Creating New Futures Settling Children and Youth from Refugee Backgrounds

This book has been written at a time when as many children are on the move as forced migrants as at any time in human history. In 2014, UNHCR estimated that more than 50 million people were on the move as refugees or 'persons of concern.' At least half were children. Australia has not escaped this global phenomenon: young people feature prominently in both planned humanitarian migration and asylum flows.

Rather than focus on how children seek protection, this book is about what happens afterwards. Essays by distinguished professionals in the field examine the law, policy and practice governing how refugee children are admitted and 'settled' into Australian society. Topics range from the ethics of researching young people from refugee backgrounds; how children are selected for inclusion in managed programs for 'resettlement'; through to the rules for the acquisition of citizenship. The centrepiece of the work, however, are essays on what can and should be done to support and assist young refugees after they enter Australia. The core premise is that settlement matters. How these young people are treated upon and after arrival can make or break their development and future wellbeing. Young people from refugee backgrounds have often experienced extraordinary hardships and challenges. Good settlement experiences can facilitate healing, reduce traumas associated with transition into a new society and create a solid foundation for growth and development into productive adulthood. In this collection the authors discuss examples of good policy and good practice in the shared endeavour of creating New Futures for these young people.

Part I 1. Researching the Experience of Refugee Children: Key Ethical Considerations Mary Ann Powell and Anne Graham   2. Finding Refuge in Australia: How Law and Policies Affect the Entitlements of Children Entering as Refugees and Humanitarian Migrants Mary Crock and Hannah Martin  Part II 3. The Strategic Use of Resettlement Margaret Piper AM   4. Overview of Resettlement in the Global and Australian Context Mike Clayton   5. Using Resettlement to Protect Vulnerable Refugee Minors Margaret Piper AM and Dr Graham Thom  Part III 6. Defining Refugee Youth Settlement and Why it Matters Sandy Gifford and Edmee Kenny   7. 'I Might Be OK but Don't Leave Me Alone': How Young People from Refugee Backgrounds View Settlement Margaret Piper AM, Mitra Khakbaz and Soo-Lin Quek   8. Settling Well? An Examination of the Settlement Experiences of Unaccompanied Humanitarian Minors in Australia Carmel Guerra, Soo-Lin Quek and Mary Anne Kenny   9. Trauma and Recovery The Mental Health of Young People from Refugee Backgrounds Louise Newman and Ann Locarnini   10. The Health Story Cathy Preston-Thomas   11. Deaf Children and Youth from Refugee Backgrounds: Pressing Issues and Possible Solutions Louisa Willoughby   12. The Education of Refugee-Background Students in Australian Schools Joel Windle  13. Refugee and Asylum Seeking Children and Family Reunion in Australia Mary Anne Kenny and Ali Mojtahedi   14. Citizens in Their Own Right: Achieving Adequate Recognition of Children in Australia's Immigration and Citizenship Framework Kim Rubenstein And Jacqueline Field