An interpreter service will be provided at no cost, enhancements in file identification and monitoring are on the way
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 27th June (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Government of the Canary Islands and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, have collaborated to create a protocol aimed at ensuring the protection of unaccompanied refugee minors who arrive on the islands.
“The Government of the Canary Islands and UNHCR are deeply concerned about the situation of refugee children, which is why we have been working on designing a protocol in recent months to ensure the identification and support of unaccompanied migrant minors requiring international protection who arrive on the islands,” stated Candelaria Delgado, Minister of Social Welfare, Equality, Youth, Children and Families, following a meeting held this Thursday with UNHCR representatives in Europe and Spain.
Over the past few months, the Department of Social Welfare, in collaboration with the General Directorate of Child and Family Protection, and UNHCR have strengthened their partnership, jointly working on the development of the protocol by UNHCR and also the creation of a report aimed at enhancing information available on refugee children through direct engagement with minors, identification of areas within the protection system that need strengthening, and providing practical tools to professionals working with refugee children.
In order to compile this report, UNHCR conducted interviews with 576 unaccompanied minors, including boys and girls who arrived by sea in the Canary Islands over the last four months, and has compiled a report outlining the key observations.
Delgado mentioned, “From this report, it has been identified that more than 55% of these interviewed minors may require international protection.” Additionally, she revealed plans for providing a free interpreter service for the major languages, visits to centres in line with UN mandates and current laws, and the formulation of a protocol for closely monitoring vulnerable cases of protection applicants.
Sophie Muller, the UNHCR representative in Spain, emphasised the importance of ensuring minors have access to their right to seek asylum.
The organisation also expressed its support for the Canary Islands Government’s suggestion of compulsory distribution of minors to other autonomous communities, stating that it allows for a more stable and predictable allocation, ensuring better care and reception for minors.
Introduction of Tailored Technical Training on Asylum Matters
The collaborative effort between the Canary Islands Executive and UNHCR has also focused on providing training for asylum and minor support groups through sessions conducted by UNHCR and other experts in the field, “with the objective of enhancing their expertise in international protection and utilising the available tools, as well as developing the protocol with inputs and active involvement of the asylum and minor support groups,” according to the councillor.
The protocol includes guidance for professionals from child protection services and juvenile centres in the Canary Islands to offer information on the right to asylum, identify unaccompanied foreign minors in need of international protection, initiate the asylum process, monitor the case, and provide comprehensive care for their specific needs throughout the process.
Delgado added, “All foreign minors arriving in Spain unaccompanied should be duly informed about their rights, including the right to request asylum. Hence, the development of this protocol aims to ensure migrant minors are informed of their rights and offers specialised training to the technical teams working with children and adolescents to have knowledge of the law and enforce this right.”
According to the document, the General Directorate for the Protection of Children and Families of the Canary Islands Government holds the responsibility for achieving the objectives outlined in the protocol as the governing body of the autonomous system for protecting children’s and adolescents’ rights, with the support and guidance of UNHCR.
The joint efforts between both entities include proposing a training framework tailored to the requirements expressed by the General Directorate to enhance awareness and handling of such situations by the centres’ staff and the service’s technicians, along with the identification and referral of victims of sexual violence and potential mental health issues to an appropriate resource, as well as interactions with the Asylum and Refuge Office, the competent authority in refugee affairs.
“This collaboration with UNHCR is crucial to ensure the protection of these minors, who, let’s not forget, are individuals deserving of protection, and thus, the administration must ensure their care, welcome, and safety,” the councillor concluded.
