*Article* **Crossing Countries and Crossing Ages: The Difficult Transition to Adulthood of Unaccompanied Migrant Care Leavers**

**Federica Gullo \* , Laura García-Alba , Amaia Bravo and Jorge F. del Valle**

Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, 33003 Oviedo, Spain; garciaalblaura@uniovi.es (L.G.-A.); amaiabravo@uniovi.es (A.B.); jvalle@uniovi.es (J.F.d.V.)

**\*** Correspondence: gullofederica@uniovi.es

**Abstract:** The social changes experienced in many countries have prolonged the transition to adult life for young people. That being said, those who leave child care cannot afford this privilege, in that they do not benefit from the same support and resources, having to confront an accelerated transition which exposes them to increased risk of negative outcomes and social exclusion. Moreover, this transition might be even riskier for unaccompanied migrant care leavers, who are four times as vulnerable, given their status as young people in care, as adolescents, as migrants and being unaccompanied. This paper seeks to explore the profiles, needs, and experiences of unaccompanied young migrants in comparison with other care leavers. Data were collected by means of a semistructured interview to explore their pre-care, in-care, and aftercare experiences. A highly specific profile of unaccompanied young migrants has been revealed that differs from the other care leavers in terms of worse educational, occupational, and economic outcomes, limited support networks, and more obstacles to accessing aftercare supports. Conversely, they also exhibited some strengths, such as having less pre-care, in care, and aftercare traumatic experiences, less psychological distress and fewer risky behaviors compared with other care leavers.

**Keywords:** unaccompanied migrant young people; transition to adulthood; leaving care; child welfare; aftercare support; migration; special migrants' populations
