The aim of the study is to explore the factor that impact the social integration of unaccompaniedminors into Swedish society with a focus on the roles play by a voluntary organization Vän I Umeåin assisting these children who seek refuge in Swedish society. These minors have often beenthrough a lot in attempting to get into the country and those who managed to get in in are facedwith the problems of integrating into a new environment. They face challenges such as languagebarriers, weather conditions that they are not used to, and migration policies that sometimes makeit difficult for them to be accepted into the countries. A qualitative study was made with an in-depth interview conducted with four participants, who have been actively involved in assistingunaccompanied minors for the past 10 years. The results showed that factors such as security,family support, friendship, language acquisition, sporting activities, migration policy, andassimilation are important factors for the social integration of unaccompanied minors into Swedishsociety. Social work intervention is also very important in leading these struggles of assistingunaccompanied minors to get socially integrated into a new society.

Hadwiger's Conjecture from 1943 states that every graph with no Kt minor is (t-1)-colorable; it remains wide open for t ≥ 7. For positive integers t and s, let Kt-s denote the family of graphs obtained from the complete graph Kt by removing s edges. We say that a graph has no Kt-s minor if it has no H minor for every H in Kt-s. In 1971, Jakobsen proved that every graph with no K7-2 minor is 6-colorable. In this dissertation, we first study the extremal functions for K8-4 minors, K9-6 minors, and K10-12 minors. We show that every graph on n ≥ 9 vertices with at least 4.5n-12 edges has a K8-4 minor, every graph on n ≥ 9 vertices with at least 5n-14 edges has a K9-6 minor, and every graph on n ≥ 10 vertices with at least 5.5n-17.5 edges has a K10-12 minor. We then prove that every graph with no K8-4 minor is 7-colorable, every graph with no K9-6 minor is 8-colorable, and every graph with no K10-12 minor is 9-colorable. The proofs use the extremal functions as well as generalized Kempe chains of contraction-critical graphs obtained by Rolek and Song and a method for finding minors from three different clique subgraphs, originally developed by Robertson, Seymour, and Thomas in 1993 to prove Hadwiger's Conjecture for t = 6. Our main results imply that H-Hadwiger's Conjecture is true for each graph H on 8 vertices that is a subgraph of every graph in K8-4, each graph H on 9 vertices that is a subgraph of every graph in K9-6, and each graph H on 10 vertices that is a subgraph of every graph in K10-12.

In the last decade the Italian authorities have tried to adapt themselves to a united European asylum system, in the European Union, through the adoption of legal reforms, intended to improve the conditions of asylum seekers in Italy. Despite these reforms, asylum seekers and refugee’s living conditions are far from covered. The aim of this study is to explore the different functions of social work in the Italian reception process regarding unaccompanied minors and their implications on the wellbeing of the unaccompanied minors. This study was conducted through several interviews with both social workers, which in some way worked with unaccompanied minors, and the unaccompanied minors themselves. This study shows that social workers emphasize the lack of resources, knowledge and the incompleteness of the asylum laws in Italy. This causes great problems that jeopardize the quality and possibilities of social work. The unaccompanied minors on the other hand emphasized the importance of school and the existence of sports in their life as primary means of integration to the new society. From the social workers accounts it becomes clear that large parts of the Italian migration system needs improvement and that the current laws and regulations are not applied all over Italy due to the lack of economic resources and overall knowledge in the matter, all over the country. Even if there is lot to desire, both workers and minors we have interviewed have expressed that there are many aspects that do work.

The variety of principal minors of nxn symmetric matrices, denoted Zn, can be described naturally as a projection from the Lagrangian Grassmannian. Moreover, Zn is invariant under the action of a group G C GL(2n) isomorphic to (SL(2)xn) x Sn. One may use this symmetry to study the defining ideal of Zn as a G-module via a coupling of classical representation theory and geometry. The need for the equations in the defining ideal comes from applications in matrix theory, probability theory, spectral graph theory and statistical physics. I describe an irreducible G-module of degree 4 polynomials called the hyperdeterminantal module (which is constructed as the span of the G-orbit of Cayley's hyperdeterminant of format 2 x 2 x 2) and show that it that cuts out Zn set theoretically. This result solves the set-theoretic version of a conjecture of Holtz and Sturmfels and gives a collection of necessary and sufficient conditions for when it is possible for a given vector of length 2n to be the principal minors of a symmetric n x n matrix. In addition to solving the Holtz and Sturmfels conjecture, I study Zn as a prototypical G-variety. As a result, I exhibit the use of and further develop techniques from classical representation theory and geometry for studying G-varieties.

The overall aim of the thesis is to explore legislators’ perceptions of unaccompanied children in the development of migration law, and how case-officers transform the policy in arguments for and against residency in asylum-cases. More specifically, this thesis explores how Swedish legislators experienced parliamentary work when putting in place the 2005 Aliens Act and the new system for appeals and procedures. In addition, it explores legislators understanding of the concept of unaccompanied minors, and how the Swedish Migration Agency (SMA) case-officers understand unaccompanied minors’ credibility. It draws on interview data with 15 legislators of the Swedish parliament and an analysis of 916 decisions in asylum cases concerning unaccompanied minors. The thesis is theoretically informed by interpretative phenomenology and social constructionism. The method used builds on detailed coding procedures in qualitative social research as they are applied in interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), thematic analysis and text analysis. Study 1 examines the experiences of 15 legislators when negotiating migration reform in parliament. The findings indicate that the preceding political negotiations can be one of the reasons for unclear aims when politicians’ propose new legislation. In addition, it seems that other policy areas, such as fiscal considerations and state-municipality relations, took precedence in the negotiations when the legislators were attempting to make sense of their experiences in discussing asylum policy. Study 2 explores legislators’ perceptions of unaccompanied minors arriving in Sweden. The findings show that chronological age is a key reference point concerning how legislators understand unaccompanied minors’ claims for asylum and other needs. In addition, the findings suggest that legislators perceive unaccompanied minors as an ambivalent category and that this understanding is influenced by deep-rooted welfare ideology. Furthermore, the findings indicate that legislators develop policy concerning unaccompanied children without considering that they need to be recognised as individuals with different backgrounds, agendas and needs. Study 3 scrutinises how SMA case-officers construct unaccompanied minors credibility in asylum decisions. It shows that case-officers use similar techniques both when approving and rejecting decisions. These techniques consistently question the competence and political agency of the chid in such a way that the element of individual assessment in asylum procedure can become severely restricted. In brief, this thesis identifies that the connection between migration and child policy is complex as legislators appear to struggle with “drawing the limits” of who to include or exclude in policy aims. Hence, the juridical field was seen as the answer to improve legitimation. This also means that the concept of asylum has become de-politicised. In addition, case-officers also seem to use a limited repertoire of arguments when drawing the limits for unaccompanied minors’ credibility in asylum decisions. This thesis points to possible dilemmas in asylum policy and procedure concerning unaccompanied minors. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Accepted. Paper 3: Manuscript.</p>

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work / Robert K. Schaeffer / The United States has resettled unaccompanied minors before. In the 1960s and 1970s, minors from Indochina were resettled in the United States. In the 1970s, the U.S accepted 14,000 unaccompanied minors from Cuba through Operation Peter Pan. Many of these Cuban minors, aged five to eighteen, were sent to the United States by parents fearing their children would be indoctrinated in communist schools. In the case of these minors, they arrived in the United States with the consent of their still-living family members. In contrast, about 3,500 Sudanese Lost Boys were resettled in the United States in 2000, and more recently in 2010, 53 “lost children” from Haiti were brought to the United States following a devastating earthquake. This study investigated the integration and assimilation patterns of the Sudanese Lost Boys in the Kansas City area with the purpose of understanding the sociological impact on these Boys from their own perspective. As opposed to previous studies done on these Boys in Kansas and other areas in the United States, the present study used interview-based research and analyzed data using both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. The study concluded that the Lost Boys were both “Lost” and “Found” in complex ways. The study found that unaccompanied refugees labeled as minors at the time of resettlement integrated more “successfully” than those resettled as adults. Minor Boys received certain advantages over Boys who were labeled legal adults. Over time, those resettled as minors accumulated more social capital relevant in American society, while those resettled as legal adults fell behind. The findings highlighted problems associated with age-based treatment of refugees, especially in the case of the Boys who were arbitrarily classified as adults. Assigned ages significantly impacted their assimilation process into American society. Unlike those Boys resettled as minors, legal adults did not have access to structure and immersion opportunities afforded by foster families, formal education, and social activities. This study concluded that age-based disadvantage was evident in the case of the Lost Boys.

ABSTRACT UNACCOMPANIED REFUGEE MINORS AND THEIR STRATEGIES TO NAVIGATE A NEW WORLD: A GROUNDED THEORY By Justin Scott Lee A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2012 Chair: Pamela J. Kovacs, Ph.D. Associate Professor This study explored how unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) define success. The population of URMs consists of individuals who, through forced migration from their country of origin, were resettled in the United States through the URM program. Little is known about the ways in which refugee adolescents view the resettlement process once they have left the URM program. Through a traditional grounded theory method, 15 interviews with former URMs were conducted with the aim of laying the groundwork for a theory that would explain how success is defined, the unique challenges URMs face, the mechanisms for overcoming challenges, and the role that culture plays in the resettlement process.

The Czech Republic's care system for unaccompanied minors rests on a solid legal framework. However, it is essential to ensure that the common practice reflects the law, and that unaccompanied minors (further referred to as UAMs) are provided with sufficient care. It is obvious that the Facility for Children of Foreign Nationals - Permon, is still far from ideal. In general, unaccompanied minors should not be traumatized by living together with children who suffer from behaviour disorders, nor should they live in isolated environment. It is vital to consider the qualities of the personnel who work with the target group and their language skills. It is further necessary to provide unaccompanied minors with an early psychotherapeutic care in order to avoid their later hospitalizations in psychiatric hospitals. In addition, UAMs should also attend intensive courses of the Czech language so that they can fully integrate into a Czech school as early as possible. It also emerged that a legal regulation which would govern age tests in all resorts is necessary. Therefore, a new concept of how UAMs should be integrated into the Czech society is needed.

in English I have chosen as the topic of my thesis "Enforcement of judgment regarding the raising of minors", extended of matters related to international child abduction. Such topic is not being found interesting by me only it is also a very current topic and is being widely discussed in today's society. And yet it is not a topic covered thoroughly enough, in my opinion. I have intended to present those issues of legal regulations that are causing certain difficulties when has been applied in practices, and therefore widely discussed among the professionals as well as the general public. Given the scope of my thesis I was not only engaged in theory, but I was also trying to find items in current legal regulations that shall be improved, despite its recent amendment. I do justify my choice of this topic in the introduction part of the thesis and adumbrate the current social atmosphere of the area. In the second chapter entitled "Management in matters of custody held by the juvenile court," I analyze the issues related to the so called "best interests of the child". In the third chapter I am specifically dealing with various aspects of enforcement of judgment regarding the raising of minors, which primary contains the legal regulations that have been issued pre and post the latest amendment,...

This thesis mainly deals with the procedures concerning the youth and children under fifteen years old, including the procedural status of subjects according to Act No. 218/2003 Coll. Youth on liability for unlawful acts of Juvenile Justice and amending certain acts (Act on Juvenile Justice), but the Act No. 40/2009 Coll., Penal Code. Introduction of this thesis is the historical development, both within Austria-Hungary or the Czech Republic after 2003. Its cross section is the interpretation of certain key concepts and principles that are essential to the interpretation and practical application of the Act itself. The chapter on the Institute diversions could not be omitted in this thesis. Using detours is still a new phenomenon for Czech criminal law and in the practice of law is still used less (unlike the penalties associated with imprisonment). It is mentioned both in the general characteristics of control over juveniles and children under fifteen years old, protection of private adolescents with an emphasis on the provision of information in cases, where the perpetrator or victim of the offense is a person under the age of fifteen years old. Here the emphasis is on whether such a procedure does not violate the constitutional right to a public hearing. The thesis is also devoted to the...