Refugee and displaced children

There is a large and disparate range of reading available on the subject of refugee and displaced children. This is reflective of the subject matter. The category “refugee and displaced children” includes children who have been granted refugee status by receiving societies, those applying for refugee status (asylum-seeking children), and those who are reasonably considered to be forced migrants but who have not yet made an application for asylum. It also includes children who have not crossed any international borders but have had to leave their homes owing to external dangers. This is the category of children who are internally displaced, often referred to as the population of IDPs, or internally displaced persons. The category may be broadened still further by incorporating children who may be stateless or undocumented and have not entered the asylum process. Refugee and displaced children are present throughout the world, and there is literature that is specific to particular countries and regions. This includes a mass of “gray literature,” including reports commissioned by governments and regional authorities that are aimed at developing a profile of refugee and displaced children including the actual and potential needs and demands they may have regarding government services. A further salient issue is the interdisciplinary nature of the subject area. Important contributions have come from a range of fields, such as social policy, sociology, anthropology, history, psychology, psychiatry, and social work.