A new report by UNICEF Italy showed that the Covid pandemic slowed inclusion for young migrants but also highlighted their resilience in the face of challenge.
UNICEF presented a report Tuesday (November 23) titled "Suspended Paths: the psychosocial well-being of unaccompanied foreign minors and young migrants in Italy at the time of Covid-19." It reviews how the pandemic affected young migrants in Italy.
Inclusion slowed by Covid-19
The report showed that during the pandemic, the suspension and slowdown of inclusion and psychosocial support programmes created difficulties and concerns among unaccompanied foreign minors and young migrants in Italy.
However, the report also revealed that young people showed a great ability to adapt, which made it possible to manage the difficulties and mitigate the negative effects of isolation and the interruption of life plans.
Report shows young migrants' resilience
The survey, conducted between February and July 2021, collected the experiences of over 90 young men and women between the ages of 15 and 24, as well as reception facility operators and psychosocial support and mental health professionals working in Lombardy, Lazio, Calabria and Sicily.
"The Covid-19 pandemic has profoundly marked all of our lives," said Anna Riatti, UNICEF Italy interventions coordinator, in a statement. "The research shows the great capacity for resilience and the resources that young people are capable of, and guides us towards a possible, integrated and shared system of prevention and response," Riatti said.
UNICEF also stressed the need for strengthening basic psychosocial interventions; staff training to ensure the identification and management of at-risk cases; and the importance of offering attentive support for cultural and gender specific issues.