Unaccompanied Refugee Minors in Europe: Fostering Rresilience

Abstract

In recent years, a growing number of unaccompanied refugee minors reach Western European countries in search of safety and well-being. Many of them are from Eritrea, Syria and Afghanistan, and have been confronted with war, violence and hardships in their home countries and during the journey. These min- ors face psychosocial challenges and drastic changes within their social-ecological environment upon arri- val in Europe. Although they are strong, the prospect of an uncertain future without the support of family members may undermine their resilience. Are effec- tive clinical interventions available? The current sym- posium offers three international presentations of studies conducted in different populations of URM’s in Europe: Belgium, Norway and Germany. Together, presenters bridge the gap between the needs of URM’s and appropriateness of mental health inter- ventions, throughout Europe. Marieke Sleijpen will introduce the symposium by providing an overview of the literature on resilience in URM’s.