• By supporting young people in their
transition to adulthood. The transition into
adulthood can be a period of vulnerability in
the development of any child. For children in
migration, the transition to adulthood may
entail a significant loss of rights from one day
to the next. What this means in practice is
that they may lose their permit to stay, and
be subject to detention and forced removal.
It can leave the young person even more
vulnerable than when they were under 18.
Knowing that they will face this uncertain
and precarious situation on turning 18 also
negatively impacts the children’s well-being
while they are children, during an important
period of psychosocial development 31 . In
addition, there is a lack of strong support
networks to help them in this transition,
one which happens much earlier than for
their peers who have parental care or other
support, including support networks, for
much longer 32 . Young migrants and refugees
should be supported in the transition into
adulthood, including through ‘after care’
services with trained practitioners and youth
workers. For example, in Germany, Finland
and Austria, SOS Children’s Villages offer
support for children and young people up
to the age of 21 33 . SOS Children’s Villages
Sweden supports them up to the age of 23. In
Hungary, unaccompanied young people who
remain in so called State after care (until they
are 24 if they attend higher education) can be
supported by SOS Children’s Villages.
31 _ Global Migration Group, UNICEF, OHCHR, PICUM, Universidad Nacional de Lanús, Human Rights of Undocumented Adolescents and Youth (2013)
http://www.globalmigrationgroup.org/system/files/uploads/gmg-topics/mig-data/Human-Rights-of-Undocumented-Adolescents-Youth.pdf.
32 _ SOS Children’s Villages, I Matter, Interim Evaluation Report, September 2010. Available at
https://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/getmedia/23be97b8-9b22-4fb7-a709-1a7ef67209da/100922-interim-report-final-screen-version.pdf?ext=.pdf.
33 _ In Austria, the decision on whether to offer support to young people up to the age of 21 is left to the discretion of the authorities of the provinces, which
decide on a case by case basis. As a result, the situation significantly differs throughout the country. Generally, only children who have been granted
international protection have a chance of receiving support after turning 18.
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