Unaccompanied migrant minors in times of COVID-19. The view from the institutions

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is acting as a magnifying glass that allows us to see more clearly both the weaknesses of the contemporary public social protection system and the vital importance of institutions and professionals in the social field at a time when the most vulnerable population segments have been particularly hard hit. In this respect, the main purpose of this paper is to make visible the situation of unaccompanied migrant minors in Catalonia, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. To do this, we conducted a descriptive qualitative study that forms part of a broader R&D project funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (RTI2018-095259-B-I00, MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE). The study was based on semi-structured interviews addressed to members of the Public Administration, technicians and/or educators from different entities and institutions in the Catalan territory. The results point out numerous challenges, situations of vulnerability and needs of these minors that have increased with the pandemic. The findings demonstrate the need for an urgent response from government institutions and highlight the need for more intensive networking and a greater deployment of competences and skills with respect to social justice.

Keywords: Unaccompanied migrant minors, COVID-19, pandemic, social education, qualitative study.