Configuration of Care within a Shelter for Unaccompanied Foreign Minors in Cyprus

This Master's thesis examines how humanitarian workers construct and negotiate their understanding and practices of care within a shelter for unaccompanied foreign minors in Nicosia, Cyprus. The present work originated from my internship experience in a shelter run by the non-governmental organization Hope For Children - CRC Policy Center. The theoretical framework within which this research is developed is the interactionist perspective (Salvini), intertwining postcolonial and decolonial studies (Quijano, Mignolo & Maldonado-Torres) with feminist ethics of care (Tronto & Gilligan). Existing literature has critically discussed the decolonization of humanitarian aid at theoretical and policy levels but has rarely explored how these dynamics manifest in everyday care practices and micro-level relationships. To address this gap, the research is guided by the central question: How do humanitarian workers working in a reception center (shelter) for unaccompanied minors in Cyprus construct and reflect on their role, on the representation of the children and their needs, and on their own care practices? Accordingly, it aims to explore (1) how workers configure their own role, (2) how they represent the children, (3) how they identify and interpret the children’s needs, and (4) how they define and practice care in their daily work. To investigate these dimensions, the study adopts a mixed-method qualitative design, combining semi-structured interviews with twenty-one humanitarian workers and participant observation conducted over five months in the field. The interviews were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis, triangulated with participant observation and field notes, to provide understanding of how micro-level care practices are enacted within the reception center. This work highlighted how coloniality could operate through daily interactions, language choices, and decision-making processes and how care is never neutral but it is co-created through interactions among individuals, institutional practices, and broader social and legal frameworks. The research reflects on how the narratives and practices of aid workers can reveal identities as “rescuers” or saviours (Cole, 2012) and how these dynamics can unintentionally replicate hierarchical and paternalistic structures. Concluding with a discussion on theoretical and practical implications, considering research limitation and suggesting future research perspectives.