In February this year, what was then called the State Administrator in Oslo and Viken carried out a notified inspection at the Heimly temporary asylum reception center for unaccompanied minors in Senja municipality. Both the staff, the reception manager and 13 of the 15 young people at the reception were interviewed. During the inspection, it emerged that the reception had neither a good enough system nor practice to take care of the work with mapping and the children’s action plans. – It is important to remember that these are children who do not have their parents with them. When you see that these children do not get the mapping they need, it is worrying, says senior adviser Camilla Kayed in the Norwegian Health Authority. Senior adviser Camilla Kayed says it is important to find out what needs the unaccompanied children in asylum reception have. Photo: The Norwegian State’s Health Inspectorate news has previously told about inspections elsewhere in the country, and how the number of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers has risen sharply, while money to carry out inspections has not followed suit. Children under the age of 15 who come to Norway alone are taken care of by child protection, while those over 15 are placed in asylum reception. A plan for each child Mapping each individual child in reception is important in order to get to know them, and find out what their needs are. It can be anything from treatment for trauma to the need for help waking up to get to school in the morning. A plan must be drawn up with very concrete measures. On paper, it looked fine at the reception, which is run by Aurora care in Finnsnes. But in practice the system it was designed for did not work. During the inspection, it emerged that the employees were unsure of what the guidelines were and how they should be followed. And half of the residents did not even know that they had a primary contact at the reception. Didn’t know of any plan The State Administrator in Oslo and Viken carries out inspections at Norwegian asylum reception centers for unaccompanied minor asylum seekers on behalf of the State Health Inspectorate. In the report from Finnsnes, emphasis is placed on the fact that the care plan for the reception was not actively used. It was neither updated nor adapted to the individual young person. 13 of the 15 children who lived at the reception took part during the inspection. Only two of them were aware that they had their own plan with goals and measures. – Furthermore, only a few knew who their primary contact was. This is worrying and entails a risk that the young people’s right to information and participation in important issues that concern them will not be adequately safeguarded, the State Administrator writes in the report. Department manager for reception and return in the Directorate of Immigration, UDI, Gro Anna Persheim. Photo: Ronald Hole Fossåskaret / news – We must comply with the regulations In the State Administrator’s report, the operator and UDI are asked to draw up a joint plan for how they will remedy the shortcomings that were pointed out. Rebekka Stangeland is general manager at Aurora Omsorg. She tells news that the necessary processes and measures have been implemented. – The work involves all employees in the reception and is ensured by our quality manager and other management in the operation. We have made a good start and will meet the deadline that the state administrator has given us to close breaches, she says. Gro Anna Persheim is subject manager for reception and return at UDI. – We must comply with the regulations. It is very important that the information you get about the young people is used, so that we ensure that they get the best possible experience. According to Persheim, the clean-up plan means that the employees receive better training in why and how to do the mapping correctly, and also document that it has been done. State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness, Even Eriksen Photo: Lars Os Lack of money Senior advisor Camilla Kayed in the National Health Inspectorate says the mistakes that were uncovered at Finnsnes are repeated in several other places where there have been inspections. The challenge is that the supervision scheme, which came in 2022, is only designed for 30 single young people living in asylum reception. – Now there are more than 500 unaccompanied minors living in Norway, spread over around 60 receptions, but we have not received money to carry out more supervision, she says. State Secretary Even Eriksen (Ap) in the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness nevertheless says in a statement to news that the government is concerned that these young people should be well when they live in reception. – The fact that objectionable conditions are uncovered shows that the supervisory system is working, he says. He further says that supervisory activities are an important tool for uncovering any errors and shortcomings, and enables the UDI to work to follow up the operators so that they look after the care of unaccompanied minors in asylum reception. – Due to the tight budget and necessary priorities, no increased resources have been set aside for supervision in 2024 and the State Administrator must adapt the supervision activity to the current budget framework. According to Eriksen, the government is interested in looking at improvement measures and will consider setting even stricter requirements for staffing, children’s expertise and strengthening the supervision system, so that any deviations are caught and rectified. Published 08/08/2024, at 05.28
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Constantly uncovering offenses at asylum reception centers, but lacking money for more inspections – news Troms and Finnmark
