The impact of the Spanish reception system on the physical, mental and social well-being of migrant unaccompanied minors in the Canary Islands
2022 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
The Canary Islands have been receiving irregular migrants by boat since 1994. Since then, from time to time, the Islands are faced with immense arrivals of migrants over a brief period of time that usually have led to a crisis, this is what happened in 2020. A fundamental peculiarity of this last crisis was the significant increase in minors who undertook the Canary Islands’ or Atlantic route. This increase caught the reception system for minors, dependent on the Autonomous Community, off guard. Considering the increase in arrivals and the precariousness of the reception system it is not clear whether the minimum living standards are being fulfilled and what the reception conditions are. Therefore, this study analyses the conditions of migrant unaccompanied minors in reception centres in the Canary Islands and highlights the gaps and challenges to upholding the rights of this vulnerable group, in order to determine if the well-being of this group is ensured in practice. After conducting a qualitative analysis, based on eleven semi-structure interviews, it was proven the conditions experienced by migrant unaccompanied minors living in reception centres in the Canary Islands do not comply with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which has a negative effect on the physical, mental, and social wellbeing.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2022. , p. 85
Keywords [en]
Canary Islands, migration, migrant unaccompanied minors, humanitarian crisis, Spanish reception system, Spain, Convention on the Rights of the Child, migrants' reception centres, Atlantic route
National Category
International Migration and Ethnic Relations
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-482753OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-482753DiVA, id: diva2:1690281
Subject / course
International Humanitarian Action
Educational program
Master Programme in International Humanitarian Action
Supervisors
Examiners
2022-11-142022-08-252022-11-14Bibliographically approved