Educational integration for refugee children: Building an inclusive Europe

Refugees and asylum seekers who are children are particularly vulnerable and marginalised. An overwhelming majority will experience significant psychological and emotional trauma. In this paper, we examine the importance of education in enabling refugee children to reach their maximum potential. Providing tailored educational support when they are young offers the greatest hope that refugee children can thrive. A range of educational policies and supports for refugee and asylum seeker pupils and their educators have been employed in various European countries. Whilst these are very welcome, there are some notable gaps in terms of provision and research analysis. For example, in each instance, current supports are broad in emphasis and do not cater specifically for the needs of young children who are refugees or asylum seekers. The reviewed literature suggests a dearth of studies aiming to test the efficiency and efficacy of existing educational practices and support towards children in asylum seeker or refugee provision. Related to this, research focused on the needs and experiences of young migrant pupils has, thus far, been conducted only at local and national levels. Comparative studies and reviews are required to assess the efficacy of current global support, to highlight gaps in provision, and, more importantly, to enable EU countries to work collectively to address the migrant crisis and provide effective educational support for refugees and asylum seekers. To address these gaps in knowledge, a comparative review has been conducted of the policies and supports that are currently employed in three European countries that have a high intake of refugee children: Ireland, Malta and Lithuania. Based on this review, recommendations are made with respect to how policies and supports may be integrated at the EU level and with respect to future research that is necessary to better support young pupils who are refugees or asylum seekers.