As part of the toolkit development process, 18 children and young people currently residing in Lebanon took part in two workshops facilitated by Naba'a.
The first workshop was with children and young people who had plans to migrate to Europe in the future, either alone or with family members. During this session the young people spoke of their reasons for deciding to make the journey to Europe, as well as what they anticipated would be the most significant issues for them in relation to their integration into their destination countries.
The second workshop was with those who had already made the trip to Europe but had returned to Lebanon for various reasons. This discussion centred on their opinions of how practitioners in Europe could best support children on the move from the Middle East, based on the positive and negative experiences that the children and young people had already had during their migration journeys.
Both workshops provided important insights into some of the main preoccupations and expectations that these children and young people have when considering their own integration within Europe. Many of the issues raised are already reflected within the guidance in this toolkit.
Hopes, fears and expectations
Several of the priority areas that were identified by the children and young people consulted in Italy and Greece were similar to those focused upon by the children and young people in Lebanon who were planning to move to Europe. These included the desire for safety and security, full access to their rights, opportunities that were equal to those experienced by other children within the countries in which they would reside, and treatment by practitioners that was without discrimination. Their biggest fears about integrating were of losing their own identities and traditions, breaking family connections, and of not being able to adapt to new societies and cultures. Many children and young people also anticipated the psychological pressures that they would feel as a result of their situations and statuses as refugee and asylum-seeking children. The psychological impact of missing their home and families was identified as a barrier to integration for the children and young people who had already experienced migration to Europe. The other major barriers that this group identified – quite apart from the practical difficulties related to gaining legal status – were related to language difficulties, experiences of discrimination and racism, and feelings of loneliness. In reflecting on what the young people had said, workshop facilitators noted the importance of understanding and nurturing the cultures, traditions and habits of young migrants from the Middle East. The psychological impact of their circumstances also needs to be acknowledged and prioritised by practitioners. Such circumstances include the loss of community and separation from family, the often protracted nature of the asylum process and the precarious situation in which many young people are left as a result, and the racism and discrimination that they face within communities.
Between 2020 and 2022, consultations took place with caregivers, children and young people with lived experience in Lebanon, Greece and Germany, generating new knowledge about experiences of integration.
Through focus group discussions and Photovoice, children and young people in Lebanon, Greece and Germany described what integration meant to them, how they experienced it in the countries in which they were, and what recommendations they would give to practitioners and policy makers to improve their experiences and those of other children on the move.
You can learn more about the project and associated reports here. You can also view the young people's photographs on display in the 'Childhood on the Move' exhibition in Family's Virtual Gallery by clicking below.
Virtual Gallery