ASSYLUM-SEEKER CHILDREN’S MIGRATION FROM EAST TO WEST: THE MEANING OF CARE FOR UNACCOMPANIED MINORS
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Today, the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeker children is increasing in
the global world due to various reasons. They escape from the risky life in their
country and come to the developed, peaceful countries of the world to save their
lives. The UK is also one of their destinations. In this essay, we will explore why
unaccompanied children come to the UK and what difficulties they face here.
Specifically, what kind of approach to unaccompanied children in foster care is the
crucial element for their happiness, and whether their living period in foster care is
enough to heal from the mental and physical trauma they experienced and specific
issues in transition to adulthood. Based on these issues, we will consider what care
means for unaccompanied children and how the meaning of care transfers as they
grow older. We use Honnoth's theory of recognition to find answers to the
questions.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
BBC News. (2022, April 13). “What is the UK's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda?” BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-61782866 Last accessed: 20 May 2024
Lewis, C. (2022). WHY DO REFUGEES LEAVE FRANCE FOR THE UK? Oasis. Available at: https://www.oasiscardiff.org/blog/why-do-refugees-leavefrance-for-the. Last accessed: 20 May 2024
Crawley, H. (2013). ‘Asexual, Apolitical Beings': The Interpretation of Children's Identities and Experiences in the UK Asylum System. In Transnational Migration and Childhood (pp. 13-26). Routledge.
Crawley, H. 2006. Child First, Migrant Second: Ensuring that Every Child Matters, London: ILPA.
Fazel, M., Wheeler, J., & Danesh, J. (2005). Prevalence of serious mental disorder in 7000 refugees resettled in western countries: A systematic review. Lancet, 365, 1309–1314.
Geenen, S., & Powers, L. E. (2007). “Tomorrow is another problem”: The experiences of youth in foster care during their transition into adulthood. Children and Youth Services Review, 29(8), 1085-1101.
Groark, C., Sclare, I., & Raval, H. (2011). Understanding the experiences and emotional needs of unaccompanied asylum-seeking adolescents in the UK. Clinical child psychology and psychiatry, 16(3), 421-442.
Hek, R. (2007). Using foster placements for the care and resettlement of unaccompanied children. Working with unaccompanied asylum seeking children: Issues for policy and practice, 109-124.
Howe, D. (1995). Attachment theory for social work practice. London7 Macmillan.
Kohli, R., Connolly, H. & Warman, A. (2010) Food and its meaning for asylum seeking children and young people in foster care. Children's Geographies, 8 (3), 233–245.
Kohli, R.K.S. 2005. The sound of silence: listening to what unaccompanied asylum-seeking children say and do not say. British Journal of Social Work, 36 ( 5 ): 707 – 21.
Lustig, S. L., Kia-Keating, M., Knight, W. G., Geltman, P., Ellis, H., Kinzie, J. D., Keane, T., & Saxe, G. N. (2004). Review of child and adolescent refugee mental health. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 43(1), 24–36
Melzac, S. (1999). Work with refugees from political violence. In M. Lanyado and A. Horne (eds), The Handbook of Child and Adolescent psychotherapy. London: Routledge.
Ni Raghallaigh, M., & Sirriyeh, A. (2015). The negotiation of culture in foster care placements for separated refugee and asylum seeking young people in Ireland and England. Childhood, 22(2), 263-277.
Ní Raghallaigh, M., & Thornton, L. (2017). Vulnerable childhood, vulnerable adulthood: Direct provision as aftercare for aged-out separated children seeking asylum in Ireland. Critical social policy, 37(3), 386-404.
Paulsen, V., & Thomas, N. (2018). The transition to adulthood from care as a struggle for recognition. Child & family social work, 23(2), 163-170.
Portnoy, S., & Ward, A. (2020). Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people–Understanding their journeys towards improved physical and emotional health. Clinical child psychology and psychiatry, 25(3), 636-647.
Refugee Council. (2024). The truth about asylum. Available at: https://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/information/refugee-asylum-facts/the-truthabout asylum/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxqayBhDFARIsAANWRnTDEjuSbi M9UAttQMmLauFryfG_ceftlPyU-_pmYG8YiOdQmNQYQEaAqYvEALw_wcB Last accessed 20 May 2024
Rosen, R., & Crafter, S. (2018). Media representations of separated child migrants: From dubs to doubt. Migration and Society, 1(1), 66-81.
Rosen, R., Crafter, S., & Meetoo, V. (2017). A warm welcome? Unaccompanied migrant children in networks of care and asylum.
Rosen, R., Crafter, S., & Meetoo, V. (2021). An absent presence: Separated child migrants’ caring practices and the fortified neoliberal state. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 47(7), 1649-1666.
Rousseau, C. (1995). The mental health of refugee children. Transcultural Psychiatric Research Review, 32, 229–331.
School for Policy Studies, Bristol, 2023 Missing unaccompanied asylumseeking children in the UK. Available at: https://policystudies.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/2023/11/16/missing-unaccompaniedasylum-seeking-children-in-the. Last accessed 20 May 2024
Sinclair, I. (2005). Foster children: Where they go and how they get on. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Sirriyeh, A. (2013). Hosting strangers: Hospitality and family practices in fostering unaccompanied refugee young people. Child & Family Social Work, 18(1), 5-14.
Smith, A.-M. 2009. “ The children of Loxicha: participation beyond the UNCRC rhetoric? ”. In Children, Politics and Communication: Participation at the Margins, Edited by: Thomas, N. 49 – 68. Bristol: The Policy Press.
Smyth J (2010) HSE Director criticises care for children seeking asylum. Irish Times. 8 February.
Stanley, K. (2001). Cold comfort. Young Separated Refugees in England. London: Save the Children.
Stein, M. (2006). Young people aging out of care: The poverty of theory. Children and youth services review, 28(4), 422-434
Stein, M. (2006a). Research review: Young people leaving care. Child & family social work, 11(3), 273-279.
Thomas S., Thomas S., Nafees B., Bhugra D. (2004). ‘I was running away from death’: The pre-flight experiences of unaccompanied asylum seeking children in the UK. Child: Care, Health and Development, 30(2), 113–122. Crossref. PubMed.
Thomas, N. (2012). Love, rights and solidarity: Studying children's participation using Honneth's theory of recognition. Childhood, 19(4), 453–466.
UK Refugee Council. (2019). Refugee Council information: Children in the asylum system. https://www. refugeecouncil.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2019/06/Children-in-the-Asylum-System-May-2019.pdf 34. Wade, J. (2011). Preparation and transition planning for unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee young people: A review of evidence in England. Children and Youth Services Review, 33(12), 2424-2430.