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Every child who participated in this research recounted being subjected to physical, psychological, sexual or other types of violence, directly or indirectly. This violence occurred in their country of origin, during their journey, when crossing borders, in reception, asylum and detention centres, in squats, in the street and in the workplace.

The research was conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, key transit countries on the threshold of the European Union and on the way to Western Europe. It is based on in-depth interviews with 48 children aged between 13 and 19 years old. This report also draws on focus group discussions with 27 professionals in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, mostly field workers who had extensive experience working with refugee and migrant children, and an extensive literature review. The findings of this research were analyzed thematically and interpreted within several keys: using ecological systems theory, an approach based on the rights of the child, and on trauma and resilience-based knowledge.

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The study ”Struggling to Survive” identifies and deepens the understanding of informal practices used and experiences of unaccompanied and separated migrant children during the course of their migration journey. Refugees and migrants, including unaccompanied and separated children, are often forced to rely on “informal practices”, i.e. survival strategies that go beyond the domain of formalized relations. These are non-institutional, every-day actions needed in order to protect themselves from hazards and potential abuse and to meet their needs, organize border-crossing, find accommodation, transport, food, and relevant information.

The data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with unaccompanied and separated children in Serbia, focusing on the organization of the journey, key supporters and facilitators – “the network”, as well as on gaining an insight into