175 unaccompanied minors seek help

An unaccompanied minor was referred to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, almost every second day last year, according to latest figures.

There were 175 unaccompanied minors referred to Tusla last year, up from 97 in 2014.

Many wait years for clarity on their protection or immigration status.

A report from the ESRI found that most unaccompanied minors in Ireland do not have a clear protection or immigration status.

An ‘unaccompanied minor’ is a child under the age of 18 who arrives in Ireland without a parent or responsible adult.

There was a 39% increase in the number of unaccompanied minors referred to Tusla over the last two years — from 126 to 175.

The increase reflects the global rise in people seeking protection and Ireland’s commitment to accept minors as part of dedicated schemes.

However, the number of applications for international protection decreased from 34 in 2016 to 30 in 2017.

The study found that when unaccompanied minors turn 18 without status, they are often transferred from care to direct provision as asylum seekers.

Sarah Groarke, lead author of the ESRI report, said the system works very well for children who secure an immigration or protection status before their 18th birthday.

“However, the vast majority face numerous challenges when they leave the care of the State and go into direct provision without resolution of their status,” said Ms Groarke.

Tusla is responsible for making an application on behalf of unaccompanied minors but some social workers delay submitting applications for international protection.

It may be considered that the application is not in the child’s best interest or the child might not be ready. There is also the fear that negative decisions would lead to children going missing.

The Children’s Ombudsman, non-governmental organisations, and lawyers are concerned about the practice of delaying applications.

There were 22 unaccompanied minors who arrived under the EU Relocation Scheme and 41 as part of the Calais Special Project — most were granted refugee status on arrival or shortly afterwards.

Most of the children had come from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, Syria, and Ethiopia. More than half of unaccompanied minors are aged between 16 and 17.