Family Matters: Older Refugee Minors in Vienna and Factors for Resiliency

Abstract

Abstract European migration discourses emphasize that unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) are one of Europe’s most vulnerable migrant groups. The absence of an adult caregiver often serves as the sole explanation for the heightened vulnerability of URMs vis-à-vis their accompanied counterparts. This article challenges the assumption that the absence of adult caregivers always breeds greater vulnerability among young refugees who have received international protection. Based on 72 surveys and 31 in-depth interviews with refugees who received international protection and who arrived in Vienna, Austria between the ages of 14 and 18, this article contributes to empirical analysis on the complex impact adult relative caregivers specifically have on the integration and resiliency of refugee youth. It explores the influence that family status has on employment, education, social connections and personal outlook and sense of belonging. We hypothesize that refugees who arrived as older URMs experience a financial and social autonomy, as well as benefit from a more advantageous legal and social treatment, speeding up their adaptation process and engendering greater resiliency. While the findings highlight that family matters, they also show that family may not play a ubiquitously positive role in young refugees’ adaptation process as previously assumed.