CHALLENGES FACED BY INSTITUTION SHELTERING UNACCOMPANIED MINOR REFUGEES/ASYLUM SEEKERS & BEST PRACTICES DEVELOPED IN SOLVING THEM

Abstract

This is a qualitative research study aimed at finding out what challenges do organizations in Finland face while working with unaccompanied minor refugees/asylum seekers in Finland. We also looked forward to finding out what best practices that have been developed to deal with these challenges. Data was collected through semistructured interviews with professionals working in the field. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the collected data. The participants stated that the workers in this field are faced with a lot of challenges. These challenges include language barrier, lack of expertise, insufficient skills and tools needed, lack of means to deal with violent children, attacks from outsiders and government rules colliding with their believes. It was also noted that some of the best practices developed to deal with some of these challenges include personal instructor for the minors, care and development, feedback from youngsters, focus on future and not the past, organized activities for the purpose of deviating their minds off their problems and assigning guardians to minors. There were also steps that were to be taken to improve the services offered to minors. These steps included equipping workers with sufficient skills such as psychological skills among others, workers should have enough knowledge on the background of the minors, standards should be high enough everywhere during the resettlement process and they should be governed by a single bureaucracy. Lastly, there should be a clear agreement on what should be done to make things easy when setting goals for the minors.