For adults that are important to a child who has sought asylum
Fleeing your home and seeking asylum in another country can be a frightening experience for anyone. Having to do it as a child, without one’s parents, can be extremely stressful.
It is sometimes said that people who apply for asylum, and especially unaccompanied minors, are strong. That if they can get to the other side of the world on their own, they can probably do anything. But even the strongest and most hardened children need safe adults around them, so that they can just be kids. Refugee children are no exception, and when they don’t have their parents with them, or if their parents are exhausted, confused or perhaps traumatised, other important adults are needed to offer these children some security and calmness in an uncertain situation.
Every child is different and every asylum seeker has a unique story. Some asylum-seeking children have been refugees for a long time and may not have seen their relatives for years. Others have been separated from their parents recently. Some have contact with their close relatives, while others do not know where to start looking. All asylum-seeking children carry with them questions and concerns. Some have questions about their situation and ask for help. Others bottle up their worries and dare not ask about them.
As an adult, you play an important role. You are a person who can guide and support the child in their current situation. You can read these pages together with the child. Together, you can review the various stages that you go through when you are an asylum seeker.
An important adult may be
- a parent
- another legal guardian
- a guardian
- a relative
- a teacher
- a school counsellor
- someone from a non-governmental organisation (NGO)
- an employee of the Swedish Migration Agency.
