Children of refugee or migrant backgrounds express a sense of loss with regard to animals and find animals to be a safe haven following resettlementThis article reports on a thematic analysis of interviews conducted with children of migrant or refugee families who had resettled in Australia. The data was derived from a larger project focusing on the experiences of children of migrant or refugee backgrounds who participated in an English language program after arriving in Australia. The goal of the project was to identify factors that foster a sense of belonging in resettlement countries.
A total of 63 children (age 5-13) from 21 different countries were interviewed as a part of this project. Professional interpreters were used when necessary. Open-end questions used during the interviews addressed ethnic identity and belonging, peer relationships, discrimination, self-efficacy and other factors relating to a sense of well-being. No specific questions were asked about animal companions. Eight children, however, brought up animals as a reference point when talking about their country of origin and when talking about Australia. Based on this finding, an ad hoc analysis was conducted on the interview responses of these eight children.
Two animal-related themes were identified: migration and the loss of animals and animals as a source of strength and/or connection to Australia as the resettlement country. There were some differences between the children from refugee families and those from migrant families. Two children of refugee backgrounds talked about animals as a source of loss and did not speak about animals as a safe haven. The migrant children, on the other hand, talked about animals as a safe haven in Australia, especially when they could (1) return to their country of origin and see animal companions who had been left behind, (2) live with animal companions in Australia or (3) have opportunities to spend time with animals. The animals the children referred to include both animal companions and animals as a general category.
This research suggests that a loss of animals may interfere with the development of a sense of belonging for children in a resettlement country. The authors offer some related implications, including the idea of finding ways to include animal companions in migration plans. They also encourage a focus on animals’ needs in the context of migration.
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