What determines whether an unaccompanied young migrant can access employment in Spain? A new study identifies that their socio-occupational integration is conditioned by multiple interrelated barriers such as language, access to training, employment, housing, legal status, social networks and mental health.
Furthermore, the work points to limitations in support systems. “Existing services have a generalist approach and many young people do not meet the access requirements, and there is no specific policy for the transition after the age of 18. This moment represents a critical point, as leaving the protection system, together with the lack of reception resources, increases the risk of residential instability, exclusion and access to precarious livelihoods,” explains one of the authors, the researcher from the Department of Principles of Economic Analysis at the University of Alicante (UA)
Teresa Molina-Millán.
To carry out this analysis, researchers from the University of Alicante and Cunef University, in alliance with Impact Social Change Lab, Save the Children’s social innovation laboratory, have conducted interviews and focus groups with young migrants and professionals from social organisations in the Canary Islands, Málaga and Barcelona
Main barriers
Regarding language, young people point out that available courses do not always adapt to different levels or practical needs, especially in territories where they must learn a second language.
In the area of education, many migrants prioritise entering the labour market as soon as possible, although there is a high interest in practical vocational training. However, they encounter administrative barriers to accessing these resources, such as registration of residency, language or age requirements.
Regarding labour integration, the study emphasises that access to formal employment is conditioned by legal status, lack of knowledge of recruitment processes and a lack of connection with companies and specific opportunities. In this sense, informal employment is frequent, sometimes under precarious or exploitative conditions.
Leaving the protection system upon turning 18 represents a critical moment, as institutional monitoring disappears alongside difficulties in accessing housing and situations of residential instability, squatting, overcrowding and homelessness. According to this study, although there is confusion about the requirements for accessing housing, it is known to be frequently conditioned on having a job and documentation: two unfeasible requirements for the majority of migrants.
These same difficulties related to documentation, legal and administrative processes and the lack of information also affect the transition towards employment and autonomy.
On the other hand, the authors of the report observe significant needs in mental health, linked to migratory experiences, uncertainty and living conditions, with limited access to specialised services and a high prevalence of anxiety, depression and trauma associated with the migratory process.
Among the proposals to resolve these issues, the study points to early administrative regularisation and language courses adapted to different levels. Overall, the analysis indicates that the most effective interventions are those that simultaneously address various dimensions of the integration process (education, employment, social support and psychological well-being). They recommend early, culturally sensitive and community-based interventions.
This research is the starting point for a line of work by Impact Social Change Lab, in collaboration with the University of Alicante and CUNEF, funded through the J-PAL network, the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, which fights poverty by ensuring that public policies are based on scientific evidence. Specifically, it serves as the basis for the development of a pilot programme to support the labour insertion of these young people, which is expected to be evaluated through a randomised controlled trial starting in 2027.