Abstract
AbstractStatistics made available by the Swedish Migration Agency (SMA) make it possible to follow first-decision outcomes in asylum cases concerning unaccompanied children (types of residence permits granted, percentage of rejections, etc.). Yet, we know little about differences in asylum decision outcomes for unaccompanied children coming to Sweden. Therefore, we wanted to find out how gender, country of origin, and asylum reports are associated with the likelihood of being granted residency. Asylum decisions concerning unaccompanied children were first coded inductively. These codes were later merged into larger categories that were analyzed quantitatively by logistic regression analysis. The data sample consisted of one calendar year of asylum decisions issued by the SMA. Results show that fewer girls than boys were granted asylum, and in fact, girls have an overall lower prospect of being granted residency. Results also display statistically significant gender differences in reported reasons for seeking asylum.
Highlights
Already in the 1980s, researchers concluded that ‘unaccompanied’ and/or ‘separated’ refugee children seek asylum after having to act in response to armed conflicts, inequality, and exploitation, as well as multiple forms of violence, abuse, and discrimination (Ressler et al 1988; Von Bethlenfalvy 1983)
Sexual Violence, which suggests that Spijkerboer’s (2000) proposition that gender is an overall factor in asylum cases holds currency when children seek asylum alone
The results presented here further substantiate research that has argued that women and girls face more obstacles in migration than men due to unequal gender power allocation (Bhabha et al 1985; Oishi 2005; Piper 2006)
Summary
Already in the 1980s, researchers concluded that ‘unaccompanied’ and/or ‘separated’ refugee children (hereafter unaccompanied) seek asylum after having to act in response to armed conflicts, inequality, and exploitation, as well as multiple forms of violence, abuse, and discrimination (Ressler et al 1988; Von Bethlenfalvy 1983). More recent studies highlighting children’s agency have suggested that children can have their own personal migration agenda, including ambitions to improve their living conditions and futures (see e.g. Nardone and Correa-Velez 2016) This means that children’s reasons to leave their countries of origin can include both voluntary and involuntary components (Bhabha 2014). Research comparing the conditions for unaccompanied boys and girls in the asylum systems of destination countries is limited and no studies have examined general gendered trends in decision outcomes when children seek asylum. Zamboni (2019) has argued that the Swedish model for migration law development following the 2015 ‘migration crisis’ gives preference to the administrative level, that is, the SMA as the first instance He argues for increased judicial legislative policy
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