Juventud e integración

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.

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.

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).