these can be improved for refugee children at a mainstream school. CONCLUSION The school takes on a very important role in the life of the refugee child. It is a strong protective factor and therefore life changing for the child and his/her family. This systematic literature review shows what kind of information is already produced and collected by researchers around the world. It can give an insight into the life of a refugee child and how they experience inclusion.

In 2015 a number of 35 000 unaccompanied children came to Sweden with hopes of having a brighter future and finding some sort of safety. There are many reasons as to why unaccompanied children seek asylum, escaping a war-town country, human trafficking and forced marriage are just a few to be named. It is common that these children carry traumatic experiences from their flight which needs to be taken care of, otherwise these children risk their health and wellbeing. With this study we aim to analyze how the guidelines regarding integration work from Malmö Stad respond to the children’s needs. To do this we have compared the guidelines with a mapping made by Socialstyrelsen (the National Board of Health and Welfare) as well as with previous research by scientific articles and by applying theories. The results show that the needs of unaccompanied children are complex, and that it is challenging to provide what is needed. For one to establish themselves in a new country, it takes a lot of different elements of the integration work that are all depending on one another. If one element isn’t fulfilled the other elements are at risk of enabling the integration process. Malmö Stads guidelines have many important elements in mind and it clearly shows that they care for the wellbeing of unaccompanied children. By applying theories the analysis gained a critical perspective of the guidelines and the actual work practice. A well worded plan regarding integration brings awareness regarding the needs of unaccompanied children, that later will spread throughout the operation and society as a whole.

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) disappearing from protection of the asylum system is a phenomenon that occurs around the world. Sweden is not immune to UASC disappearances, despite Swedish asylum laws and practices being based on the “Best Interests of the Child” (BIC). This study investigates the phenomenon from the perspective of stakeholders within the municipality of Malmö, Sweden, utilizing a constructivist grounded theory (CGT) approach. The aim of this study is to identify key paradoxical situations within the asylum system that may trigger disappearances, and to construct the theories surrounding this phenomenon from the data collected. The theories of governmentality, intersectionality and the post-Colonial theory of “othering” including “self-othering” were identified as valid concepts in regards to this phenomenon. This study also calls for further research into the field of unaccompanied migrant children including better documentation of these children who are both in and out of the asylum system.

Studiens syfte var att klargöra och redovisa för de främjande och försämrande faktorer som är betydelsefulla för asylsökande barns psykosociala välmående. Enligt vår förförståelse som vi erhållit genom arbetslivserfarenhet och utbildning lever de asylsökande barnen under svåra omständigheter och vi ansåg det viktigt att undersöka de påverkande faktorerna. Den metod som användes var en kunskapsöversikt som tolkades hermeneutiskt. Kunskapsöversikten baserades på 10 primärstudier och resultaten visade på följande främjande faktorer; skola, föräldrar/familj, adekvat information gällande beslutsprocessen, en väl fungerande barnpsykiatrisk vård, sociala nätverk och fritidsaktiviteter. De försämrande faktorerna var; bristfällig information och lång väntan under asylprocessen, föräldrars ohälsa, okunskap hos professionella om barnens lagstadgade rättigheter samt osäkra boendevillkor. Studiens resultat analyserades utifrån teorin Känsla av sammanhang. Resultatet ligger i linje med tidigare forskning. / "Outside I´m smiling, but inside I´m crying" - A litterary review of factors affecting the asylum seeking children´s psychosocial health. The study´s purpose was to examine the promoting and detoriating factors that are of importance for the psychosocial well-being of children seeking asylum. According to our prior understanding which we have acquired through working experience and education the asylum seeking children lives under difficult circumstances. We therefor considered it important to investigate the factors that are influencing the children. The method used was a review of the litterature which was interpreted hermeneutically. The review was based on 10 primary studies and results showed promoting factors as; school, parents/family, adequate information regarding the decision-making, a well-functioning child mental health service, social networks and leisure activities. The deteriorative factors were; lack of information and delays during the asylum process, parents´illness, ignorance among professionals about children´s legal rights and unsafe housing conditions. Our results were analysed based on the theory Sense of coherence. The results are in line with previous research.

Under de senaste åren har ett ökande antal ensamkommande barn kommit till Sverige för att söka asyl. Majoriteten av barnen blir placerade på hem för vård eller boende (HVB). Denna kvalitativa studie syftar till att få en djupare förståelse för hur arbetet på tre HVB-hem i en medelstor kommun kan se ut och vara organiserat. Data har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex anställda vid HVB-hem; tre sektionschefer och tre personal. Organisationskultur har använts som huvudsakligt analysinstrument med organisationsstruktur som komplement. Resultatet visar att fyra organisatoriska faktorer som är viktiga för personal i arbetet med ensamkommande barn är enhet, meningsfullhet, struktur och flexibilitet samt kompetens. Dessa faktorer kan ses som viktiga i arbetet med att utveckla verksamheterna. En välorganiserad verksamhet kan bättre leda till den stabilitet som de ensamkommande barnen behöver. / During the past years, an increasing amount of unaccompanied children have come to Sweden to apply for asylum. The majority are placed in residential care units. This qualitative study aims to get a deeper understanding of how the work in three residential care units in a medium-large municipality can look and be organized. Data has been collected through interviews with six employees at residential care units; three executives and three staff members. Organizational culture has been used as the main analysis instrument with organizational structure as complement. The findings show that four organizational factors that are important for staff when working with unaccompanied children are unity, meaningfulness, structure and flexibility, and competence. These factors can be viewed as important in developing the establishments. A well-organized establishment is superior in the way that it can lead to the stability that the unaccompanied children need.