I found this video earlier today that tells the story of Habib, an unaccompanied refugee minor from Afghanistan who now lives in Britain.
It reminds me of some of the young men I had the privilege of getting to know during the research for my master’s thesis.
Many have experienced great loss, risked everything, and faced many challenges since leaving their homelands. They arrive in Europe having invested a lot of their time, energy, and resources in getting here.
And when they arrive, they are eyed with suspicion by many in society. They are asked to prove their age. They are assumed to be the same as that one person from their country who was in the news for doing something bad.
They are over-represented in the mental healthcare system because of the trauma they have experienced at home, and during their travels.
And yet they persevere. They go to school, they work hard, they build new friendships, and they do their best to fit in.