Voices of Afghan children: A Study on Asylum-seeking Children in Sweden
The study looks at the motivations and migration experiences of unaccompanied children from Afghanistan. The study is based on 42 interviews with unaccompanied children who had sought asylum in Sweden. The findings of the study support the general assumption that unaccompanied children from Afghanistan have mixed motivations for leaving Afghanistan and neighbouring countries to come to Europe. Economic and social hardship in combination with protection concerns influenced the decision to migrate. Afghan children on the move are vulnerable for a number of reasons. Some suffer from past traumatic experiences in Afghanistan. The children's stories show how they were subjected to various forms of abuse in the form of forced recruitment, child labour under exploitative conditions, fear of physical abuse, but also, how the prevalent generalized violence affected them directly and indirectly. The mixed backgrounds and motives behind the Afghan children's movement from Afghanistan and neighbouring countries, serve as a reminder of the complexities of labelling unaccompanied children from Afghanistan as "anchor children" and "economic migrants". Indeed, as indicated by the stories of the children, they may have been sent to Europe as a means to protect themselves and/or the rest of the family. These complexities need to be carefully considered by authorities when assessing the protection needs of Afghan children.