La France connait une nouvelle vague d’immigration depuis la fin des années 1990, caractérisée par une diversification de profils de migrants en termes de pays d’origine, motifs de migration,situations familiales… Dans la mesure où l’impact de ces transformations dans le domaine familial a fait peu l’objet de recherches jusque-là, l’objectif de cette thèse a été de comprendre les expériences des enfants de ces migrants.Plusieurs étapes dans les parcours des enfants de migrants ont été identifiées : la migration initiale des parents, l’expérience de la vie au sein d’une famille transnationale, l’éventuelle migration de l’enfant en France et la reconnaissance légale dans le pays d’immigration. Chacune d’elles a fait l’objet d’une analyse quantitative en s’appuyant sur de multiples sources de données, dont les enquêtes auprès des populations migrantes (MGIS, TeO, ELIPA) et les données administratives issues de procédures ciblant les familles migrantes (versement des prestations aux familles résidant à l’étranger, bénéficiaires de la procédure de regroupement familial). Les profils de familles migrantes se sont diversifiés, en grande partie sous l’effet de la multiplication des pays d’origine en France aujourd’hui. Ces nouvelles familles migrantes où la seule mère ou les deux parents migrent simultanément se différencient en termes de projets migratoires de leurs prédécesseurs et sont plus souvent accompagnés ou rejoints par leurs enfants. L’étape de vie familiale à distance pouvant correspondre à une période assez longue parle passé est transitoire pour nombre d’entre elles, mais également associée à des configurations familiales plus complexes. Le contexte légal marqué par une régulation croissante du phénomène migratoire détermine les conditions légales de ces enfants à l’arrivée en France,caractérisée alors par davantage d’incertitude. / France has experienced a new immigration wave since the end of the 1990s, characterized by a diversification of migrants’ profiles in terms of their countries of origin, migration motives, family situations... As the impact of these transformations in the area of family migration has been relatively under-investigated, the aim of this thesis was to understand the experiences of these migrants' children.We identified several stages in the journey of the children of migrants: the parents’ initial migration, the experience of life in a transnational family, the possible migration of the child to France and his or her legal recognition at destination. Each of these stages has been the subject of a quantitative analysis based on multiple data sources, including surveys among the migrant population (MGIS, TeO, ELIPA) and administrative data derived from procedures targeting migrant families (payment of benefits to families residing abroad, beneficiaries of the family reunification procedure). Profiles of migrant families have diversified, largely as a result of the multiplication of the countries of origin in France today. These new migrant families, where only the mother or both parents migrate simultaneously, differ in terms of their migration projects from their predecessors and are more often accompanied or joined by their children. The transnational family stage that may have corresponded to a fairly long period in the past, is transitory for many of them, but also associated with more complex family configurations. The legal context,characterized by the increasing regulation of migration, determines the children’s legal conditions upon arrival in France, which are defined by more uncertainty.

Family reunification for unaccompanied refugee minors is one of the most debatable issues when it comes to deciding whether it should be viewed as a right or it can be justifiable for states to completely prevent it and rather provide it only as a privilege. The discussion in the legal sphere proved that the issue is still problematic in both international and European laws. In this thesis, I have analyzed this issue through assessing the three claims that were provided by the United Kingdom for its negative position on the case. Through the lens of the child’s best interests’ principle, the non-discrimination principle, and the global distributive justice theory, I argued for considering family reunification as a right rather than a privilege. Children should always be treated as children. It cannot be justifiable for states to completely prevent them from being reunited with their families for being refugees.

"Chapter II will examine the right to family unity and reunification as provided by the various international and regional instruments. The rigt to family unity and reunification in regard to the concept of state sovereignty, definition of terms and concepts, the scope of application and generally the extent of humanitarian and human rights obligation of states under international law. The concept of family as it applies under these instruments and their regions of application will also be examined. Chapter III will examine state practice in this area generally, legislation relating to and affecting the implementation of the rights to family unity and reunification, case law jurisprudence (where applicable), administrative and procedural challenges and how these impact on the implementation of these rights. The jurisprudence of the European Commission and Court as well as the framework of the European Union, the United States and Canada (which are major asylum countries in North America) and the regime under the African human rights system will be discussed. Chapter IV will examine the framework of specialised agencies, particularly the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nationas Office of the High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), in the implementation of these rights. The responsibility for realising family reunification for the unaccompanied refugee child rests on both the states and specialised agencies. This chapter will examine the various documents on the protection of the unaccompanied refugee child's rights to family unity and reunification by the UNHCR, ICRC and other specialized agencies and NGOs especially in the area of family tracing, unity and reunificaiton rights of the refugee child during the conflict. This chapter will also examine other alternatives to family reunification such as fostering, adoption and institutional care. The aims is to determine how successful these agencies have been in the realisation of their mandate as it related to the family rights of the unaccompanied refugee child. Chapter V will make recommendations on more effective ways for implementing the rights." -- Introduction. / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2006. / Prepared under the supervision of Dr. Henry Ojambo at the Faculty of Law, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/academic_pro/llm1/dissertations.html / Centre for Human Rights / LLM

For women in recovery from complex trauma and substance abuse, the lack of posttreatment family reunification services such as family engagement, service delivery, and aftercare planning increase the likelihood of parental relapse and children reentering foster care. A primary caregiver's continued relapse can lead to longer out of home placement for minor children and a loss of parental rights, with a negative impact on both children and parents. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of women in recovery, their sobriety practices, and how they reunified their families. The theoretical framework was Herman's trauma and recovery model. The research question focused on gaining a broader understanding of the complexities of substance abuse recovery among single-parenting women with trauma histories and their efforts to achieve and sustain family reunification. Data were obtained from interviews of 10 participants using an audio recording device and open-ended interview questions. Five themes emerged through analysis using open and axial coding: (a) choosing to remain sober, (b) cultivating and connecting, (c) trust and discovery, (d) trauma histories, and (e) aftercare and maintenance. Results indicated a possible connection between foster care recidivism and outdated aftercare services and practices. Improved aftercare practices could increase sustainability of reunified families and decrease the likelihood of relapse among caregivers in recovery. This study impacts social change by informing policy makers on state and federal levels of the needs of recovering parents and their families.

This thesis examines how Swedish citizens deal with the increasingly difficult process of returning to Sweden with family members who are third country nationals, following the passage of a law that places temporary limits on residency permits. The goal of this thesis is to examine how negotiations of citizenship and belonging play out in the context of Swedish migration policy and family reunification regulations. In order to explore these questions in more detail, I have chosen an ethnographic methodology based on a combination of virtual ethnography in two groups on the social media platform Facebook as well as seven semistructured interviews with participants found through these groups and one expert interview with an organization lobbying for Swedes abroad. In this study, the concepts of citizenship, belonging, whiteness, Swedishness, and diaspora are used to understand the relationship of utlandssvenskar (Swedish citizens living abroad) to Sweden and their Swedish citizenship. The study concludes that these Facebook groups provide a space to share and receive support, generate discussion, interact with other Swedes, and help create a sense of community among members scattered around the world by creating a "we". The process of family reunification reinforces feelings of deservingness, and the idea of privilege and citizenship rights is taken for granted. Obstacles to claiming one's homeland and citizenship rights challenge and harm notions of Sweden and Swedishness. Moreover, the study concludes that being utlandssvensk challenges notions of belonging and the way Swedish citizenship is negotiated.

Il lavoro di tesi ha come oggetto di studio gli interventi di collocamento etero-familiare dei minori, in affidamento familiare e in comunità educativa, realizzati dai Servizi sociali in Emilia-Romagna, nel periodo 2008-2012. Sono stati analizzati i dati provenienti dal sistema informativo regionale, relativi ad 8.438 minori. Il lavoro si compone di tre parti: la prima è un’analisi descrittiva delle caratteristiche dei minori del campione e dei diversi interventi effettuati. Nella seconda parte, assumendo la prospettiva della family reunification, si intende osservare l’effettivo percorso dei minori, in termini di miglioramento o di peggioramento delle condizioni di partenza, al di là del rientro in famiglia. Allo scopo sono state create delle tipologie di esito e delle tipologie di processo, attraverso cui definire ciascun percorso. E’ stata quindi effettuata l’analisi descrittiva degli esiti e dei processi presenti all’interno campione. Nell’ultima parte del lavoro, è stata effettuata un’analisi statistica, volta ad individuare correlazioni significative tra le tre variabili rappresentate dalle tipologie di collocamento, dagli esiti e dai processi e le caratteristiche dei minori, le problematiche prevalenti dei minori e le problematiche prevalenti dei nuclei familiari. Le stime effettuate attraverso tabelle a doppia entrata sono state corrette tramite modelli di regressione di probabilità lineare. / The aim of the study is to examine out-of-home placements for children in Child Protection System, both in foster and in residential care, in Emilia-Romagna, in the period 2008-2012. Data are collected by the regional information system and the sample includes 8,438 children. The work consists of three parts: the first is a descriptive analysis of the characteristics of the children and of the different interventions. In the second part, taking the perspective of family reunification, we intend to observe the actual path of the child, in terms of improvement or deterioration of conditions departure, beyond the return to the family. Some types of outcomes and some types of processes have been individuated. It was then performed the descriptive analysis of the outcomes and processes present in the sample. In the last part of the work, it was carried out a statistical analysis in order to identify significant correlations between the three variables represented by the types of placements, the outcomes and the processes and characteristics of the children, the prevalent problems of children and the problems prevailing household. Estimates made through double entry table have been corrected by linear regression models of probability.

Refugee children often experience social exclusion upon arrival in their new host countries. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) obligates States to ensure the social inclusion of all children, including refuges. While all but two countries have ratified the CRC, few have fully implemented it. In this thesis, I tested the hypothesis that the social inclusion of refugee children will be greater in a country that has more fully implemented the CRC (Sweden) than in a country where implementation is weaker (Canada). The results of a policy analysis supported the hypothesis. The findings of this study will contribute to the development of methods to measure the implementation of the CRC, as well as to our understanding of the relationships among human rights, domestic policy and children’s well-being.

This dissertation contributes to post-war public opinion research by examining the perceptions of migrants – the gastarbeiter, the refugee, the family reunited after war – and the local population in comparative perspective. Existing surveys of post-war populations are typically conducted in a single country affected by war. However, particularly following forced expulsion and campaigns of ethnic cleansing substantial portions of national communities affected by conflict no longer live within the boundaries of the state. Current research may therefore overlook important populations as well as contextual factors that shape post-war attitudes. I help to address this problem by examining three widely held assumptions in the literature: that migrants hold more conflictive attitudes than the local population after war; that assimilation in settlement countries leads migrants to hold more peaceful attitudes; and that traumatic experiences lead migrants to hold more conflictive attitudes. These claims are largely based on theoretical accounts, case studies that suffer from selection bias and quantitative results that have proven unstable. By contrast, I examine new micro-level data: two large-scale surveys conducted simultaneously in post-war Bosnia and Sweden as a settlement country. Sweden’s choice to grant permanent residency in toto to refugees from the Bosnian War in 1993 resulted in the vast majority remaining settled in Sweden. As a result, the population of ex-Yugoslavs in Sweden is arguably more representative than in other comparable settlement country contexts. To explain differences among ex-Yugoslavs in Sweden and between these migrants and the local population in Bosnia, I connect social-psychological processes that help meet individuals’ basic psychological needs. These include: belief formation in the context of war; acculturation strategies in settlement countries; the development of nostalgic memories; and coping with traumatic experiences. The findings shed light on largely misunderstood processes. Under certain conditions, migration may provide an exit from detrimental wartime and post-war settings that produce and sustain conflictive societal beliefs after war. At the same time, the migration context may provide a richer set of socioeconomic and psychological resources for coping, offsetting the need to rely on conflictive beliefs as a way of dealing with the conflict crisis.

Refugee children often experience social exclusion upon arrival in their new host countries. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) obligates States to ensure the social inclusion of all children, including refuges. While all but two countries have ratified the CRC, few have fully implemented it. In this thesis, I tested the hypothesis that the social inclusion of refugee children will be greater in a country that has more fully implemented the CRC (Sweden) than in a country where implementation is weaker (Canada). The results of a policy analysis supported the hypothesis. The findings of this study will contribute to the development of methods to measure the implementation of the CRC, as well as to our understanding of the relationships among human rights, domestic policy and children’s well-being.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka vilken inverkan försörjningskravet har på familjers möjlighet gällande att återförenas i Sverige och vilka konsekvenserna blir av att tvingas leva ofrivlligt splittrad från sin familj på grund av en restriktiv migrationspolitik. Vidare undersöker studien hur ett teoretiskt perspektiv på familjesplittring kan bidra till att till att identifiera behovet av stöd under separationen och i förlängning utveckla det sociala arbetet avseende gruppen splittrade. Det empiriska materialet utgår ifrån en kvalitativ ansats och består av fem intervjuer med civilsamhälleliga aktörer som jobbat med personer som lever splittrade från sina familjer på grund av den rådande migrationspolitiken och empirin har analyserats ur ett intersektionellt och transnationellt perspektiv.  Resultatet har visat att försörjningskravet präglas av samhällets exkluderande och inkluderande mekanismer vilket gör det svårt för personer med flyktingbakgrund att nå upp till kravet och därmed få återförenas med sin familj. Att tvingas leva ofrivilligt splittrad från sin familj har visat sig en negativ inverkan på den psykiska hälsan, integrationen samt relationerna inom familjen. Studien visar hur oron för familjen genomsyrar individernas liv och hur stressen av att nå upp till kravet är påtaglig vilket även hämmar den integration regeringen menar försörjningskravet ska resultera i. Analysen av empirin har utifrån de valda teoretiska ansatserna visat på ett behov av stöd bland gruppen splittrade som inte identifierats av välfärdsstatens organisationer och det sociala arbetet. / The purpose of the study is to investigate what impact the maintenance requirement has on refugee families' ability to reunite in Sweden and what the consequences of being forced to live involuntarily separated from their family due to a restrictive migration policy are. Furthermore, the study examines how a theoretical perspective on family separation can contribute to identifying the need for support during the separation and in the long run develop the social work regarding the affected members of the family. The empirical material is based on a qualitative approach and consists of five interviews with civil society actors who have worked with people living involuntarily separated from their families due to the current migration policy and the empirical data have been analyzed from an intersectional and transnational perspective. The results have shown that the maintenance requirement is characterized by society's exclusive and inclusive mechanisms, which makes it difficult for people with a refugee background to reach the requirement and thus be reunited with their family. Being forced to live involuntarily separated from one's family has been shown to have a negative impact on mental health, integration and family relationships. The study shows how concern for the family permeates the lives of individuals and how the stress of reaching the requirement is palpable, which also hampers the integration the government believes the maintenance requirement should result in. Based on the chosen theoretical approaches, the analysis of the empirical data has shown a need for support among the group of people having been separated which has not been identified by organizations and civil society actors in the welfare state.