The experiences of children and adolescents undergoing forced separation from their parents during migration: A systematic review

Globally, the migration of unaccompanied minors is increasing, however, the experiences of these children have not been examined. We systematically synthesised the existing qualitative literature to examine the experiences of children undergoing forced separation from their parents during migration. The review was structured based on the PRISMA statement. A systematic search of Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO and Scopus databases from inception to November 23, 2020 was conducted to retrieve eligible studies. Only qualitative studies of children aged ≤18 years were reviewed. The data analysis and synthesis were informed by the intersectionality framework. The search yielded 10,956 studies of which eight were included in this review. Thematic analysis identified the following themes: unaccompanied minors experience a deep sense of loss; anxiety over the uncertainty of the migration process; difficulty adjusting to their new life in the host country and adverse health effects. These experiences were heightened by children's exposure to violence during migration. The intersectionality framework suggests that unaccompanied minors experience separation from their parents during migration in ways that marginalise them and widen inequalities. Migration processes need to be streamlined to provide integrated health, emotional, legal and educational supports for unaccompanied children with particular attention given to treating the trauma of past violence. More research is needed to explore how to facilitate the integration of unaccompanied children into host communities in ways that are healing and empowering.