Unpacking vulnerability among migrant minors in the EU: A case study of vulnerability among migrant minors in Spain

Abstract

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This article focuses on the study of the specific social vulnerability of migrant minors during their arrival and the corresponding integration processes in the host countries. The analysis focuses on identifying risks of social vulnerability using a conceptual framework based on the notion of social exclusion. Using a multidimensional, processual approach, the construction of vulnerability in households with migrant minors is analysed in comparison with households with non-migrant minors (in the EU, using Spain as a case study). Despite having an intermediate-level mean income, and despite economic development in the country, Spain has seen a re-emergence of child poverty that has had a significant impact on households with minors. The lack of targeted programmes and low levels of investment contributes to one in four minors living below the at-risk-of-poverty line. The economic crisis of 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic have worsened the situation, especially in households with migrant minors.