In 2015, the great wave of refugees hit Norway. Over 5,000 unaccompanied asylum children applied for protection in the country. Since then, the number has decreased. In 2019, there were 135 single asylum seekers under the age of 18. But now it’s turning around. Last year the number rose: 694 unaccompanied children and young people applied for protection in Norway. These were mainly from Afghanistan and Syria. In January this year, a further 51 arrived. The Directorate of Immigration (UDI) estimates that 1,200 unaccompanied children and young people will come to the country during the next year. 400 of them from Ukraine. UDI believes they have the capacity to manage this, but that the young people will stay longer in reception. This worries Sissel Aarak, general secretary of SOS Children’s Villages. Secretary General of SOS Children’s Villages, Sissel Aarak. Photo: SOS Children’s Villages – We are particularly concerned about the safety, health and psychosocial conditions of the children, says Aarak. She fears that increased numbers of arrivals and longer stays in reception will contribute to children disappearing and being exploited in human trafficking, prostitution and forced labour. news and the Center for Investigative Journalism (SUJO) have previously revealed that 432 asylum children have disappeared in the past eight years, and are still listed as missing. The youngest child was five years old. The mapping shows that the children rarely become easily active after they disappear. Photo: Ronald Hole Fossåskaret – It is easy to pick up these vulnerable children when no one is looking and no one looks after them, says Aarak. Demands that all children be subject to the care of child welfare agencies The Liberals share the concern of SOS Children’s Villages and have now submitted a proposal to the Storting. – It is high time to not only question why missing unaccompanied minor asylum seekers are not searched for, but also why these children disappear, says Ingvild Wetrhus Thorsvik, parliamentary representative for the Liberal Party. Storting representative Ingvild Wetrhus Thorsvik (V) Photo: Baard Salvesen / Venstre Wetrhus Thorsvik believes that all children must come under the care of the child protection agency, including those between 15-18 years of age who are now living in an asylum reception center and are the responsibility of the UDI. – If we take better care of these children than we do today, we will hopefully be able to prevent so many children from disappearing, says Wetrhus Thorsvik. The proposal for the Liberal Party and SOS Children’s Villages Together with SOS Children’s Villages, the Liberal Party has now prepared a proposal for the Storting on how best possible to improve the living and living conditions for unaccompanied minor asylum seekers: Responsibility for unaccompanied minor asylum seekers between the ages of 15 and 18 is to be transferred from the UDI to child protection . The children are to be quickly resettled in the municipalities instead of remaining in asylum reception for a long time. The children must receive the health care they need and are entitled to. Many of these children need trauma treatment or other psychiatric treatment. The police must have a duty to investigate cases of missing children from asylum centers and care centres. UDI states that they set a number of requirements for the operation of receptions for unaccompanied minors. – Safety and security have the highest priority and all receptions for unaccompanied minors have access control. It is nevertheless indicated that it is voluntary to live in reception, says Gro Anna Persheim from UDI to news. Read the rest of the response to UDI at the bottom of the case. The Minister of Justice will not change the current practice Several parties have previously advocated that child protection must take over the care of those between 15-18 years of age. Just before Christmas, Storting representative Lan Marie Berg (MDG) wrote a statement about “the children with the sulfur sticks”, and in January Grønn Ungdom Vestland followed up with “the children who went missing” Minister of Justice Emilie Mehl (Sp) Photo: Silje Rognsvåg / news Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) stated in January that she sees the dichotomy between UDI and child protection as a good thing. She therefore did not want to initiate change. From 2022, the state administrator will carry out independent supervision of the receptions. Not enough money to carry out inspections Recently, news told that an inspection at an asylum reception for unaccompanied minors revealed threatening behavior from staff, pushing and scaring children. Now the National Health Inspectorate warns that there are not enough resources to supervise the offer to unaccompanied minor asylum seekers, as required by law, the Alting reports. The Ministry of Justice informs news that they are assessing the Norwegian Health Authority’s need for more resources, but that this may have to happen during the next budget process. Response from UDI Head of Department at UDI, Gro Anna Persheim, writes the following in an email to news: Receptions are staffed 24 hours a day and there is a requirement that at least four full-time staff should be staffed by people with formal children’s expertise. The employees are followed up by the UDI on a daily basis and they receive training and guidance from both the operating operator and the UDI. UDI, in collaboration with RVTS Sør, provides training in trauma-aware and relationship-based care work to all staff at reception for unaccompanied minors. A separate guide on this has also been prepared, which is available to all employees. The UDI carries out two checks of the reception centers annually, a care check and an administrative check. During the care check, UDI has a conversation with several residents. The children can report any unfortunate circumstances at the reception at any time, either directly to the UDI or via their representative. In addition, an independent supervision scheme has been established under the auspices of the state administrator for the care of unaccompanied minors in asylum reception. The state administrator supervises whether the care is in line with regulations on the care of unaccompanied minors in asylum reception. UDI sets a number of requirements for the operation of receptions for unaccompanied minors. Among other things, we require that individual plans are made for each child and that each child must have a special contact. Reception staff are obliged to follow up children who have concerns, questions and whether they are ill. Reception staff and the child’s representative follow up contact with school and leisure activities, among other things. Safety and security have the highest priority and all receptions for unaccompanied minors have access control. However, it is pointed out that living in reception is voluntary. UDI requires the reception centers to conduct dialogue groups on violence. This is an initiative developed by Alternative to violence. A number of concrete routines and guidance materials have also been drawn up which describe how reception staff should handle various situations such as suspicion of human trafficking, abuse, disappearances etc.
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Concerned about sharp increase in unaccompanied asylum children – news Vestland
