How does autonomy affect integration?
Autonomy – the sense of self-agency and the ability to have some control over aspects of one's life – is vital for a child or young person's sense of well-being and resilience. CYP who are resilient (who can survive and even thrive under difficult conditions and overcome adversity) have been identified as having specific personal traits, including a sense of self-worth and a belief in their capacity to make a difference in their own lives.
The reality for migrant children is that, despite appearances, many lack control over their lives. Decisions on initial movement are often made by the CYP's parents, and while in some cases older children and young people do make the decision, their choices of where to move are usually limited to the locations in which they have networks or relatives, or where they believe that they will find better opportunities. If a move involves a third party such as a trafficker or smuggler, even less control is likely. In these cases, CYP may be removed from all support, even education and health care, and possibly also be required to (illegally) work until they have paid off debts. They are at high risk of exploitation.
Providing information to support autonomy: Legal Services for Children
Legal Services for Children explain their approach to providing trauma-informed support, legal and practical information to young people on the move in the USA, to allow them to make informed decisions that align with their individual goals and values.
Information quality shapes decision‑making
The amount and quality of information and support that a child or young person (and their family) has on the situation in the new country has a significant bearing on the CYP's ability to make informed decisions.
Where CYP are travelling illegally in order to seek asylum in a new country, information is unlikely to be formally available. As a result, there is often a reliance on informal information through others who have already moved to the country, and this information may be patchy or anecdotal.
Ideas about what life may be like in the new country can be formed from misunderstandings gained through the media or other sources. For example, CYP and their families may believe that a child or young person will have money and/or be able to work, or they may anticipate a living environment different to a reality in which that CYP will be considered a child with limited choices regarding their activities and movement.
Decisions such as the location and setting in which CYP live and the services and support they receive are often made, and can be changed, by authorities and service providers. Services are constrained by a lack of funding and legal and by policy frameworks which may be more centred on immigration/migration control issues than on child-centred care. Even in cases where frameworks are holistic and centred on CYP's care and well-being, the inability to accurately anticipate the number of children and families arriving may mean that even if services should be available, in practice they may not be in place.
Independent, youth‑friendly information is critical
Providing CYP with independent, child- and youth-friendly and accurate advice and information on issues such as immigration or onwards movement is critical in enabling them to understand their rights and negotiate their way around the various systems they will encounter.
Services including independent legal counsel and guardianship can be key in providing such information and support. In the case of unaccompanied or separated children, effective guardianship structures are deemed necessary to protect their rights and best interests.
Just as travel to a new country may be based on uncertainty and a lack of accurate information, so too may decisions regarding moving onwards to another country (for resettlement or reunification with family members) or returning home. CYP may not have lived in their country of birth for a long time, and the situation they remember may have changed. For both moving and returning there needs to be accurate and accessible information for CYP on what assistance will be available and what networks exist, a clear assessment of children and young people's needs when moving/returning, and a plan for how these needs will be met.
Key actions and considerations for service providers:
- Orientate services to give the maximum control and choice possible to children. While choices will be limited by policy and legal frameworks, increasing child participation processes in service design, management and evaluation can provide more opportunities for children to have a sense of control and autonomy.
- Provide accurate and comprehensive information in ways that are developmentally appropriate and in relevant languages.
- Develop or link to mentoring and peer-to-peer support programmes to empower and increase the resilience of CYP.
- Use cultural mediators in developing and explaining information to increase the transfer and understanding of key information.
- Ensure staff and volunteers access regular training to build skills in supporting CYP and to maintain an up-to-date understanding of legal and policy frameworks.
- Ensure that CYP are able to access appropriate independent legal advice to navigate through asylum, refugee and other legal status processes.