Discrimination, access to citizenship and related rights

Adapting to life in a new country can be very difficult, especially for young migrants – who have had especially long and difficult journeys or who have arrived in countries vastly different from their own. Newly arrived youth migrants may struggle to adjust to their new life abroad, from adjusting to a new school system, making friends, finding a job, surmounting language barriers and an increasingly anti-immigrant climate (Migration Policy Institute Europe, 2017). Governments in destination societies can play a pivotal role in assisting young migrants to adapt and ensuring they are met with equal regard as national citizens and not discriminated against (see Integration and social cohesion).

It is important to differentiate the experiences of newly arrived young migrants from the experiences of the children or grandchildren or immigrants, often referred to as migrant descendants. Each group of youth migrants faces different challenges specific to their experiences of migration, further determined by their gender, their legal status, whether they are enrolled in school or university or are already participating in the labour market. Migrant descendants in particular may face challenges in adapting and finding a balance between the norms and expectations of their birth countries and of their parents’ countries of origin.

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Source

IOM, 2017.

Further, young migrant descendants may have a sense of emotional belonging to the countries that their parents migrated from or face intergenerational conflict when it comes to questions of identity. The issue of access to citizenship and subsequently their participation in public life, especially, can raise questions related to belonging and identity (see Active participation in public life and access to citizenship). This process of negotiating boundaries and integrating multiple, sometimes conflicting, worlds together has a large impact on how they are accepted by their social circles and by society.

Young migrant descendants can also be vulnerable to various forms of discrimination and xenophobia in the country they have been born and raised in. Being both young and belonging to an ethnic minority group is a double challenge. These young migrants are sometimes targets for radicalization, especially if their parents are struggling to integrate. For instance, young men and adolescent boys of migrant background especially have to deal with negative perceptions that they are criminals. Lack of work, education and other opportunities are difficulties that young migrants have to cope with. These can lead to negative feelings and resentment that can in turn have an impact on mental health and lead to substance abuse, and in some cases the radicalization of ethnic minority youth.

Many young people with a migrant background, though, are very resilient. They occupy a unique position, between two countries, equipped with significant social, cultural and economic resources. As such, they can be a benefit to both origin and receiving societies. It is therefore important to engage young migrant descendants, as well as newly arrived young migrants, in meaningful and participatory policymaking mechanisms. This can help inform, design and implement inclusive policies, which in turn has profound implications for their future and for building harmonious societies.

Policy Approaches
Building resilience among young people with a migrant background
  • Strengthen the educational performance of young people with migrant backgrounds through mentoring either by teachers or peers (IOM, 2015).
  • Provide a place for bonding and cultural exchange, for instance through social clubs, youth-led initiatives or leisure/sports activities where youth of both migrant and non-migrant background can foster solidarity and diversity.
  • Encourage civic and political participation in public life, such as volunteering, which can bring different communities across generations together to contribute to the integration process. Participation in public life can also heighten civic awareness and enhanced feelings of empowerment and belonging.
To Go Further

These resources demonstrate how youth-led groups can lead the implementation of projects aiming to prevent and address discrimination, thereby empowering broader groups of young people, their parents and communities at large:

  • Association Migration Solidarité et Échanges pour le Développement (AMSEAD).

    Based in Strasbourg, this association organized an exchange entitled “A meeting of cultures” for 36 youths from three European destination countries (Germany, Sweden, and France) and three Mediterranean origin countries (Turkey, Lebanon, Algeria).
  • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

    Initiated by the British Council, this project promotes youths from ethnically and culturally diverse schools take the lead in agenda-setting, negotiating agreements and creating a student charter for inclusive schools.
Youth participation in the policy development process

Young migrants themselves are most aware of their day-to-day realities and the challenges they face in realizing their full rights. As such, they should have a strong voice in contributing to the policies and programmes that address and affect them. Young migrants possess unique insight, which can shed light on the effectiveness of current policies as well as suggest improvement for future ones (United Nations, 2018).

Regarding migrant youth under 18 years of age, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) reflects States’ obligation to take into account children’s right to participation. It recognizes the potential of children to enrich decision-making processes, to share perspectives and to participate as citizens and actors of change (see Child migration).

To Go Further
  • United Nations, Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989.

    This Convention affirms that children are fully-fledged persons who have the right to participate, and to express their views in all matters affecting them. It requires that those views be heard and considered in accordance with the child’s age and maturity (see especially articles 9, 31 and 40).

Involving youth directly affected by migration as stakeholders in the policymaking process can have a large impact on the effectiveness of youth-related migration policies. Three types of participation can be identified: consultative, collaborative, and youth-led. Consultative youth participation is initiated and managed by qualified professionals but might involve surveys or engagement of migrant youth in research or participation in forums on youth and migration. Collaborative participation is also adult initiated but gives youth the opportunity to actively engage in the decision-making process at some or all stages. Youth-led participation gives youth significant control over the policy space, to initiate proposals and activities, and to organize themselves (Department for International Development [DFID], 2010).

Allowing young migrants to participate in the policy development process is also beneficial as it provides them with life skills, contributing to their self-esteem, social inclusion, sense of responsibility and understanding of decision-making processes. In countries of destination, participation can make young migrants feel more valued and accepted by society, while in origin countries, participation can make returned migrants or potential migrants reintegrate into society, find a voice and feel more appreciated. Participation can thus be a vital instrument in promoting social cohesion and undermining negative or false perceptions of migration (see Policy consultations).

Youth networks and development

At the core of youth networks is the idea of meaningful, self-organized youth engagement. Youth are referred to as the “torchbearers” of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which calls for the development and activation of sound, evidence-based youth policies and actions (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [UN DESA], 2018). Youth networks can bring about change by, for example, information sharing and participating in targeted engagement opportunities and decision-making. This is for the benefit of children, youth, adults, and programmes. These networks are uniquely positioned to adapt development policies and programmes to national and local contexts based on youths’ lived experiences. These networks often provide youth with individual development opportunities through skills and knowledge training. They contribute to wider development through their social impact and through youth participating in activities and projects in their communities.

Youth networks have been recognized as important stakeholders, and they have often been at the forefront of advocating for change on social justice issues, such as in the context of the Global Compact for Migration (see #Youth4Migration campaign). However, they often face barriers when it comes to participation (United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth [UNMGCY], 2019). These include the exclusion of youth networks and youth from the decision-making process in governmental platforms at regional, national, and local levels of implementation; insufficient funding that would enable meaningful youth engagement; and the lack of age-disaggregated data to formulate evidence-based policies.

To Go Further
  • United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth (UNMGCY) is an official and self-organized space for children and youth to engage in certain intergovernmental and allied policy processes at the United Nations.
  • United Nations Youth Strategy aims to support youth initiatives and activities at the grassroots and national levels that contribute to development and to the realization of the 2030 Agenda. It features four functional areas (youth leadership; knowledge and innovation; investment and solution; accountability) and five programmatic priorities in order to empower youth to achieve their full potential.
Policy Approaches
Youth participation in policy development
  • Encourage young migrants and returnees to play a leadership role in changing awareness of and attitudes towards migration in communities, through social media and other communications channels.
  • Identify laws and other discriminatory practices that may restrict youth participation in associations based solely on their age, gender, class, sexual orientation or other characteristics.
  • Include a diverse range of youth, in terms of age, gender, nationality and socioeconomic background, among other characteristics, in the policy development process.
  • Acknowledge that some youth migrants may face barriers to participating in the policy development process; for instance, those who study and work do not have time.

In origin countries

  • Create forums for youth to share experiences of their journeys abroad in order to improve both reintegration and the services offered to return migrants.
  • Provide a space for youth to be more involved in negotiations with countries of destination for the development of regular channels and bilateral agreements, while raising awareness of the realities faced by young returnees and/or potential migrants.
  • Include in communication campaigns information on the dangers of irregular migration to deter other youth from taking the same route.

In destination countries

  • Foster dialogue and shared experiences between migrant groups from different countries as sources of advice to newly arrived migrants.
  • Promote civic and cultural activities of young migrants in their new community and increase their participation in the democratic process.
Source

GMG, 2014.

Good Practice
Youth career support in Germany (“Jugendberufshilfe”)

While youth participation in employment policymaking appears limited, there are examples of youth welfare agencies playing a role in regulating some employment and training sectors. One example can be found in Germany, where as part of vocational assistance for young people (“Jugendberufshilfe”), youth welfare organizations support socially and personally disadvantaged young people making the transition from school to vocational training and then to gainful employment. Since 1980, young people up to 25 years of age have been supported to make the transition from school to work.

Source

Jugendberufshilfe.

Youth migration and digital information

Technological developments can influence different aspects of migration. From a positive point of view, technology can help govern and monitor migration, while providing information about practical challenges, dangers and risks. The use of digital technology is one area that has attracted academic researchers, particularly in regard to showing how young migrants use social media to enhance their knowledge and understanding of migration processes, including their own. Social media are a very important source of knowledge that young people utilize to inform not only their migration decision-making but also other aspects of their lives, including their voices in policymaking and civic life (more on social media as a source of information, see Data, research and analysis for policymaking).

Young migrants also use social media to raise awareness and spread information about issues related to migration and youth. For instance, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok often serve as platforms for young people to obtain information regarding their studies, visa renewal, organized language courses, sports and leisure activities, as well as to discuss a variety issues (see Communicating on migration for more information on the use of social media to share and gather information on migration processes, as well as on the challenges and risks).

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Source

IOM, 2017.

On the other hand, young migrants also have a general distrust of social media platforms, preferring to rely on information that originates from existing social ties or personal experiences (Dekker et al., 2018). There is always a risk of misinformation, with social media. It is used in scams or frauds that exploit the vulnerability of migrants by asking for their personal data to obtain financial advantages. Technology can also be used by criminals seeking to threaten migrants’ safety, privacy and data protection. This means that there is a need to minimize the risks arising from the impact of technology on migration.

Emerging and frontier technologies have the potential to exacerbate the digital divide and pose further threats to inclusive development. However, young people tend to be the earliest adopters of new technological innovations. In this regard, policymakers should not ignore the social impact that could be harnessed through trending technologies as the basis for innovation within the themes of migration governance and management. Linking youth with emerging technologies represent a largely untapped opportunity to improve global welfare while developing the potential of young populations (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [UN DESA], 2020).

Key messages
  • Integration at the policy level requires confronting inequalities in the education system and economic life, while at the same time supporting law and practice against discrimination, racism and other structural barriers that young migrants or migrant descendants may face, whether at home, school, or in the workplace.
  • The integration of youth is based on factors such as whether they are newly arrived migrants or migrant descendants, what gender or legal status they have, and whether they are enrolled in grade school, high school, university studies or already participating in the labour market.
  • National and local governments can facilitate the meaningful engagement of young migrants to inform, design, and implement inclusive and responsive policies.
  • Governments benefit from encouraging and engaging youth networks in the development of policies and programmes that address youth-related issues at national and international levels.
  • Linking the youth population with emerging technologies can represent an opportunity to improve migration management and governance, while simultaneously developing the potential of young populations.
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