Unaccompanied Refugee Children and their Motivation for Education: A Case Study of Young boys’ in Sweden

According to the United Nations (UN), unaccompanied young refugee boys are children or adolescents under the age of 18, who seek or have been granted asylum in a country where their parents or guardians are not present. Taking a case of Sweden, this study sought to investigate the unaccompanied refugee young boys’’ motivation to further their education. The study employed qualitative methods of research, particularly in-depth interviews to understand the phenomenon under study. Data collected was transcribed and analyzed thematically according to the ‘Maslow Hierarchy of Needs’ and ‘Self-determination’ theories, upon which the study adopted. The results of the study showed that, for young refugee boys to be self-sufficient and integrated into Swedish society, language skills were one of the most important requirements. It was also highlighted that social contacts in a new country are of great importance for integration. Such social networks would help these young refugee boys’ to participate in societal activities, for instance attending school or community activities. The study notes that failure of the young refugee boys to get integrated into the Swedish society can lead to problems like increased risk for criminal behavior and unemploymen