Waiting in the Austrian asylum system: Asylum-seeking children in a phase of liminality

This article sheds light on the waiting period experienced by asylum-seeking children in Austria. The article argues that this period can be defined as a ‘phase of liminality’ in which ‘precarity’ of asylum seekers is produced. The article analyses how children experience institutional settings that produce precarity in relation to their well-being. The aim is to contribute to a sound understanding of children's experiences while waiting for an asylum decision and to a child-centred perspective on children that focuses on their needs, wishes and agency. The article draws on 27 interviews with asylum-seeking children living in a basic services accommodation in Vienna, conducted in 2020 and 2021. The findings demonstrate the importance of listening to asylum-seeking children to support their well-being during this phase of liminality and implementing child-centred asylum policies that are responsive to children's well-being.