I arrived in the new country alone, without my parents and my family. In the residential care facility where I was living they told me about someone called “the guardian”, a person who helps children who arrive alone as long as they are under 18 years old. At the beginning I didn’t understand well who this person was and, despite the fact that it took some time, I finally got a guardian. I understood that he would have helped me at defending my rights and my interests. Actually this person became my first referent. We became friends, sometimes we ate together and visited the city. Instead, it took very long for some of my friends to get a guardian and some others didn’t even know about the existence of such a figure, so this lack of support brought them some problems.
When I arrived, many different persons introduced to me to deal with my situation: social workers, lawyers, police officers, psychologists immigration official, guardian, the caretakers in the house where I lived, the teacher, doctor. I knew that all of them could play a role in relation to my new situation but I didn’t get precisely how they could help and which were their functions. When I finally understood their specific role it became much easier to relate with them in a useful way. They helped me in particular at resolving practical issues for example with regard to the acquisition of documents. With some of them, I established trustworthy and protective relationships. I have seen the importance of having relationships with different people who could support me in case someone tries to take advantage of me.
Since my arrival I have been asked several times to tell my own story and experience during application procedures and bureaucracy-related issues in order to obtain documents such as a residence permit and health card or special protection. In such circumstances I often didn’t feel well because I had to go through difficult and sad memories that made me suffer, and in some occasions I didn’t feel like telling personal things to strangers. However, I was aware that explaining properly my story would be useful to receive protection, that’s why I asked a trusted person among my acquaintances to help me with the description of my story.
Upon arrival, I felt from the beginning the necessity to talk with my family, to tell them that I had arrived safely and sound, and tell them about my new situation in order to get their advice and also some indications. I therefore asked the social workers from the residential facility where I was hosted if I could get in contact with my parents through phone or Skype. Talking with them reassured me a lot and represented also a very important step for being able to begin a new phase of my adventure. From then on, I often speak with my family and sometimes even my favourite social worker joints the call and talks to my parents.
I was told by the professionals from the residential care facility that in some specific cases children have the right to special protection. For example, some of my friends were refugees and according with the Geneva Convention they were entitled to special protection measures. Some other youngsters who have experienced very bad things at home or on their way told about what they have been through and got special protection. Knowing this and accessing special protection was very important for them to have their rights recognized and to be more protected from any form of violence, abuse or trafficking.
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