Integration
Integration is defined in different ways by different actors and contexts. For the purpose of this toolkit on supporting the integration of migrant children, the following definition is used:
Integration is the two-way process of a child settling in a new country, for an unknown duration, in order to receive protection and care and to develop a sense of well-being, prospects and goals for the future, that is at minimum equal and equitable to children with legal residence in a country.
This definition emphasises that the care, protection and support provided should – as far as possible – address the long-term best interests and welfare of the child and enable a child to gain competencies to serve them, wherever they live, in the future. This toolkit focuses on the social and cultural aspects of integration. While legal status has a critical bearing on the permanence or potential duration of stay, legal processes and statutes vary by context and are linked to national policies and processes. While the toolkit considers integration specifically as it relates to care and protection (because the ability for practitioners to impact structural frameworks is limited), the central importance and impact of (the pursuit of) legal status for children is acknowledged.
For the purposes of this toolkit, integration means ensuring the care, protection and development of children, in their place of residence, irrespective of the expected duration of stay or legal status. For unaccompanied children, this includes integration into care arrangements and the community and services where the child is living as well as pursuit of legal immigration status
Children on the move
Children on the move describes girls and boys who have left home for any reason, including conflict, violence, disasters, lack of opportunities or other threats to their well-being. They may be in transit or have reached a destination. They may be alone or with a caregiver or parent. The term includes all child migrants including asylum-seeking and refugee children.
Due to differing legal definitions and perspectives, the language used when discussing children on the move varies. To avoid repetition this toolkit uses the term 'child migrants' to mean all children on the move regardless of their status or reason. This does not include children who are trafficked. Our definition of children is consistent with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and includes anyone below 18 years old. In some settings the terms 'minor' or 'young person' is used. We generally use the term 'children and young people' (abbreviated to CYP) to mean anyone who is under 18 years old, while recognising that the right to care and protection should be extended to at least 21 years old for child migrants who are travelling alone.
Youth Migration: Reasons and Realities
Children and young people move across borders for many reasons: to escape conflict, instability, poverty, environmental degradation, discrimination, violence and exploitation, as well as other violations of their rights including lack of access to basic needs and services. They move in search of safety and for opportunities to learn, work and develop – in pursuit of a better life. Many make these life-changing moves without an adult caregiver.