Protection of Refugee Children SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC 2007 ~1.5 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Protection of Refugee Children

SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC 2007

• ~1.5 million refugee’s in urban host population
• ~60,000 refugee’s arriving every month
• Government sensitive to foreign interventions
• Schools running double shifts with four students to a

desk to accommodate pupils

• Primary health clinics on minimal services
• Overcrowding and unemployment increasing
• Limited resources and capacity in-country
• Infra-structure not able to absorb additional

population

Refugee Assessment Presenting issues on arrival:

• Sexually based violence
• Exploitation, abuse, other forms violence
• Special needs – mentally and physically
• Chronic disorders and diseases
• Damaged/broken family
• Separated/un-accompanied children
• Stress, fear, anxiety and confusion

Refugee Assessment Issues in-country:

• Refugee status determination/ prima facie recognised
• No papers or identification
• No information, orientation
• No income, inadequate food, overcrowding
• Child labour, prostitution, female headed households
• Domestic violence
• School drop-out
• No community support services available
• Infra-structure limited capacity
• Indicators of tension in host community

Priorities

• 1. Coordination:

Under UNHCR Protection cluster

‘Child Protection & Psychosocial Coordination’

• Principles of Best Practice
• Code of Conduct & Ethics
• Map & Tracking
• Resource Directory
• Incident Book
• Networking & Resources
• Staff Terms & Conditions
• Information centre: collation &

dissemination

• Technical support & materials
• Training & supervision
• Monitoring & surveillance

Priorities

• 2. Training:

Sub-working group: ‘CP & PSS Coordination’ a) Pool of Trainers b) Monitoring & surveillance c) Pool of Supervisors d) Systemized referrals

• 3. Community Messaging:

Sub-working group: ‘CP & PSS Coordination’ Public Information + Psycho-education

Priorities

• 4. Mapping & Tracking:

Demographic information and identification of community resources

• 5. Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC):

National recruitment to manage Community Centres

• 6. Identification & rehabilitation of Community Centres

SARC Headquarters Damascus

Al Hasakah Damascus Aleppo

Comm. Centre Comm. Centre Comm. Centre Comm. Centre Comm. Centre Comm. Centre Comm. Centre

Community Services Refugee Volunteers Community Support Workers Other referrals Community Services Refugee Volunteers Community Support Workers Other referrals

Women’s Refuge

Youth Union

Working Strategy:

Phase One

Establish Child Protection & Psychosocial Coordination

(sub-working groups: Training & Community Messaging)

Implement activities in affected population of Damascus

(later consider replication in other cities)

Use immediately available resources and capacity

(SARC volunteers & identified buildings)

UNHCR 4 Community Centres/Registration Centre

(dedicated person to identify other appropriate buildings/orgs)

SARC volunteers

(identify Refugee Volunteers, recruit new vol’s & advocate IFRC training)

UNICEF Recreational Kits

(other agency resources)

Initiate CFS recreational and play activities Enable Map & Track activities

(Demographic & resources)

Working Strategy:

Phase Two

SARC Recruitment

New volunteers have IFRC training:

Disaster Preparedness and Response 1st Aid Training PsychoSocial Preparedness (Danish Red Cross PSP)

SARC Workshops

Presentation Strategy & Plan of Action to SARC management

(amend according to agreements and circumstances)

Presentation to SARC volunteers and functional selection for CCs

(via role play, team activities, discussions and presentations)

Workshop orientation on Community Centres functions, activities, services, networking, referrals, monitoring, outreach services

a) map & track, community support workers, services and resources b) functional selection: ToT, supervisors & psychosocial support workers

Technical training volunteers to undertake psychosocial support work

(psychosocial work, referrals, supervision, networking, monitoring, staff care)

Services of a Community Centre

Child Friendly Spaces Meet a Mother

Early Childhood Development

Other agency Services…

Civil societies Schools (MoE) Primary Health Clinics (MoH) UNHCR - IOM UNFPA - UNWFP Income generation schemes Private services WHO – UNICEF

Psycho- social Support Peer Support Groups Gender Orientated Issues Adolescent Activities After School Activities Information & Resource Centre Map & Track Community Messaging & Awareness Community Resources & Services Referrals Community Support Workers Monitoring & Surveillance 1st Aid Response

Symptoms, diagnoses: CHILDREN

• Mood disorders
• PTSD
• Anxiety disorders
• Enuresis
• Behavioural disorders
• Developmental disorders
• Sleeping disorders
• Speech problems

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CFS 1 UNHCR Registration Center

CFS 2

Jaraman a

CFS 3

Saida Zenab

CFS 4

Qudsaya Mothers Mothers

PSS/CP UNIT Jaramana PSS/CP UNIT Saida Zenab PSS/CP UNIT Mazra’a

CFS5

Yarmouk Mother s Adolescents Mothers Adolescents

DANISH REFUGEE COUNCIL

Adolescents Adolescents

GREECE 2015-2016

• During 8 months estimated 1 million refugees

passed through Greece

• ~9,000 refugee’s arriving every day
• State unready to deal with the influx
• Limited resources and capacity in-country
• Coast guard, UN agencies and NGOs involved in

sea rescue

Refugee Assessment

Presenting issues on arrival:

• Sexually based violence
• Exploitation, abuse, other forms violence
• Special needs – mentally and physically
• Chronic disorders and diseases
• Damaged/broken family
• Large numbers of separated/un-accompanied

children

• Stress, fear, anxiety and confusion
• Desire to move on, not stay

Refugee Assessment

Issues in-country:

• No papers or identification
• No information, orientation
• No income, inadequate food, overcrowding
• Irregular movement
• Infra-structure limited capacity

Immediate Response

• CFSs on the islands
• CFS on the borders (Idomeni)
• Temporary site in Athens
• Massive arrivals and movement of the population
• Initiation of the Blue Dot concept Children and family support hubs:

Restoring family links, Advice and info point, multidisciplinary teams able to identify children, especially UASC, who might need further support and to engage with these children, and if relevant their parents, regarding the most appropriate way to provide that support, CFSs, MB areas, , youth activities, non formal education

• Uncontrollable presence of NGOS and volunteers
• Rapid BIAs, limited long term planning and action

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After 20/03/2016 – identifying gaps – systems to build

• Opening of sites across Greece
• Initiation of the Safe Zones
• Contiguous flows of arrivals
• Large numbers of UAC with no capacity to deal with

Services in sites Care arrangemenrs for UAC Linking to the national system

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Symptoms, diagnoses: UASC

• Behavioural and developmental problems,
• nightmares, enuresis (bedwetting),
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and autism
• In RICs hosted in adverse conditions
• depression and anxiety
• Suicidal thoughts and attempts,
• aggressive behaviour,
• self-harm
• drug and alcohol abuse
• engaging in high-risk behavior such as survival/transactional sex as

a measure of self-harm is also reported

• traumatic experiences of shipwrecks, travelling during the night in the

sea for the first time in their lives with unknown people and without their families

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Child Protection – Achievements 2016-2017

1) Alternative care for UAC

• 728 places in shelters funded by UNHCR until the end of July 2017
• Pilot foster care project
• Planning/advocacy for Supported Independent Living (16-17 years)
• Referral mechanism for eligible +18 UAC to the accommodation scheme

2) Strengthening linkages with National CP System

• Embedded staff with EKKA
• Relationship building (Public Prosecutors, MoL, MoMP)
• Comments provided to the new draft laws related to CP

3) Best Interests Procedures

• 2500+ Best Interest Assessments (BIA)
• Government-led BID panel established and operational (+Dubs)

4) Coordination + Advocacy

• National and regional Child Protection Sub-Working Groups established
• Coordination with Deputy Ombudsman for Children’s Rights and the Network

for the Rights of Children on the Move

• Advocacy efforts on SIL, Age Assessment, CBI for UASC, detention etc.

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Protection of Children 2017

• Increasing numbers of children in detention and in RICs for extended periods
• f time and in unacceptable conditions
• Prolonged period of stay for UAC in established Safe Zones
• Insufficient capacity of shelters/appropriate care options for UAC
• Complex legal framework on guardianship, alternative care, separated

children etc.

• Focus on categories of children-at-risk (e.g. UASC)
• Lengthy and unpredictable family reunion processes/ limited access to legal

and safe pathways

• Few services for child survivors of SGBV, particularly boys
• Limited programming for adolescents and youth (15-25 years)
• Challenges in establishing sustainable community-based child protection

mechanisms

• Limitations of the national child protection system and national social welfare

structures (inc. issue of mixed competency)

• Shrinking humanitarian space for CP and uneven/unpredictable service

coverage and technical expertise among CP actors

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Strategic Priorities for CP 2018

Priority Area Activity Expanding alternative care for UAC i. Maintain/increase support to EKKA (referral & professional guardians until AMIF) ii. Supported Independent Living (advocacy, technical work, planning, pilot) iii. Set minimum standards for and monitor the implementation of Safe Zones/Shelters etc. Safeguarding and services @ entry points i. Strengthen identification, referral and response with emphasis on the respective roles

• f the RIS, AS, Police, EASO, Coast Guard, Frontex etc.?)

ii. Case management (inc. strong legal assistance component) iii. CYFS, non-formal/informal education Family reunification/ relocation i. Support the Dublin Unit in the harmonization of best interests work for family reunion ii. Training of IPs working on FR iii. Maintain & strengthen linkages with regional response Urban (Prevention & Response) i. Mainstreaming and safe access to services (education, health etc.) ii. Community centers/hubs iii. Adolescent and youth engagement iv. Targeted projects SGBV prevention and response (sexual exploitation or UAC)? Mainland Sites (Prevention & Response) i. Focus on long term sites? Move away from gap-filling? ii. Prevention to be integrated into the work of case management teams, not just response. iii. Child Protection monitoring? Coordination i. Maintain coordination lead @ central & regional levels through CPsWG, but move towards nationalization? Partnerships? i. Traditional and non-traditional partnerships? ii. Community (e.g. second generation)?

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Vision Strengthening CP systems - Streamlining processes

Transition of responsibilities to the state competent authorities Formation of National Child protection strategy & Institutionalization of parents’ and community based child protection mechanisms Inclusion of children and youth as agents of change in national relevant initiatives & provision of child friendly protection information Public awareness on protection of all children

Aim… Mental health and psychosocial support in children, their families and communities where refugees are living to promote sustainable wellbeing within the IASC Guidelines