Who's looking after the children?

There are two important reports published last month about children seeking asylum.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/24/europe/migrants.php

This is a report from the International Herald Tribune and published on the Children's' Rights Information Network http://www.crin.org/. The report is specifically about the treatment of asylum seeking children without their parents (unaccompanied minors) who are waiting in Greece for a chance to come to Europe. The children are primarily from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. The report states that there are children as young as 8 years who are homeless and without support, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is quoted as saying that the situation for refugees in Greece is " a humanitarian crisis".

The Greek Office of the UN is asking for urgent help to provide immediately for the needs of 400 children, whose plight came to light when Greek police destroyed an impromptu camp for 3000 refugees. Greece has a very poor record for complying with responsibilities under the Dublin Convention. A year ago, 19th April 2007, an EC Directive,
«Manquement d’État – Directive 2003/9/CE – Politique d’asile – Demandeurs d’asile – Accueil – Normes minimales – Non-transposition dans le délai prescrit»

Dans l’affaire C‑72/06,
was issued which sanctioned Greece with a chunky fine for non provision of services to seekers of asylum and for the country's poor record in the processing of asylum claims.

The Council of Europe's High Commissioner has asked Greece to set up a camp for the children, but Greece has refused saying: " that a camp would become a magnet for ever more migrants".
So even when the Council of Europe sanctions Greece for failures in provision and complying with its statutory obligations, Greece refuses to comply with the legislation which it is a party to (The Dublin Convention ) and refuses to provide for the children, let alone the adults.

The report also states that 900 children who had moved on or escaped from Greece were returned to Greece under the Dublin Convention. The UN is concerned that the children are prey to traffickers. Seekers of asylum who have arrived in the UK recount appalling stories of experiences in Greece. One man told me that he will always be grateful to Greek citizens who left a bag of sandwiches beside him as he slept in a Greek cemetery, however, his experience of the police and the Government was one of disrespect and disregard for his human rights.

If the children make it to the UK

Here in the UK the Children's' Commissioner has published two reports this month, critical of the provision for unaccompanied asylum seeking children when they arrive in the UK.

1. Claiming Asylum At a Screening Unit As An Unaccompanied Child, March 2008 http://www.11million.org.uk/. The Press Release from the Children's' Legal Centre states: the Children's' Commissioner has revealed a number of concerns relating to young asylum seekers who are being denied the level of care and access to health and educational provision as required by The Children Act 1989 and its associated regulations" Evidence seen by the Children's Commissioner revealed:

• some practices which led to some children being removed from the looked after system at the age of 16 years
• lack of assessment of individual needs
• a policy of de accommodation at 16
• children seeking asylum had no knowledge of their rights as children in the UK, nor who they could turn to for support and advice
• children felt isolated
• were not necessarily assigned a social worker
• did not understand the role of the Independent Reviewing Officer
• Had problems accessing health care
• lack of an independent visitor to support them

https://www.childrenscommissioner.org/documents/written%20evidence_de-accommodation%20final_CH_080107_0%201.pdf

//www.childrenslegalcentre.com/Refugee+and+Asylum+Seeking+Children/latestnews/11+Million+Report+March+2008+2.htm

https://www.childrenscommissioner.org/adult/news/news.cfm?id=1964&newsid=141

The Children's' Society published a report in February 2008 : Living On The Edge of Despair

http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/whats_happening/media_office/latest_news/Study_reveals_reality_of_claiming_asylum_in_the_UK_6116_news.html

Here's what the Chair of the Children's' Society has to say about their observations:

"Rt Rev’d Bishop Tim Stevens, Chairman of The Children’s Society said: "This report is a shocking indictment on the way we treat some of the country's most vulnerable children. The Church has witnessed first hand the terrible levels of destitution facing many asylum seeking families who come to Britain to escape persecution and torture. Refugee and asylum-seeking are children first and foremost and should be treated as such. "

Here in Nottingham, we have seen many of the issues highlighted in this report. Issues like these led to a meeting with many organisations ( see first post) concerned with the welfare of children seeking asylum in the UK.

Children as young as 8 or 9 sent to find safety, waiting in Greece where they are not provided for, where the Government of Greece flouts its obligations, prey to traffickers, holding onto the hope that when they arrive at their destination they will be treated with respect and dignity. Reports now published in the UK are confirming Sankofas experience, that many many children will not find that here. They will be re-traumatised in the process. Where are the voices of the local organisations, shouting out that children in the UK will not be treated in this manner "due to shortage of funds", where are the voices of Nottingham??