Refugee children in Croatia: experience of arrival, adaptation to new living conditions and expectations for the future

Djeca izbjeglice odlaskom iz domovine i procesom migracije iz domovine do odredišne zemlje te za vrijeme boravka u zemlji migracije izložena su mnogim stresnim i traumatičnim događajima, odnosno rizičnim čimbenicima razvoja. Budući da pregled literature pokazuje da o djeci izbjeglicama u Hrvatskoj nedostaje podataka temeljenih na istraživanjima, ovim radom želio se dobiti bolji uvid u iskustvo dolaska djece izbjeglica u Hrvatsku, njihovu prilagodbu na nove uvjete života i njihova očekivanja od budućnosti. U svrhu istraživanja, provedeni su intervjui s 10-ero djece izbjeglica iz zemalja Bliskog istoka, učenika 1. – 8. razreda osnovne škole. Raspon dobi bio je od 8,5 do 16 godina. Tematskom analizom odgovora prikupljenih intervjuom izdvojeno je 14 podtema koje prikazuju i opisuju iskustvo djece izbjeglica prije i za vrijeme njihovog boravka u Hrvatskoj, kao i njihove potrebe i želje. Izdvojene podteme raspoređene su u tri šire kategorije – glavne teme: a) iskustvo dolaska i migracije, b) iskustvo života u Hrvatskoj i c) potrebe i želje za budućnost. Iskustvo dolaska i migracije sadrži tri podteme i opisuje iskustvo putovanja djece izbjeglica, boravak u drugim državama i iskustvo života u tim državama te prisilni odlazak iz država u kojima su boravili i dolazak u Hrvatsku. Iskustvo života u Hrvatskoj sadrži sedam podtema i opisuje iskustvo života djece izbjeglica u Hrvatskoj, iskustvo u školi, odnose s obitelji i prijateljima, život u prihvatilištu, slobodno vrijeme te kulturu i vjeru djece izbjeglica. Na kraju, tema Potrebe i želje za budućnost sadrži četiri podteme koje se odnose na želje i potrebe djece izbjeglica o tome što će raditi u budućnosti, mjestu gdje će živjeti, potrebi za sigurnosti i stabilnosti, kao i njihove poruke drugoj djeci izbjeglicama.Leaving the homeland, during the migration process from the homeland to the host country and staying in the country of migration, refugee children are exposed to many stressful and traumatic events as well as risk factors of development. Since the literature review shows lack of research – based data about refugee children in Croatia, the goal of this research was to gain a better insight into the experience of arrival of refugee children in Croatia, their adaptation to new living conditions and their expectations for the future. For the purpose of the research, interviews were conducted with 10 refugee children from the Middle East countries, pupils from the 1st to the 8th grade of the elementary school. The age range was 8.5 to 16 years. The thematic analysis of the responses collected by the interviews included 14 subtopics that show and describe the experience of refugee children before and during their stay in Croatia as well as their needs and wishes. The subthemes are divided into three broad categories – the main themes: a) experience of arrival and migration, b) experience of life in Croatia, and c) needs and wishes for the future. The experience of arrival and migration contains three subthemes and describes the travel experience of refugee children, stay in other countries and experience of life there, and forced departure from that countries and arrival in Croatia. The experience of life in Croatia contains seven subthemes and describes the experience of life of refugee children in Croatia, school experience, family and friends’ relationships, life in the shelter, free time, culture and the faith of refugee children. Finally, the theme Needs and wishes for the future contains four subthemes that relate to the desires and needs of refugee children on what they want to do in the future, where they will live, the need for security and stability, as well as their messages to other refugee children