The issue of unaccompanied foreign minors has become increasingly more important and visible in Italy, also due to the increase of this phenomenon in recent years. This study, one of the first of its kind in Italy, focuses on the case histories of former foreign minors who received assistance from the local services of the Autonomous Province of Trento. The findings show that minors are encouraged to emigrate as a result of a combination of factors, chief among which is the role played by the family and the perception of Italy as an affluent country where it is easy to make money.

Problems emerge when the minors come face to face with reality, with bureaucratic and community structures that provide assistance but also require the respect of rules, such as the obligation of training and education, which are not always accepted. The "trauma" caused by the minors' entry into the community is followed by a second trauma, i.e. that of having to leave the community when reaching their 18th year of age. This is the hardest moment because the former minor feels more alone, isolated and vulnerable, also from a financial standpoint. This is also the time when it is most likely that former minors may make the wrong choices.