Ny UNHCR studie om afghanska barn i Sverige är nu klar
Kan du tänka dig att jag har rest i 36 timmar under en lastbil kan ni tänka er att jag, utan mat eller vatten, har försökt att hålla fast vid en liten bar och kan ni tänka er varje liten sten hoppar mot ditt ansikte, den smärta det skulle orsaka dig om det bara hänt en gång, hur mycket det gör ont att resa under alla dessa timmar … kan ni tänka er att ni bara vill släppa taget och ge upp. ”
مطالعه وضعيت اطفال تنها از افغانستان توسط کميشنري ملل متحد
18- year-old Afghan boy originating from Ghazni
The UNHCR Regional Office for the Baltic and Nordic countries today releases a new study that is based on in-depth interviews with unaccompanied Afghan refugee minors in Sweden.
The study ”Voices of Afghan Children” examines the reasons for leaving Afghanistan, the routes the children take, and their reception on arrival. The children describe the journey to Sweden via Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Greece, France and other European countries. They tell stories of how they are mistreated by smugglers, migrants, border guards and police on the way. Some die on the way or are left behind.
– We wanted the children's own stories to be told in the study, says Rebecca Svad, who conducted the study.
The study highlights the necessity of a holistic approach in addressing the needs of unaccompanied children.
– Sweden has a very good practice for dealing with unaccompanied minors who seek asylum here. Nevertheless it is always good to be reminded of how complex it is to determine asylum claims from children. There are other dangers for children than for adults, says Hans ten Feld, head of the UNHCR Regional Office. He stresses that the childrens' fears, feelings of guilt and difficult experiences create traumas that need to be kept in mind both before and after the claim for asylum is assessed.
In the last couple of years, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of unaccompanied children seeking asylum in the Nordic countries. Last year, 2,250 unaccompanied minors sought asylum in Sweden, of these 780 were Afghans. In the EU, the total number of unaccompanied children seeking asylum was around 15,000 in 2009.
The study was undertaken at the initiative of UNHCR's Regional Office for the Baltic and Nordic countries, with financial support from the Swedish Migration Board, and done by an independent consultant.
Voices of Afghan children – a study on asylum-seeking children in Sweden.
UNHCR also released a study on Afghan asylum seeking children in a number of other European countries earlier this week.
Trees only move in the wind – A study of unaccompanied Afghan children in Europe.
http://www.unhcr.se/en/News/press10/press_100618-afhan-minors-EN.html