The views of social service providers on the social support available to immigrant and refugee children: a human rights perspective

Date
2024-03
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Migration is a growing phenomenon and there is also an increase in children that migrate. This increase has captured the need to ensure understanding of the social support available to migrant children within the host country. South Africa has become the most popular destination hub for migrant populations on the African continent. Immigrant and refugee groups in particular have been identified to travel from all over the world, probed by pull and push factors that include wars, poverty, violence, violations of human rights, as well as the need to seek greater social and economic opportunities. The social support available to immigrant and refugee children within a host country such as south Africa is vaguely researched. Moreso there is a greater dearth of study on the views of social service providers on the social support available to these children. Accordingly, this study aimed at gaining a better understanding of the needs and circumstances of immigrant and refugee children, as well as to explore the social support available to them within the Western Cape, South Africa. In terms of the research methodology, the study adopted the qualitative research approach. This approach enabled the researcher to capture the social service providers views and experiences of the social support available to immigrant and refugee children. In combination, exploratory and descriptive research designs were utilised. These designs were utilised as a way to capture the in-depth narratives of the participants. Accordingly, fifteen social service providers who have experience with these children in practice were interviewed in the study. Permission was acquired from organisations around the Western Cape, South Africa and informed consent was acquired from the participants to conduct this study. Thereafter, semi-structured interviews were conducted via online platforms such as Microsoft teams, skype and zoom, as well as telephonically. The data gathered from the interviews was analysed through thematic analysis, with considerations made on the theoretical underpinnings of the human rights perspective and the ecological perspective. The findings of this study concluded that immigrant and refugee children in South Africa existed in precarious situations that made the need for social support of paramount importance. It was also brought to light that traditional social support systems such as family were less involved in supporting these children, although these systems were identified as playing crucial roles in their development. Other support systems such as welfare organisations and social service providers who take on humanitarian roles in providing support to these children were identified as being more involved in addressing their needs. Moreover, further findings concluded that efforts to amend legislation and policy frameworks had been made within South Africa in order to accommodate the complex nature and experiences of these children. However, it was concluded that there was a need to address and ensure the execution and application of these frameworks for service providers identified the gaps that increased ambiguity in addressing the human rights of these children.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Migrasie is 'n groeiende verskynsel, en daar is ook ʼn toename in kinders wat migreer. Hierdie toename het die noodsaaklikheid om begrip van die sosiale ondersteuning wat vir kinders wat migreer binne die gasheerland beskikbaar is, in die kollig geplaas. Suid-Afrika het die gewildste bestemmingspunt vir migrerende bevolkings op die Afrika-kontinent geword. Immigrasie- en vlugtelinggroepe in besonder word geïdentifiseer as reisigers van oraloor terwille van lok- en drukfaktore wat oorloë, armoede, geweld, skending van menseregte insluit, asook die behoefte om groter sosiale en ekonomiese geleenthede te soek. Daar is weinig navorsing gedoen oor die sosiale ondersteuning wat vir immigrasie- en vlugtelingkinders binne 'n gasheerland soos Suid-Afrika beskikbaar is. Verder is daar 'n tekort aan studies oor die sienings van maatskaplike diensverskaffers rakende die sosiale ondersteuning wat vir hierdie kinders beskikbaar is. Gevolglik het hierdie studie ten doel gehad om die behoeftes en omstandighede van immigrasie- en vlugtelingkinders beter te begryp, asook om die sosiale ondersteuning wat vir hulle binne die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika, beskikbaar is te eksploreer. Met betrekking tot die navorsingsmetodologie het die studie ʼn kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering benut. Hierdie benadering het die navorser in staat gestel om die sienings en ervarings van maatskaplike diensverskaffers rakende die sosiale ondersteuning wat vir immigrasie- en vlugtelingkinders beskikbaar is, te bepaal. 'n Kombinasie van verkennende en beskrywende navorsingsontwerpe is gebruik. Hierdie ontwerpe is gebruik om die in-diepte narratiewe van die deelnemers vas te lê. Dienooreenkomstig is daar onderhoude gevoer met vyftien maatskaplike diensverskaffers wat ervaring met hierdie kinders in praktyk het. Toestemming is verkry van organisasies in die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika, en ingeligte toestemming is van die deelnemers verkry voor die studie uitgevoer is. Daarna is semigestruktureerde onderhoude uitgevoer via aanlyn platforms soos Microsoft Teams, Skype en Zoom, asook telefoniese onderhoude. Die data wat uit die onderhoude ingesamel is, is geanaliseer deur middel van tematiese analise, met inagneming van die teoretiese grondslae van die menseregteperspektief en die ekologiese perspektief. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie het tot die slotsom gekom dat immigrasie- en vlugtelingkinders in Suid-Afrika in onsekere omstandighede leef wat die behoefte aan sosiale ondersteuning van die uiterste belang maak. Daar is ook aan die lig gebring dat tradisionele sosiale ondersteuningsisteme soos gesinne minder betrokke is in die ondersteuning van hierdie kinders, alhoewel hierdie sisteme geïdentifiseer is as van kritieke belang vir hul ontwikkeling. Ander ondersteuningstelsels soos welsynsorganisasies en maatskaplike diensverskaffers wat 'n humanitêre rol in die ondersteuning van hierdie kinders aanvaar, is geïdentifiseer as meer betrokke by die aanspreek van hulle behoeftes. Verder het die bevindinge tot die gevolgtrekking gelei dat daar in Suid-Afrika pogings aangewend is om wetgewing en beleidsraamwerke te wysig om die komplekse aard en ervarings van hierdie kinders te akkommodeer. Tog is tot die slotsom gekom dat daar 'n behoefte is om hierdie raamwerke aan te spreek en te verseker dat hulle uitgevoer en toegepas word, want diensverskaffers het leemtes geïdentifiseer wat tot verhoogde dubbelsinnigheid in die aanspreek van die menseregte van hierdie kinders gelei het.
Description
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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