Socioeconomic barriers and educational pathways of unaccompanied foreign minors in Europe's southern border
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7990903 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mir Mohammad Ali (0000-0002-7366-5420, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia), Mimon Mohamed Si Ali (International Doctoral School Distance Education National University (UNED), Doctoral Program in Law and Social Sciences Madrid Spain), Jamal Toutouh El Alamin (Engineering of Languages and Computer Sciences University of Malaga Málaga Spain), Sagrario Segado Sánchez-Cabezudo (0000-0002-3430-5908, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia), Sagrario Segado Sánchez‐Cabezudo (Department of Social Work Distance Education National University, UNED Madrid Spain), Neil Gilbert (0000-0003-4576-7312, Social Welfare and Social Services UC Berkeley Berkeley California USA) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-26 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Social Welfare (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1369-6866 • E-ISSN: 1468-2397 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/ijsw.70025 |
| OpenAlex | W4411706143 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 32 |
This article investigates social vulnerability, legal challenges, and migratory experiences of unaccompanied foreign minors entering Europe via Melilla, a Spanish city in northern Africa. A mixed‐methods approach integrates statistical analysis and qualitative research, including natural language processing on 1274 records and 1200 in‐depth interviews. The theoretical framework combines social vulnerability theory, the child‐rights perspective, and migration decision‐making models to clarify how structural (institutional and cultural) and individual (motivations and social networks) factors influence school attendance frequency and continuity, as well as integration in a border environment. Quantitative findings emphasize the key roles of socioeconomic status and educational modality (public vs. Quranic), revealing no significance for nationality. Qualitative evidence underscores linguistic barriers and discrimination, highlighting the necessity of enhanced psychosocial and cultural support. Given these results, the study calls for urgent reforms to child protection policies and border‐control strategies, aligning measures with the principle of the child's best interests
Demographic economics · Economics · Political science · Socioeconomic status · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Demography · Education and experiences of immigrants and refugees · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Migration, Health and Trauma · Psychology
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |