This study is the result of a research project entitled “Education and Transition to Employment for Unaccompanied Refugees Aged 16 -18 in Greece: Educational Pathways, Institutional Frameworks, and Transition Challenges”, which was carried out in the context of postgraduate studies in the Department of “Language Education for Refugees and Migrants – LRM”, of the Hellenic Open University. It discusses the relationship between access to education, legal employment and child protection for unaccompanied refugee minors aged 16-18 in Greece. The aim of the study is to map and highlight the legal provisions and the actual exercise of these rights in the transition to adulthood, autonomy and employment.

It highlights the contemporary civic turn and the relocation of membership from state responsibility to a site of negotiation, where belonging must be continually demonstrated through economic self-reliance, linguistic conformity, and personal independence. Although the legislative background through international, European and national institutional conventions, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the recent Law 5307/2026 of the new Pact on Migration and Asylum, are identified to theoretically enshrine protection, in their practical implementation serious dysfunctions are identified.

The research was conducted through a qualitative approach using the case study method, with residence in Thessaloniki during the research and experiential background from the wider domestic Greece. The sample included 6 unaccompanied minors, 2 former unaccompanied minors and 8 field professionals of different specialties. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the method of thematic analysis and compared in the discussion with the analysis of official documents and laws.

The findings that emerged were, firstly, the importance of learning and mastering the Greek language to achieve integration. In addition, the usual selection of vocational schools for technical training and direct links with vocational absorption. As regards school dropout, the reasons were identified as language barriers, delays in setting up reception classes, geographical isolation, frequent movements of minors, and the refusal of some school units to cooperate. Another major reason is the pressing need to earn a living, as well as the obligation to send money to families, often pushing minors into the channels of informal work. They are therefore directly exposed to exploitation conditions and, despite the existence of a legal framework (N. 5307/2026, Presidential Decree 62/1998), is considered bureaucratic, time-consuming and overly protective, leaving no room for maneuvering.

The resulting administrative obstacles, as well as the role that guardians ultimately appear to play in the lives of unaccompanied minors, intensify the already vague scope for action. Finally, adolescence is highlighted as a violent and stressful transition, as young people automatically lose all protective and supportive mechanisms, facing the spectrum of homelessness, possible arrest and eventually deportation in cases of second-degree asylum rejection. The few youth support programs such as Helios Junior have closed prematurely, while the admission criteria are strict, leading to automatic exclusion for several young people. Semi-Independent Living Supervised Apartments (SIL) are recognized as the best practice for preparing unaccompanied minors aged 16 and over.

In conclusion, the research shows that the effective integration of unaccompanied minors cannot rely solely on their individual resilience or on the goodwill and voluntary support of professionals in the field. The proposals put forward concern the institutional link between education and the labor market, the simplification of administrative procedures, legal stability and the extension of the protection threshold until the age of 21 or 23, so that the transition to autonomy can take place in conditions of safety and dignity.