Child and immigrant groups join forces

CHILDREN’S rights and immigrant support groups will join forces today in a bid to raise concerns about planned legislation for refugees.

The care of children, their protection from traffickers and measures to stop them from going missing will all be raised by leading rights experts.

Action for Separated Children in Ireland — a group representing Barnardos, the Children’s Rights Alliance, the Irish Refugee Council and the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children — want changes made to the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill which is currently being debated at committee stage in the Oireachtas.

Fears of underage separated asylum seekers will be quoted by the support groups.

Charities want the bill to ensure protection and equitable treatment of those children as well as measures to prevent children going missing from care.

Jyothi Kanics, the Irish Refugee Council’s separated children’s officer, said underage refugees should not be put through a system designed for adults.

Currently, children must fill in the same forms as adults and Ms Kanics said a more considerate or friendly system was needed.

Furthermore, there was a need to make sure their best interests were considered by state services such as an offer if they wanted to trace their parents.

“They want equitable treatment, the same as Irish children in care,” said Ms Kanics.

“Often, they have no dedicated social worker and the security where they stay is insufficient.”

Support groups are also worried that there is no legislation in place requiring an adult with a child entering the state to show their responsibility for that child or measures in place for their care.

Often, the first point at which services become aware of an underage separated child’s identity is within the state and not at points of entry, like ports or airports.

NGOs and charities are also aware of cases were children who have gone missing from residential care have ended up in the hands of traffickers, added Ms Kanics.

Members of Action for Separated Children in Ireland are due to address the Oireachtas committee on justice today in a bid to drive through changes in the immigration bill.