Fusing horizons: Reflections on caring for asylum seeking and refugee youth

Mark Smith

Fusing horizons: Reflections on caring for asylum seeking and refugee youth

Mark Smith (Lead / Corresponding author)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Global movement has led to the need to care for thousands of displaced children and youth. Since late 2016 my family and I have been foster carers for an unaccompanied minor seeking political asylum and subsequent refugee status. This experience has afforded unique insights into the lives and needs of asylum-seeking and refugee youngsters and to the systems that come to frame their lives. I offer here a reflexive account of my own experiences in the hope that it might cast some light on the wider context of how we might care for such youngsters. For me, this has involved a continual fusing of horizons between past and present and between practical responses to everyday care informed by an awareness of the cultural context that frames these. My conclusion is that such work requires a child and youth care orientation, foregrounding ideas of everyday life within a context of cultural safety.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	50-65
Number of pages	16
Journal	Relational Child and Youth Care Practice
Volume	33
Issue number	2
Publication status	Published - 2020

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Keywords

unaccompanied minors
asylum
refugee
Muslm
Islam
foster care
cultural safety
Europe

Cite this

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abstract = "Global movement has led to the need to care for thousands of displaced children and youth. Since late 2016 my family and I have been foster carers for an unaccompanied minor seeking political asylum and subsequent refugee status. This experience has afforded unique insights into the lives and needs of asylum-seeking and refugee youngsters and to the systems that come to frame their lives. I offer here a reflexive account of my own experiences in the hope that it might cast some light on the wider context of how we might care for such youngsters. For me, this has involved a continual fusing of horizons between past and present and between practical responses to everyday care informed by an awareness of the cultural context that frames these. My conclusion is that such work requires a child and youth care orientation, foregrounding ideas of everyday life within a context of cultural safety.",

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AB - Global movement has led to the need to care for thousands of displaced children and youth. Since late 2016 my family and I have been foster carers for an unaccompanied minor seeking political asylum and subsequent refugee status. This experience has afforded unique insights into the lives and needs of asylum-seeking and refugee youngsters and to the systems that come to frame their lives. I offer here a reflexive account of my own experiences in the hope that it might cast some light on the wider context of how we might care for such youngsters. For me, this has involved a continual fusing of horizons between past and present and between practical responses to everyday care informed by an awareness of the cultural context that frames these. My conclusion is that such work requires a child and youth care orientation, foregrounding ideas of everyday life within a context of cultural safety.

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KW - asylum

KW - refugee

KW - Muslm

KW - Islam

KW - foster care

KW - cultural safety

KW - Europe

UR - https://www.rcycp.com/

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JO - Relational Child and Youth Care Practice

JF - Relational Child and Youth Care Practice

IS - 2

ER -

Fusing horizons: Reflections on caring for asylum seeking and refugee youth

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

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