The idea behind this project was originally formed in 2013 as I was already completing my postgraduate studies at Maastricht University. At the time, unaccompanied minors in Greece were facing particularly demanding living conditions, mainly due to the high numbers of migrant populations entering the country in an irregular manner. Therefore, as a young researcher, it wasn't long before I realised that it would be of vital importance to explore whether the rights of these children were protected adequately upon their arrival. This idea initially emerged as a simple thought and gradually became a socio-legal concept, which evolved into a structured research proposal and eventually into a doctoral candidacy.

Nevertheless, it never ceased to be an adventurous journey. And as such, it included particularly active days and sleepless nights filled with literature reviews, interview transcripts, methodological approaches and in-depth analyses of international, European and domestic regulations, almost always followed by pressing professional and personal responsibilities, which often led to fatigue and sometimes even to disappointment. However, despite the difficulties that were involved in the process, including the fact that this research was conducted entirely on a self-funded basis, one of the most crucial lessons that this journey has taught me is that it eventually all comes down to believing in yourself.

Hence, this book is nothing more or less than the result of hard work, dedication, commitment and sheer will to shed light on areas of study that had remained to this day highly under-researched. Most importantly though, it is my true and sincere effort to take the reader by the hand and help them see through my eyes as I share the reality that I witnessed as a field researcher in the migration context in Greece between the years 2016 and 2020.

In the course of this project, I travelled throughout the northern parts of the county innumerable times in order to visit detention facilities and reception centres for unaccompanied children that were located at the national borders. This allowed me to examine the procedures that migrant minors were subjected to upon irregular entry, both from a legal as well as an empirical point of view. Additionally, I spent nearly four years in refugee camps, where I conducted my research in safe zones and child-protection programmes, under particularly challenging conditions, alongside professionals working with vulnerable migrant populations.