Belgium Crisis in the reception of unaccompanied minors accommodated in hotels

Comment: The Belgian online newspaper “Levif.be” reports on August 20th the difficulties of Fedasil – the Belgian agency responsible for the reception of asylum seekers- to cope with the challenge of accommodating foreign unaccompanied minors.

The increase of the number of unaccompanied minors forced the Belgian authorities to accommodate a significant number of them in hotels, residential facilities not adapted to their situation. However, this situation is not new according to “Levif.be” as the problem dates back to 2008.

The newspaper explains the situation not only by the rise of the asylum applications in Belgium but also due to the length of procedures, while NGOs denounce the current situation.

The authorities are currently trying to address the situation: the 2010 budget foresees the creation of 5000 places in special reception facilities for asylum seekers, while 3500 were already created in the first semester of 2010.

The Belgian newspaper points out that the reception of unaccompanied minors is likely to raise a wide range of problematic situation, be they social, legal or medical, in contradiction with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

While the CRC provides in its article 22 that appropriate protection shall be provided to unaccompanied minors seeking refugee status, article 20 para. 2 details that States Parties shall ensure alternative care such as placement in suitable institutions for the care of children. However, hotels do not constitute suitable institutions for the care of children.

As the Committee on the Rights of the Child states in its General Comment Number 6 on the treatment of unaccompanied minors and separated children outside their country of origin:“irrespective of the care arrangements made for unaccompanied or separated children, regular supervision and assessment ought to be maintained by qualified persons in order to ensure the child’s physical and psychosocial health, protection against domestic violence or exploitation, and access to educational and vocational skills and opportunities”.

The supervision of unaccompanied minors in hotels is likely to be very limited and their access to the services necessary for their upbringing non-existent.

While the number of disappearances of foreign unaccompanied minors from residential care, as shown by several recent studies remains one of the most pressing challenge for European states, the reception of vulnerable children in hotels will certainly not contribute to the decrease of this phenomenon.

To read the article in French, click here.

Comment: Pierre Cazenave, Regional Child Rights Officer, Regional Office for Central and South East Europe, Terre des hommes – Child Relief.