Event hears calls for government to prioritise child refugees
The Government must continue to prioritise children in its approach to accepting refugees. That’s according to the Children’s Rights Alliance, which today (05.04.2018) hosted a joint event with the support of UNICEF Ireland to examine the situation of child refugees throughout Europe.
Commenting at the event, Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance, said: “Ireland is doing its part and pledged to accept 4,000 refugees and to prioritise families and children as part of this commitment. We welcome that so far, Ireland has accepted 1,905 people through the Irish Refugee Protection Programme of which 54 per cent are children.
“We are deeply concerned at the conditions faced by child refugees making the perilous journey to Europe. These young children are often hungry, may never have attended school and have been exposed to serious abuse and trauma both in their country of origin as well as in transit.
“We need to ensure we are prioritising children in our approach to accepting refugees. We’re calling on the Government to continue to prioritise unaccompanied children in particular and to renew efforts to relocate people from the European hotspots.”
Dangers of the Central and Eastern Mediterranean route
Attendees at today’s event heard that close to half of all refugees who travelled by sea to Greece and Italy in 2016 were children, predominately from Syria and Afghanistan. Despite the ongoing efforts of the Irish Government, no child has been relocated from Italy to Ireland because of difficulties negotiating a bilateral agreement with Italy regarding additional security interviews.
Speaking at the event, Sarah Crowe, UNICEF Refugee and Migrant Spokesperson, said: “Children have been invisible in this conversation. They are simply not seen and their needs and rights are not being met. And yet more than half of all refugees are children. Children are children before they are refugees or migrants – they must be treated as such, both in law and in spirit. Protracted displacement has a disproportionate impact on children and lasts on average 17 years: an entire childhood.
“Conditions in the main refugee hot spots for children are absolutely dire. Over the last 10 years, the number of child refugees has more than doubled; and 79 per cent of young people who travelled alone on the Central Mediterranean route to Italy last year were subjected to exploitation.
“UNICEF wants unaccompanied children on the move to be given safe and legal passage, and access to family reunification. And children should never be detained – something Ireland provides great leadership on.”
Input from Minister Stanton
David Stanton TD, Minister of State for Equality, Immigration and Integration delivered the opening address at the symposium.
Commenting today, Minister Stanton said: “While all refugees and persons seeking international protection can be seen as being in a vulnerable situation, child refugees and asylum seekers, whether they are accompanied or unaccompanied, should be seen as an especially vulnerable group. The promotion and protection of the rights of child refugees and asylum seekers should therefore be central to our responses to refugee and crisis situations. This is why we are committed to prioritising families and children in the ongoing delivery of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme and for our future plans for resettlement and other forms of humanitarian admission for those most in need of our protection.”
ENDS
Contact: Ciara Murphy / Darragh McGirr, Alice PR & Events, Tel: 087-9626231 / 086-2599369, Email: media@alicepr.com.
Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance is available for interview.
Sarah Crowe, UNICEF Refugee and Migrant Spokesperson is available for interview.
About the Children’s Rights Alliance
Founded in 1995, the Children’s Rights Alliance unites over 100 members working together to make Ireland one of the best places in the world to be a child. Further information is available at: www.childrensrights.ie or on Twitter, @ChildRightsIRL. #PerilousPassage
About UNICEF Ireland
UNICEF was established after World War II, to help child refugees. Today, UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfil their potential. And we never give up. UNICEF, for every child.
Follow UNICEF’s work for children who are refugees and migrants on social media #ChildrenUprooted
For more information, visit www.unicef.ie Follow us on Twitter and Facebook
