Former unaccompanied minors and the transition to adulthood: Perspectives and insights from the lived experience in Finland

The overall objective of the proposed research is to better understand the perspectives of former unaccompanied minor youth in Finland regarding their transition to adulthood. An unaccompanied minor is a person (under 18) who has sought asylum without a parent or guardian.

This study utilises a qualitative single-site case design underpinned by a voice-centred relational methodology (VCRM) approach that champions the voices of participants. Participants will be approximately 20 young refugees who were once unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors. There are two research objectives linked to the action of this research.

Research Objective 1 (RO1) is to better understand the transition to adulthood of former unaccompanied minor youth in Finland.

The participants of this study sought asylum as unaccompanied minors but are now young adults as such, are now technically former unaccompanied minors.

RO1 will address the following research questions: How do former unaccompanied minor youth in Finland conceptualise the transition to adulthood?; What do former unaccompanied minor youth in Finland identify as barriers and supports to the transition to adulthood?

Research Objective 2 (RO2) is to innovate new ways of co-constructing knowledge and art with participants, addressing the following research question: How does the collaborative creation of knowledge through a participatory arts-based method amplify the voices of former unaccompanied minor youth in Finland?

The findings of this study will have the capacity to influence the informing of needs-based policies and supports to aid in a smooth transition to adulthood for these youth, as well as advancing the state-of-the-art of our current knowledge on the transition to adulthood.