This thesis provides a qualitative research of asylum seeking of unaccompanied children in Sweden. Children who find themselves traveling borders without company of a family member are in a very vulnerable position. In this thesis, the experience of unaccompanied children undergoing an asylum process in the Swedish jurisdiction is presented and the consequences of this process are also presented. With the creation of territorial boundaries embodied with an institution of state sovereignty, unaccompanied children finds themselves in a position of statelessness which produces a situation of rightlessness as they find themselves outside their own territories. This research suggests that, the territorial system provides great examples of unaccompanied children in a situation of statelessness even when they find themselves inside a new community. Even in this new state they do not automatically gain access to the community, instead through migration system, they must undergo investigations and procedures to prove that they have the rights to belong to that current community, a procedure that contributes to stress and other negative factors to the health of these children. From the findings of the interviews with unaccompanied children undergoing the process of seeking asylum and also unaccompanied children in hiding, it is seen that the asylum seeking process in the condition of unaccompanied children is characterized by the paradoxical system of national states, territorialism, totalitarianism, state sovereignty and an effort of maintaining human rights. The suggestion is that, the paradigm of territorialism and state sovereignty deprives unaccompanied children from what one in the Arendtian sense would call the right to have rights. As their journey to a new community starts off as a position of statelessness and with a 50% chance of returning back to that position. Their position slowly emerges from unaccompanied children, to a stateless adultescence and lastly to a forgotten undocumented adult.

This study is about a guardian ad litem mission, role and relation to unaccompanied children. On the basis of qualitative interviews the study aims to understand the trustees’ role and relation to unaccompanied children. We chose to interview nine trustees to achieve a better insight of the trustees roll. We analyzed the interviews and tried to gain a better knowledge about a guardian ad litem mission, role and relationship to unaccompanied children with role theory and concepts off pastoral power and trust. Our results demonstrate that the guardian ad litem task is complex. Their mission in the legislation is not clearly defined but it covers the general welfare of the child. Complying with unaccompanied children to various meetings with government agencies such as immigration office, tax office, social services, and help with their finances. As a conclusion we now understand that to be a guardian ad litem to unaccompanied children requires a great deal of effort and commitment. They have to actively be able to engage themselves into the role of a guardian ad litem. A guardian ad litem is like a parent for these children helping and guiding those to the new society.

In the last few years, approximately 40 000 of unaccompanied children, mainly boys, have arrived in Sweden. Initially, these minors were placed into residential care units (HVB). Media has suggested that these adolescents, have difficulties associated to poor mental health. Earlier research concerning the mental state of these minors, indicates a high prevalence of PTSD. This motivated the aim of this study: to explore the professionals’ understanding of support and the form of housing that accommodates these minors, related to poor mental health. An interpretive approach was chosen with attachment theory and Goffmans’ theory regarding institutional life, as theoretical bedrocks and six qualitative semi- structured interviews formed the basis for the result. Four central themes were discovered through content data analysis. The themes indicated that the boys are under pressure and experiencing stress which is a recurrent experience for some authorities and health care units, responsible for supporting these adolescents. However, the personal support from individuals, demonstrates a commitment that likely has a positive impact on these boys life. While the form of housing may have a harmful effect, it could also be cultural differences combined with PTSD affecting the emotional state of unaccompanied children living in Sweden.

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.

The purpose of our study is to investigate young unaccompanied childrens’ experiencesof integration and their coping strategies used to deal with integration challenges in thenew country. The study also draws attention to professionals' experiences of difficulties and opportunities of integration work with unaccompanied children and young people.  We applied a knowledge overview, that comprised a phenomenological analysis, based  on thirteen articles that were examined on the basis of a criteria template. The results  were analyzed with Folkman and Lazarus coping theory and Bronfenbrenners developmental ecology theory.Comprehensively, our results show that unaccompanied children and young people dodesire to establish contacts with the majority population but experience difficulties due to segregation, cultural barriers, prejudice and racism in school. Furthermore,  supportive relationships with housing staff and professionals, and mainly peers from the  same ethnic group, seem to play a significant role in their well-being and integration process. They also show high motivation and determination to learn the new languageand to educate themselves, which they emphasize is the key to successful integration inthe new country. The results indicate however, that mental illness, few opportunities for language training and organizational barriers in school are barriers to achieveintegration. Comparing the past with one's current life situation and seeking distractions,particularly by spending time with friends and engaging in meaningful activities, are  key coping strategies that unaccompanied minors use to deal with difficulties in life.  Further, religion as a coping strategy played a significant role in their well-being andability to cope with problems.

Thesis advisor: Thomas M. Crea / In 2019, 851,508 persons were apprehended at the Southwestern US border without lawful immigration status in the US; of whom 473,682 were part of a family unit, and 76,020 were classified as unaccompanied children (UC). UC are those entering the US under the age of 18 without a parent/legal guardian available to care for them. Recent research on unaccompanied children in the US has focused on educational outcomes, trauma, family separation at the border, and resiliency. However, more research is needed around this population given their unique vulnerabilities, the current unreceptive political climate in the US, and the fact that 2019 has had the highest arrival numbers yet. This dissertation draws on administrative data to provide information that can improve the services that social service agencies are delivering, to highlight areas of future research, and to recommend specific tools for data collection. I aim to advance three areas of research related to the human rights violations and social exclusions experienced by unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children in the US, as well as best practices used by service providers. The three areas are: (1) to understand the systems level facilitators and barriers to adjustment for UC, (2) to understand the challenges to formal education for UC, and the strategies that service providers are using to overcome these challenges, and (3) to examine the predictors of self-sufficiency for unaccompanied immigrants leaving foster care. The findings presented in this dissertation have multiple implications for policy, practice, research, and social work education. The qualitative studies provide a groundwork from which we can conduct more research in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the promising practices described, and advocate to increase funding and service availability. Through a greater understanding of the benefits and challenges to education for UC in foster care, we can build more inclusive and welcoming school environments, ultimately leading to higher educational attainment. Understanding the predictors of self-sufficiency can help caseworkers to better create service plans, and help agencies to advocate for funding of supplementary programming. Altogether, it is my hope that this knowledge can contribute to supports that help UC to be happier, thrive in school, and become productive members of our community. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

This study scrutinises, from a critical perspective, how Swedish mainstream news media depict children and youths categorised as unaccompanied after the identified discursive shift in the late autumn of 2015, where a more hostile and negative reporting on refugees became even more prominent. In addition, it explores what different power structures that are made visible in the news reporting. This is made possible by scrutinising 40 articles from the major national newspapers in Sweden that have daily releases, the so called mainstream media. The critical discourse analysis is used as a method and theory in order to find a focus that is critical and questioning towards existing power structures. Additionally, it contains a focus on how borders and differences are created between certain groups of people by using theoretical perspectives on otherness and postcolonial theory. The study shows an ambivalent media picture and clearly makes unequal and hierarchical power structures visible through the use of different assumptions, accepted truths and journalistic techniques.

There are an increasing number of unaccompanied children coming to Sweden. Sweden is one of the countries in the world that receive many of them. This awoke my interest to investigate the assessment of financial assistance and “other living expenses” considering unaccompanied children. My approach was a qualitative study including interviewing five social secretaries working in five different districts in Malmö. Theories used to analyze collected data were: organization theory, bureaucracy school, decision making and cognition and Sence of Coherence. Eight themes were identified: briefing profession, knowledge, values, the individual needs in centrum, assessment of "other living expenses", Malmö City Guidelines, Framework as working tool and finally labour division. These together increase our understanding of the assessment of financial assistance.The result of my study shows that three factors contribute to the assessment of financial support. 1) Social Service law which is a frame law. 2) The national and local rule tools that complement the law. 3) The social secretaries personal view of the law, frameworks and unaccompanied children. The social workers did not have an internal or external education about the unaccompanied children’s situation or the child perspective. They rather took personal responsibility to help them.

This study aims to draw attention to the stories of Afghan unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in Sweden; their reasons to leave Afghanistan and to migrate to Sweden, the way that they migrate, and the problems they face during their journey to Sweden are investigated. In order to achieve the aims of this study, a qualitative method is used based on semi-structured interviews. Altogether, eight people are interviewed of which six are Afghan male unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, one is a legal guardian and one is an assistant (behandlingsassistent). Theories such as push and pull factors, migration industry theory, transit migration theory, and social network theory help to understand better the stories of Afghan unaccompanied children while analyzing the data.The data obtained from interviews shows that the children who were leaving Afghanistan had mixed motivations. Factors such as lack of security, violence, threats, individual risks associated with their ethnicity, forced recruitment, economic hardship and political reasons push them to leave Afghanistan. My findings show that the main reason for the children to leave Afghanistan is the harassment and violence against the ethnic group Hazara.Moreover, the data demonstrates that traveling with smugglers and crossing borders, by land or by sea, is a multiple-step procedure for Afghan unaccompanied children. They have many stops along the way and spend lots of time in different transit countries. The journey is full of risks for them. My interviews reveal that transit migration creates a number of problems for these children.In addition, this study indicates that the role of social networks is of great importance for these children. The smugglers create strong incentives for their decision to claim asylum in Sweden. Moreover, co-migrants and friends of friend who live in Europe play a significant role in their decision-making. Furthermore, restrictive legislations as well as lack of protection in transit countries make onward migration inevitable. Other factors, such as the probability of getting a residence permit and family reunification, are important for Afghan unaccompanied children to choose Sweden as a destination country.

There has been a high influx of unaccompanied refugee children who have come to Sweden, the number increased particularly in 2015 compared with previous years. It is the municipalities, and therefor the social services, responsibility to provide adequate care for this children. The purpose of the study is to gain an understanding of the social services work and opportunities to meet the needs of unaccompanied children in accordance with the child's best, in relation to the convention on the rights of the child. The study is based on a qualitative approach and the method is semi-structured interviews with three managers in the field and three social workers. According to the results, social services has faced a challenge in meeting the needs of unaccompanied children in both a lack of resources such as accommodations and lack of social workers. The results also show that there are some difficulties to consider the child's best in the work with the unaccompanied children, partly to the lack of resources wich inhibits the ability to meet the child's wishes and because of differences of opinion about what is best for the child. The organisation has faced a change in order to cope with the large influx of unaccompanied children and therefore organization theory is used in the analysis. Theoretical concepts that is used in the study is discretion and street level bureaucracy due the social workers is street level bureaucracies whose work with unaccompanied children is affected by their discretion given by the organization.