Being an unaccompanied minor in forced migration: Case of Turkey and Italy

In this research, the experiences of unaccompanied minors under international protection in Turkey and Italy and the policies and practices applied to these children were investigated. The reasons why unaccompanied minors under international protection are high in Turkey and Italy are also examined. Both countries are near the border crisis areas and are on migration routes. However, the severity of these causes and other factors were also tried to be revealed. In the research, the policies, institutional structures and procedures of Turkey and Italy on migration and international protection were also revealed, and how they differed in the context of unaccompanied minors was examined. In the study, semi-structured interview method, literature and database review and participant observation technique were used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 26 people, 14 in Turkey and 12 in Italy. Eight of the fourteen people in Turkey are ex-minors who were previously under international protection. 5 of them are civil society workers and one is from the Presidency of Migration Management. In Italy, interviews were conducted with 3 academics, 2 government officials and 7 civil society workers. Unaccompanied minors are at the centre of the research. Agency of unaccompanied minors, who are considered as an active agent in the phenomenon of migration, is also investigated. Examining the agency of unaccompanied minors also requires analyzing their experiences before, during, and after migration and international protection. For this reason, i) the general profiles of the minors/interviewers and their reasons for migration, ii) their migration journeys and border experiences, iii) their access to international protection and the protection process, iv) their expectations, goals and perceptions, v) the experiences and services they receive during international protection, vi) transition processes to adulthood were examined. In order to reveal the agency of children, direct, indirect and inverse relationships between levels were also investigated. Keywords: Unaccompanied Minors, International Protection, Turkey, Italy, International Migration