“Illegal bodies” on the move – a critical look at forced migration towards social justice for young asylum-seekers

Abstract

Homo Migratus. A term I coined to make a point – an important point: human beings move. It is what we have always done; it is nothing new. Indeed, contemporary trends indicate that international migration is now an integral part of globalisation. This, according to Castles and Miller (2009) is the “Age of Migration”. But what is the “Age” of migration? The UN Youth Report of 2013 suggested that by mid-2010, the global number of international migrants aged 15-24 was estimated to be around 27 million, making up around one eighth of the global migrant population (estimated at that time to be around 214 million). According to another UN report, young people aged 19-29 constitute somewhere between 36% and 57% of international migrants (United Nations 2013). Young people move for a variety of reasons, be it for education, employment opportunities, voluntary work abroad, for love even. There are also those who are forced to flee their home as a result of an existential threat. Statistics on asylum claims throughout the EU are significant. In 2014, almost four in every five asylum-seekers in the EU-28 were under 35 years of age (79%). Those aged 18-34 made up just over half of the total number of applicants (54%), while minors under the age of 18 accounted for just over one quarter (or 26%). In 2014, more than 23 000 unaccompanied minors (UaMs) requested asylum in one of the EU-28 countries (Eurostat 2015).