Makes observations based on both research and anecdotal evidence about the personal experiences and feelings of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in Canada. Study participants were a handful of separated 15- to 19-year-old young people as well as key informants, usually social workers providing care and guidance to the youth. Four accounts focus on the reasons the young people left their countries and the reception they received in Canada and highlight common elements such as expectations of a better life, sometimes in tandem with flight from political persecution; uncertainty and frustration engendered by protracted legal proceedings involving application for refugee status; fear of deportation; hostility encountered during initial meetings with immigration officials; confusion and fear associated with immigration hearings; physical and mental problems as a result of trauma and stress; lack of access to schooling; and inappropriate, unsafe, or frequently changing housing situations. The storiesdemonstrate the need to reevaluate the treatment of separated children both in legislation and in practice.
