The well-being of unaccompanied migrant children: Between dreams and reality

Abstract

The phenomenon of unaccompanied migrant children, though global, has important territorial and social context differences. The objectives of this study were: (i) to analyze the arrivals of unaccompanied children in Catalonia by age, sex and country of origin, (ii) to know crucial aspects related to the family and school background, (iii) to analyze their emotional well-being and life satisfaction, and (iv) to gain an insight into their perception of the barriers, opportunities and their rights during their stay in the child protection system (residential care). Regarding the first objective, a secondary analysis of the official database was carried out for the period 2015; for the second and third objectives, a questionnaire was administered to 811 unaccompanied migrant adolescents; and for the fourth, four focus groups were organized with young unaccompanied migrants living in residential centers. The main findings pointed to significant differences according to country of origin. Significant differences also existed in terms of emotional and life satisfaction, depending on country of origin, urban or rural background, sex, and above all, length of stay in the new setting. All the factors analyzed have implications for professional practice to support and protect unaccompanied migrant children and promote their autonomy, with an emphasis on the need to incorporate a gender perspective.