Young Undocumented Migrants is a research project, commissioned by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and led by Professor Alice Bloch (Department of Sociology, City University) and Professor Roger Zetter (Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford), which explores and understands the lives and livelihoods of young undocumented migrants from their own perspectives.

The project team worked in partnership with a number of organisations involved with young undocumented migrants, including the Evelyn Oldfield Unit, as an advisory partner. These partnerships were crucial both to the success of the research project and in facilitating the wider capacity building and networking objectives that will enable organisations to work more effectively with young undocumented migrants – a key component of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation's Social Justice Programme, launched two years ago.

The research is based in three regions – London, North West and the Midlands, ensuring that metropolitan, urban and rural areas are included and allowing for an exploration of livelihoods in different types of employment sectors.

Sixty in-depth interviews and fifteen testimonies were carried out with young undocumented migrants, building up a picture of their social worlds and economic livelihoods in the UK and the ways in which their undocumented status impacts their life processes and life choices.

Young undocumented migrants from Zimbabwe, Brazil, China, Turkey (including Kurdish migrants) and Ukraine are included in the research. The five countries of origin capture diverse patterns, objectives and experiences, as well as recent and less recent migrants, facilitating a rich understanding of how experiences are shaped and choices are made by young people over time.

Download the project brief (English, Portuguese, Chinese, Turkish, Kurdish, Ukranian, Shona, Ndebele) in pdf