Pain, Obstacles and Care: Unaccompanied Minor and Young Refugees’ Challenges Related to Family Separation and Reunification

Unaccompanied minor and young refugees have all lost or been separated from family due to forced migration. In this chapter, we ask how they experience this separation or loss and the numerous challenges in the process of family reunification. Building on two qualitative research projects from Norway, we find that the young refugees experience a lack of wellbeing during migration and exile and lead a transnational family life when family reunification is not possible. Applying for family reunification in the host country is often experienced as a challenging process, and after reunification, the young people often assume considerable responsibility for family members, while the support from the welfare state is drastically reduced. Their experiences are shaped by powerful structural and global forces, including current asylum policies. We argue that minor and young refugees’ right to family life should be prioritised above the host country’s desire for immigration control. We further argue that kinship care and professional care should be considered complementary, not mutually excluding.