Prof. Dr. Stefan Thomas

Unaccompanied Minors in BrandenburgProf. Dr. Stefan Thomas University of AppliedDr. Verena Buser Science, PotsdamDr. Yasemin Soytemel Social Research MethodsDipl.‐Psych. Ingmar Zalewski Kiepenheuerallee 5Dr. Madeleine Sauer D‐14469 PotsdamUNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORTINGUNACCOMPANIED ASYLUM SEEKINGAND REFUGEE CHILDREN ANDYOUNG PEOPLEBSPC WORKING GROUP ONMIGRATION AND INTEGRATIONJANUARY, 13TH 2020UUnnaaccccoommppaanniieedd MMiinnoorrss iinn BBrraannddeennbbuurrgg(1) PRESUPPOSITIONS RESEARCHING MIGRATION• „Century of Migration“• We need solutions for migration and integration• We must offer perspectives of integration• The minors will stay and live in Germany the next 50, 60, 70yearsUUnnaaccccoommppaanniieedd MMiinnoorrss iinn BBrraannddeennbbuurrgg(2) MIXED METHODS DESIGN• Multiple foci and plurality of methods: Mixed‐MethodsApproach (Creswell, 2014)• Questionnaires and expert interviews with the stuff,caregivers and directors of the foster homes• Questionnaires, workshops, group discussion and interviewswith the teenagers• Peer‐research‐project: teenagers as co‐researchersUUnnaaccccoommppaanniieedd MMiinnoorrss iinn BBrraannddeennbbuurrgg(3) GERMAN YOUTH SERVICE SYSTEM• Distribution among German States• First three months shelter in a clearing facility• residential youth welfare facilitiesUUnnaaccccoommppaanniieedd MMiinnoorrss iinn BBrraannddeennbbuurrgg(3) FOSTER HOMESI feel comfortable in the facility.49,250,0(n = 126)40,030,021,419,820,010,0 7,12,40,0trifft voll und ganz zu trifft eher zu teils‐teils trifft eher nicht zu trifft überhaupt nicht zutnezorPUUnnaaccccoommppaanniieedd MMiinnoorrss iinn BBrraannddeennbbuurrgg(4) REASONS FOR FLIGHT• 80% ‘war or civil war’ in the country of origin• 67.2 % ‘political persecution’• 54.7 % ‘economic reasons• Other reasons:– fear of forced recruitment and being killed by militias, the Taliban,death of parents etc.UUnnaaccccoommppaanniieedd MMiinnoorrss iinn BBrraannddeennbbuurrgg(5) TRAUMA AND RESILIENCE• Expert Interview with a carer of a foster home:There wasn’t a single [unaccompanied minor] where I had thefeeling that the situation was so acute that they had to talk to atherapist. And whenever it was discussed, they usually said: ‘Imight go to someone, but to someone who speaks my language.And not to someone who sits there with an interpreter.’• Danger of re‐traumatization because of stress and burdens inthe presenceUUnnaaccccoommppaanniieedd MMiinnoorrss iinn BBrraannddeennbbuurrgg(6) PSYCHOTHERAPY• Facility manager:[There are ] really fantastic ideas [about] what the young people ...need. The only thing is, they are not their own [ideas]. Because theyare rarely asked. First of all, they have the basic needs that everyonehas, and that also differ from culture to culture. And I believe that if Iasked the young people or even the adults here in the temporaryaccommodation: ‘Hey, what do you actually need?’, they would say: ‘Ineed a job and an apartment. I want my life. I want to be an individualagain who can stand on their own two feet and get social recognitionthrough their own work. And I also want to be able to feel that I’mworth something somehow. I want to be productive.’ Probably everyhundredth person would say: ‘I want therapy.’ (Residential youthwelfare facility manager, m)UUnnaaccccoommppaanniieedd MMiinnoorrss iinn BBrraannddeennbbuurrgg(7) SOCIAL EXCLUSION• lack of protective factor of the social net of the family or friends• Rare contacts with German peersFigure 2. ‘These people in Germany are very important to me: German young people’ (n = 121).Source: Own data from Questionnaire Survey 2.UUnnaaccccoommppaanniieedd MMiinnoorrss iinn BBrraannddeennbbuurrgg(7) SOCIAL EXCLUSION• Interviewer (m): Okay. What’s the story between you guys andyoung Germans?• Sami (m, Pakistan): In my case, I’ve been in a normal class forfive or six months. ... But I haven’t got one single friend frommy class.• Mahmoud (m, Syria): I’m always sitting on my own in class.Yes. ... Or some of them don’t even see me sometimes. Butwhen they need my help, they say: can you help me withmaths or English or so? I help, but sometimes in German orother subjects they don’t help me.• Sami (m, Pakistan): When we make contact with the Germansit is difficult. Very difficult.UUnnaaccccoommppaanniieedd MMiinnoorrss iinn BBrraannddeennbbuurrgg(8) DISCRIMINATION AND RACISM• Mahmoud (m, Syria): And some Germans have, I think,problems with foreigners. ... Or in school, some/I don’t haveany friends yet. And some make fun of me. Some students.• Interviewer (m): Do you guys have German friends?• Mohammed (m, nationality unknown): No. I don’tunderstand.• Interviewer (m): You don’t understand the Germans?• Mohammed (m, nationality unknown): No, I understand, yes. Idon’t want to [have German friends] because they all say‘foreigners shit’. Why shit?UUnnaaccccoommppaanniieedd MMiinnoorrss iinn BBrraannddeennbbuurrgg(9) INACTIVITY• “The photo is of my bed, of sleeping in bed. Night‐time, thensleeping. I come back from school, I eat, then I go to my bed,sleep a little for a half an hour. And I get up, read a bit, and goout, walking. Then I come back, I’m tired, then I sleep also”.UUnnaaccccoommppaanniieedd MMiinnoorrss iinn BBrraannddeennbbuurrgg(10) SCHOOL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION ANDTRAININGFigure 3. Years of schooling of unaccompanied minors by sex, as reported by carers (n = 110).Source: Own data from Questionnaire Survey 1.UUnnaaccccoommppaanniieedd MMiinnoorrss iinn BBrraannddeennbbuurrgg(10) SCHOOL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION ANDTRAINING• 77.6% of all cases the motivation to learn was rated as ‘verypronounced’ or ‘rather pronounced’• ‘Because I want to have some knowledge and also to learn. ...I want my future to be in Germany’ (Jamal, m, Syria).• Considerable initiative to learn German by using theirsmartphones• ‘How can I look for a training position? I first have to learnGerman. That’s why I’m going to school’ (Ali, m, Somalia).UUnnaaccccoommppaanniieedd MMiinnoorrss iinn BBrraannddeennbbuurrgg(11) ASYLUM PROCEDURE• Expert interview with a facility manager:“And in particular the young people with deportation [orders]are naturally under even greater strain, also mental strain, andare very difficult to manage at the moment because they ofcourse try to grasp at every straw that they hear in order to beable to stay, even going as far as thinking about dropping out ofschool”UUnnaaccccoommppaanniieedd MMiinnoorrss iinn BBrraannddeennbbuurrgg(12) CONCLUSIONS: “JUST ORDINARY YOUNGSTERS”• The standard of youth welfare is very high• Lack of integration into social life in Germany• Traumas are relevant but ...• most of the stress and pressure is situated in their current life:Recognition as a refugee, foster home, schooling, families• Central development task of adolescence: Establishment of anindependent conduct of lifeUUnnaaccccoommppaanniieedd MMiinnoorrss iinn BBrraannddeennbbuurrggTHANK YOU VERY MUCH