Refugee and asylum-seeker children’s experiences: results of a meta ethnography

Abstract

ABSTRACT Children’s geographies research contributes to the intent of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child by comprehending children as cogent agents in the telling and creation of their lives. Voices of asylum-seeking and refugee children are under-represented in the research literature. Hence, reference to their needs in relevant national and international policy contexts is inadequately informed. A meta ethnography synthesised self-reported needs and experiences of 288 child refugees and asylum-seekers across eight interview-based studies, each of which included at least one child aged 13 or younger. The guiding question for the study is: How do children describe their experiences within the systems designed to support refugee and asylum-seekers? Results indicate that refugee and asylum-seeker children can and must speak for themselves. Adults and services must listen to ensure policies and services are adequately informed by children’s perspectives and needs.