Voices of young refugees : exploring their understandings and experiences of wellbeing in Malta

Abstract

Since 2002, Malta has witnessed the arrival of asylum seekers, the vast majority are young people. Young refugees embark on dangerous journeys crossing the Mediterranean Sea in the hope of finding safety, stability and a sense of wellbeing. To this end, the purpose of this research is to explore young refugees' understandings and experiences of wellbeing in Malta. Adopting a qualitative approach, individual face-to-face in-depth interviews were held with six young beneficiaries of international protection living in Malta. Whilst highlighting the unique experiences of each individual, the findings suggest that young refugees' wellbeing is experienced across a number of key thematic areas, namely freedom, security, independence, identity, relationships and belonging. The study demonstrates that young refugees relate their experiences of wellbeing through the concept of time: different temporal stages of their journey influencing their sense of wellbeing today and also hopes for the future. The study concludes with recommendations for policy makers and youth work practice.