Refakatsiz Çocuk ve Gençlerin Kurum Bakımı ve Sonrasına İlişkin Deneyimleri

Abstract

Unaccompanied minors are children who immigrate alone without the supervision of parents or any adult who can accompany them. They are protected and cared for in the country they come from and leave as unaccompanied minors after reaching the age of 18. To learn about the problems, they face in accessing public services (education, health, work, social cultural activities, etc.); to learn their perceptions of identity, belonging, loneliness, well-being and desire to go to the third country.

For this purpose, in-depth interviews were conducted with 17 unaccompanied minors who immigrated from their country alone as unaccompanied minors with qualitative research pattern and who were taken into protection and care in Turkey and left the institution at the age of 18. Analysis of the interviews was analyzed through the MAXQDA 2020 program, and 3 themes were used in the study. The migration process until they are protected and cared for in Turkey (1), the process in which they are protected and cared for (2) and the experience of life after protection and care (3).

According to the results of the study, unaccompanied minors and young people witness or experience traumatic events both in their countries and during the migration process. Since they live in different cities and institutions, they have some variety among themselves about the quality of institutional care experiences. A large proportion of access to social services and social services have been challenged in accessing education, health, work, social and cultural activities after protection and care. It has been found that their experiences of well-being, loneliness, belonging, home, identity, racism and discrimination have changed their perception levels towards these phenomena. In social life, the relationships they establish with individuals and public institutions are vital for them. When it comes to going to the third country, they have shown 3 different tendencies as those who want, those who do not want and those who are undecided. Unaccompanied minors are in a better position psycho-socially, especially in the life of work and education, in cases where the plan to leave the institution is well done and social service follow-up is carried out after care.

As a result, before leaving in institutional care, the life plan after care should be done well by social workers, and the education and working life plan that will give unaccompanied minors a profession should be done well. In addition, following social services after care will help solve the problems faced by unaccompanied minors in their new lives.