Over the last decade, as a result of increased conflict and humanitarian crises, many European countries have experienced considerable inward flows of ethnically, religiously, and linguistically diverse asylum-seekers. According to the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (2023), a third of all those seeking asylum in European countries in 2021 were children. In 2023, 41, 000 applications for asylum were lodged by asylum-seeking children across EU+ countries representing the highest record since the 2015 Syrian refugee crisis (EUAA, 2024). One in six of all applicants for asylum under the age of 18 were unaccompanied with females representing just 7% of all applicants in EU+ countries (EUAA, 2023). To gain a greater understanding of the experiences of asylum-seeking minors navigating the post-primary educational system in Ireland, semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen young people from asylum-seeking and refugee backgrounds. It places particular emphasis on the experiences of unaccompanied refugee girls who, it is argued by Aleghfeli & Hunt (2022) are often at greater risk of lower educational attainment outcomes and who are an underrepresented group in research and policy approaches to diversity. The findings suggest that schools in Ireland are mostly experienced as sites of care where young people are supported in a variety of ways to develop English language proficiency and attain qualifications that support integration. Importantly, teacher practices and peer connections were the key experiences that contribute to a sense of inclusion and belonging. However, despite these positive aspects, the analysis also revealed evidence of both interpersonal and structural racism, particularly along religious lines. These findings suggest the need for more robust training for teachers, at both pre-service and in-service levels. Furthermore, these findings question the absence of a national policy on religious expression in schools. Engaging with these issues through policy development and professional training could improve the educational experiences of asylum-seeking and refugee students in Ireland. In investigating the experiences of those who entered school at a time when linguistic and psycho-social well-being in schools was high on the agenda, the paper advances our understanding of acculturation experiences within this context and seeks to provide important insights for those interested in developing and promoting education policy and practice that provide explicit attention to asylum-seekers to not only fulfil their right to education but find ways to realise their full potential.

Aleghfeli, Y. K., & Hunt, L. (2022). Education of unaccompanied refugee minors in high-income countries: Risk and resilience factors. Educational Research Review, 35, 100433. ECRE (2023). The Right to Education for Asylum Seekers in The EU: Policy Note #44 —2023 [Review Of The Right To Education For Asylum Seekers In The Eu: Policy Note #44 —2023]. In Www.Ecre.Org. European Council on Refugees and Exiles. EUAA (2023) Asylum Report 2023 European Union Agency for Asylum. https://euaa.europa.eu/asylum-report-2023/561-data-unaccompanied-minors EUAA (2024) Asylum Report 2024 European Union Agency for Asylum. https://euaa.europa.eu/asylum-report-2024/461-data-unaccompanied-minors