Menores migrantes "care leavers": recorridos de inclusión entre educación y profesionalización a la frontera sur de Italia

Unaccompanied foreign minors (UAMS) are currently a stable component of migratory flows towards Europe, including Italy and especially Sicily which, due to its geographical location, represents one of the main gateways. However, the reception system often appears uneven and unresponsive to the needs of these young protagonists of migration, especially during the transition to adulthood, when they become so-called care leavers. This contribution reports some significant returns of a field study, conducted with a mixed methods approach with a greater emphasis on the qualitative approach, which had as protagonists the MSNA themselves, some young migrants who have come of age, teachers, educators and social workers and some companies, in the Agrigento area. Starting from an in-depth study of the role played by certain protection factors relating to the micro, meso and macro social spheres that characterise the universe of young migrants and how these factors, interacting with each other, can generate virtuous trajectories of social inclusion and an increase in social capital, with inevitable benefits not only for the young migrants, but also for the host society.