År 2015 drabbades Europa av en stor flyktingkris, däribland Sverige, där många ensamkommande flyktingar från framförallt Syrien och Afghanistan flydde till Sverige för att söka skydd. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka de syriska ensamkommande flyktingarnas upplevelse av sin integrationsprocess i Sverige och vad som kan ha varit försvårande för integrationen. Vi har använt oss av kvalitativa intervjuer där vi utgick från en given intervjuguide. Vårt urval har varit syriska ensamkommande flyktingar, som var mellan 16-22 när de kom till Sverige 2015 och senare. De teoretiska utgångspunkterna har varit Aaron Antonovskys teori om känsla av sammanhang (KASAM), Erving Goffmans teori om stigma, samt stämplingsteorin. Resultatet visade på att de syriska ensamkommande flyktingarnas tid i Sverige har varit svår med många utmaningar. Det framgår att sociala förbindelser är mycket viktiga för de unga ensamkommande, eftersom det i sin tur påverkar den sociala hälsan och upplevt välbefinnande. För att kunna skaffa sig kontakter måste man behärska det svenska språket, men även andra faktorer var avgörande för om man kunde integreras i samhället. / In 2015, Europe was hit by a major refugee crisis, including Sweden, where many unaccompanied refugees from mainly Syria and Afghanistan fled to Sweden to seek protection. The purpose of this study is to investigate the Syrian unaccompanied refugees' experience of their integration process in Sweden and what may have made integration difficult. We have used qualitative interviews where we started from a given interview guide. Our sample has been unaccompanied Syrian refugees, who were between 16-22 when they came to Sweden in 2015 and later. The theoretical starting points have been Aaron Antonovsky's theory of sense of coherence (KASAM), Erving Goffman's theory of stigma, and the labeling theory. The results showed that the Syrian unaccompanied refugees' time in Sweden has been difficult with many challenges. It appears that social connections are very important for the young unaccompanied minors, as this in turn affects social health and perceived well-being. In order to make contacts, one must master the Swedish language, but other factors were also decisive for whether one could be integrated into society.

Abstrakt De senaste decennierna har antalet ensamkommande barn som söker asyl i Europa ökat. Ensamkommande barn beskrivs ofta som en utsatt grupp som kan ha erfarenheter av fruktansvärda händelser med sig. De flesta har varit med om traumatiserande händelser i hemlandet och/eller på vägen till Europa, och de möter ytterligare svårigheter när de anländer i destinationslandet i Europa och söker asyl, vilka kan påverka deras psykiska mående. Det finns studier som visar att effekten av tidigare traumatiserande händelser och utmaningar under asylprocessen i värdlandet ökar risken för utvecklingen av PTSD hos denna målgrupp. Syftet med denna studie är att genom en systematisk litteraturöversikt identifiera faktorer som påverkar ensamkommande barns psykiska ohälsa i form av PTSD under asylprocessen. Data och material samlades från 15 vetenskapliga artiklar baserade på primärkällor där målgruppens problematik illustrerades utifrån ett ensamkommande barns perspektiv. Resultatet visar att effekten av tidigare traumatiserande händelser innan migration och ytterligare svårigheter i destinationslandet bland annat, asylprocess, åldersbedömning, kvalitet på boende, socialt stöd, vård och dagliga stressfaktorer har en markant effekt på ensamkommande barns psykiska ohälsa och ökar risken för utvecklingen av PTSD. / Abstract In recent decades, the incidence of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in Europe has increased. Often characterized as a vulnerable group, these unaccompanied children are likely to carry the burden of horrendous experiences. The majority have endured traumatic events in their countries of origin and/or during their journey to Europe, and they face additional adversities upon arrival in their destination countries in Europe while seeking asylum. These challenges can significantly impact their mental health. Research indicates that the cumulative effect of prior traumatic experiences and hurdles faced during the asylum process in the host countries heightens the risk of developing PTSD among this demographic. The objective of this study is to identify, through a systematic literature review, the factors influencing the mental health of unaccompanied minors, specifically regarding PTSD, during the asylum process. Data and materials were compiled from 15 scholarly articles based on primary sources that depict the challenges faced by this group from the perspective of unaccompanied children. The findings reveal that the impact of previous traumatic events prior to migration and additional difficulties in the destination countries, such as the asylum process, age assessment procedures, quality of accommodation, social support, healthcare, and daily stressors, significantly affect the mental well-being of unaccompanied minors and increase the risk of developing PTSD.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child was incorporated into Swedish legislation in 2020 to strengthen the child's best interests and perspective in areas such as asylum law (UNICEFSweden, 2020a). The purpose of this essay is to examine how the individual asylum grounds of unaccompanied children are handled in the asylum process and in what way the child's best interests are actually considered in the asylum process before and after the incorporation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This essay will answer the following question:How has the application of the best interests of the child according to Article 3 in asylum cases for unaccompanied children changed before and after the incorporation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child into Swedish law based on the theory of the best interests of the child as an open concept? Through a qualitative content analysis of judgments, changes and deficiencies in the protection of the rights of unaccompanied children are identified. The study examines how the courts take into account the best interests of the childbased on Schiratzki's (2005) legal theory of the best interests of the child as an open concept.The results of the study have shown that before incorporation, the judgments extensively consider the best interests of the child according to Article 3 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by highlighting potential consequences upon return. However, after incorporation, the migration court fails in considering the best interests of the child. This is because the concept of 'the best interests of the child' is comprehensive, and the court does not assess this from a holistic perspective, which is important for a fair assessment according to Schiratzki (2005).

The purpose of this study is to investigate how unaccompanied children have contributed to or affected Swedish society, and how society's reception has affected these children in 2015. This study investigates the situation of unaccompanied children in Sweden in 2015, a year marked by an increased flow of asylum seekers and concerns that came with receiving and integrating these children. The project aims to shed light on the complicated variations in reception of unaccompanied children as well as their impact and contribution on Swedish society. The study conducts interviews with unaccompanied children and representatives from Swedish society using qualitative semi-structured interviews.   The result showed that unaccompanied children in 2015 have influenced and contributed to Swedish society. By working, paying taxes and also participating in society's various social systems. It turned out that society has influenced the children both positively and negatively. Freedom affected them positively and authorities such as the Swedish Migration Agency have affected them negatively. Unaccompanied children have shown gratitude to Swedish society despite several shortcomings that existed since their arrival in 2015. The children had been given great opportunities for development such as education, freedom and a safe life.

The asylum seekers' integration is a vigorous and multidimensional process for which resolute effort of the both target group and the host society is inevitably entailed. Yet, the findings of this study shows that it is not easily achieved due to certain challenges which should be tackled. This research paper concisely aims to examine how the target group experience integration into the Swedish labor market. The study further seeks to explore how the target group perceives the role of NGOs and thier policies adopted to integrate them into the Swedish labor market in Malmo.Through a sound analysis of the primary and secondary material, this study elucidates the NGOs' role and policies in this field. The findings discovered as a result of this inquiry, noticeably depict that the NGOs, through their different measures and diverse policies, have tried to cope with their humanitarian mission; however, the outcome have been divergent.

I dagsläget kommer det ett stort antal ensamkommande barn till Sverige. Då målgruppen har vuxit i det svenska samhället har arbetsbelastningen ökat för de socialsekreterare som arbetar med målgruppen. Mot bakgrund av detta anser vi att det är ett viktigt område att studera inom socialt arbete. Studien syftar till att belysa socialsekreterares möte med ensamkommande barn. Vidare vill vi lyfta fram hur socialsekreterarna i studien hanterar de konsekvenser som kan uppstå i ett sådant möte. Coping-teorin kommer att användas för att förstå vilka strategier socialsekreterare använder för att hantera psykiska påfrestningar i arbetet. Då det inte finns mycket forskning kring vårt valda problemområde har vi använt oss av tidigare forskning som belyser hur yrkesverksamma inom snarlika områden hanterar svåra möten med klienter. Utöver det har vi tagit fram forskning kring arbetssituationens betydelse för hur en socialsekreterare hanterar konsekvenser i mötet med klienten. För att få fram relevant information som svarar på studiens syfte har nio semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts. Den insamlade empirin har analyserats med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Utifrån analysen fick vi fram tre teman som studiens resultatredovisning bygger på. Dessa teman är När världen står på tröskeln, Att inte slukas med samt Skillnad på då och nu.

In dialogue with Critical perspectives in the field of Forced migration, this thesis aims to explore the spaces of „irregularity‟ regarding unaccompanied minors living non-status in the city of Malmö. With a theoretical departure in the ontological ideas of Hanna Arendt and Giorgio Agamben, the perspective of the Autonomy of Migration, and the concepts of „Acts of Citizenship‟, the thesis argues that these spaces are structured by multiple mechanisms of control, such as deportability, racism, poverty and precarity. In addition, the thesis investigates how these structures of control are contested by the minors. As the „irregular‟ subject in its presence challenges the Nation-state „order‟, the study argues that all her or his acts must be interpreted as confrontations. Hence the study aims to highlight the claims of rights and freedoms performed, not only by the minors themselves but also by the social networks surrounding them. The research is built upon fieldwork with non-status minors, asylum rights activists and semi-grass root actors in the spring of 2011 in the city of Malmö. Influenced by Methodological and Epistemological perspectives of Critical Ethnography and Action Research, the thesis also contains a normative requisite to deconstruct and question hegemonies and marginalizing structures.

Den 1 juli 1994 trädde lagen (1994:137) om mottagandet av asylsökande barn i kraft och i den lagen regleras Migrationsverkets huvudansvar i denna fråga. Men den 1 juli 2006 trädde en reform av lagen i kraft gällande mottagandet, i syfte att förbättra processen. Lagändringen innebar att kommunerna istället skulle tillhandahålla boendet för de ensamkommande barn som kommer till Sverige på grund av att den kompetens, erfarenhet och stöd som krävs för att möta barn i sådana här situationer finns hos socialtjänsten inom kommunerna. Tidigare forskning har kartlagt och identifierat möjligheter och utmaningar gällande att arbeta i denna samverkansprocess. En av möjligheterna är den samlade kunskapen och en av utmaningarna är den brist på kompetens som finns i olika delar av processen.Denna uppsats tar avstamp i de resultat som tidigare nämnd forskning har resulterat i. Vi kan dock inte anta och utgå ifrån att samma utmaningar och möjligheter som identifierades i tidigare forskning förekommer i det studieobjekt som vi ska undersöka. Därför ämnar denna uppsats att beskriva den samverkansprocess som sker mellan aktörerna, Migrationsverket, Länsstyrelsen, Socialstyrelsen, Malmö Stad, transitboende, Region Skåne samt Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting vid mottagandet av de ensamkommande flyktingbarnen. Detta för att ta reda på om samma eller eventuellt andra utmaningar och möjligheter upplevs och hur de hanteras. Kvalitativa intervjuer har genomförts med 7 aktörer, 9 respondenter. Intervjumaterialet har kodats och teman har identifierats ur detta material som sedan analyserats och diskuterats. Uppsatsens resultat visar att liknande möjligheter och utmaningar som tidigare identifierats råder även i denna samverkansprocess. Kunskap och brist på kompetens är ett genomgående tema som kan grunda sig i flertalet orsaker. En tydligare gemensam målformulering, strukturerad uppföljning och större fokus på de kommuner som tar emot ensamkommande barn är några av de saker som skulle kunna underlätta och förbättra mottagandet. / A study on how seven participants are experiencing challenges and opportunities in the cooperation process at the reception of unaccompanied refugee children and how these are handledOn 1 of July 1994 the law (1994:137) of reception of asylum-seeking children was instituted. The law regulated the Migration Board's primary responsibility in this matter. But the 1 of July 2006 an amended law in force regarding the reception of unaccompanied refugee children was instituted, in order to improve the process. The change in the law meant that municipalities should instead provide accommodation for unaccompanied refugee children who come to Sweden because of the skills, experience and support necessary to meet the children in these situations is situated at the social services within municipalities. Previous research has identified opportunities and challenges of working in such a cooperation process. One of the possibilities is the collective knowledge and one of the challenges is the lack of competence that exists in some organizations.This paper builds on the results previously mentioned research has resulted in. However, we cannot assume that the same challenges and opportunities identified in previous research appear in the study, which we will investigate. Therefore, this paper intends to describe the cooperation process that takes place between the participants, when unaccompanied refugee children arrives to Sweden, to find out whether the same or any other challenges and opportunities are perceived and how they are handled. Qualitative interviews were conducted with seven participants, nine respondents. The interviews were coded and themes were identified from this material which is then analyzed and discussed. The results of the paper show that similar opportunities and challenges identified earlier also exist in this cooperation process. Knowledge and lack of competence are a recurring theme that can be carried out in several causes. A distinct collective goal setting, more structured follow- up and more focus on the municipalities, which already receive unaccompanied refugee children, are some of the things that could facilitate and improve the reception.

Unaccompanied youth are migrant children who travel by themselves to the United States, mostly from Central America and Mexico. Since 2014, more than 200,000 unaccompanied youth have entered the United States, with approximately 28,000 residing in Los Angeles, California (U.S. Customs and Border Protection [CBP], CBP 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021a, 2021b). Hundreds of these young migrants have enrolled in public schools (Pierce, 2016). Schools seek adequate and effective ways to support these students’ complex needs and aspirations. Within the body of research about this sub-group of immigrants there is a significant absence of the voices of unaccompanied youth themselves, which results in limited knowledge and uninformed school policy responses. This study employed Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a theoretical framework and Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) as a methodology to foreground youth agency in capturing counter-narratives that accurately depict the school experiences of unaccompanied youth who find themselves at the intersection of race, gender, immigration status, migration, and class. The questions guiding this study were: How do unaccompanied youth, in the role of youth co-researchers describe, experience, and make meaning of educación at a justice-focused high school in Los Angeles? and (b) How can the epistemology of unaccompanied youth inform practices and policies, to ensure a socially-just education, against the backdrop of an anti-immigrant climate? YPAR is built on the idea that young people have the capacity to conduct research, generate new knowledge, and create transformational social change. This research study built on the epistemology of unaccompanied youth to inform and generate affirming and emancipatory educational practices with youth as agents of knowledge creation. This study provides the field with first-hand information that can be shared in the educational community. Abstract (Spanish) Los jóvenes no acompañados son niños migrantes que viajan solos a los Estados Unidos, principalmente desde Centroamérica y México. Desde 2014, más de 200,000 jóvenes no acompañados han ingresado a los Estados Unidos, y aproximadamente 28,000 residen en Los Ángeles, California (U.S. Customs and Border Protection [CBP], CBP 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021a, 2021b). Cientos de estos jóvenes migrantes se han matriculado en escuelas públicas (Pierce, 2016). Las escuelas buscan formas adecuadas y efectivas de apoyar las complejas necesidades y aspiraciones de estos estudiantes. Dentro del cuerpo de investigación sobre este sub-grupo de inmigrantes hay una ausencia significativa de las voces de los propios jóvenes no acompañados, lo que da como resultado un conocimiento limitado y respuestas políticas escolares desinformadas. Este estudio empleó la Teoría Crítica de la Raza (CRT) como marco teórico y la Investigación de Acción Participativa Juvenil (YPAR) como una metodología para poner en primer plano la agencia juvenil en la captura de contra-narrativas que representan con precisión las experiencias escolares de los jóvenes no acompañados que se encuentran en la intersección de la raza, género, estatus migratorio, migración y clase. Las preguntas que guiaron este estudio fueron: ¿Cómo los jóvenes no acompañados, en el papel de co-investigadores jóvenes, describen, experimentan y dan sentido a la educación en una escuela secundaria centrada en la justicia social en Los Ángeles? y (b) ¿Cómo puede la epistemología de los jóvenes no acompañados informar prácticas y políticas para garantizar una educación socialmente justa, en el contexto de un clima anti-inmigrante? YPAR se basa en la idea de que los jóvenes tienen la capacidad de realizar investigaciones, generar nuevos conocimientos y generar un cambio social transformador. Esta investigación se basó en la epistemología de los jóvenes no acompañados para informar y generar prácticas educativas afirmativas y emancipadoras con los jóvenes como agentes de creación de conocimiento. Este estudio proporciona al campo información de primera mano que se puede compartir en la comunidad educativa.

This submission consists of three parts, found in two volumes. Volume 1 consists of a folio of eight original compositions, composed during the tenure of my PhD candidature at the University of Adelaide. These works cover a range of media, including symphony orchestra with soloist, large chamber ensemble, string quartet with soprano solo, guitar quintet, mixed choir and vocal trio. Volume 2 presents an exegesis that contains commentary on the genesis and analysis of the submitted works, together with an explanation of certain modal processes that have been explored and applied. Volume 2 also contains three minor compositions that were composed during my candidature, presented as an Appendix. These are analysed and referenced within the exegesis discussion. Two CDs of live recordings of some of the submitted works are included as part of Volume 2. The Exegesis, Appendix and Sound Recordings found in Volume 2 act as secondary material to support the primary material presented in Volume 1. Of the eight compositions presented in Volume 1, Skin, Metal, Wood – Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra is the major orchestral work of over 30 minutes, in fulfilment of submission requirements. The musical works contained within this submission offer a personal exploration of certain modal processes. In particular, the tonal principles of modulation and key relationships have been transferred into a modal system that features church, folk and synthetic modes. The exploration of modal processes has been carried out through the works themselves, and the accompanying exegesis acts as a commentary on the genesis of the works. / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, Elder Conservatorium of Music, 2008