UNACCOMPANIED ASYLUM SEEKING CHILDREN UASC REFORM PROGRAMME

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UNACCOMPANIED ASYLUM SEEKING CHILDRENUASC REFORM
PROGRAMME

• Jerry Harland

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Planning Better Outcomes and Support for
Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children

• The recent changes to the structure of the Home
  Office and in particular the creation of the
  Border and Immigration Agency provide a renewed
  focus on our strategic objectives.
• These are
• - strengthening our borders
• - fast-tracking asylum decisions
• - ensuring and enforcing compliance
  with our Immigration laws and
• - boosting Britains economy through
  managed migration.

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Our Starting Point

• We must safeguard the asylum system from abuse
  and do more to identify and deter those who are
  not in genuine need of asylum, while at the same
  time ensuring the best possible responses to
  those with a well-founded fear of persecution in
  their country of origin.
• This underpins everything we are doing in the
  UASC Reform Programme.

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Scope of the Reform Programme

• The reform deals with the processes surrounding
  Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children, commonly
  referred to as UASC.
• Accept that the term UASC is not always helpful
  and are aware that some stakeholders prefer
  different terminology, eg unaccompanied children
  seeking asylum.
• An unaccompanied asylum seeking child is
• (i) an individual who is under 18 and applying
  for asylum in his/her own right and is
• (ii) separated from both parents and not being
  cared for by an adult who by law or custom has
  responsibility to do so.

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Overview of Current Position

• About 6,000 UASC currently cared for by local
  authorities.
• Approximately 70 of these in London and
  South-East .
• Between 2,500 - 3,000 new arrivals in each of
  the past 3 years.
• Profile suggests current population of 6,000
  will remain relatively
  static for the foreseeable future.

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There are problems with the current system ..

• Inconsistencies in service provision.
• Disproportionate pressure on London and South
  East.
• Lack of rational system to place UASC in
  appropriate areas.
• Lack of alignment between asylum processes
  and care processes.

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The UASC Reform Programme is about Change ..

• Specialisation recognise that UASC may have
  different needs to other children in care.
• Rational placements ensure that UASC are only
  placed in areas where there is already adequate
  service provision.
• Consistency of service establish common
  standards of service provision that can be
  applied nationally.
• Improved pathway planning integration/return.
• Value for money contain rising costs and ensure
  clearer link between money spent and services it
  pays for.

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Some of the Key Reform Areas

• 1. Pre-arrival and intake
• - Sponsoring better communications in country
  of origin
• - Using medical techniques to improve age
  assessment
• - Improving induction/screening processes
• 2. Providing support
• - Implementing new NAM procedures for UASC
• - Developing specialist model of support
• - Reviewing funding arrangements
• - Implementing family tracing initiatives
• 3. Post application (effecting integration or
  removals)
• - Returns
• - Voluntary returns
• - Developing reception arrangements in country
  of origin
• - Funding of Post 18s

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What Do We Want to Achieve

• Faster and better quality asylum decisions
  Ensuring the immigration status of the child is
  decided as quickly as possible and removing the
  uncertainty over their longer term future.
• Improved pathway planning Care planning must
  take fully into account the position of both the
  successful applicant and their need for effective
  integration, and the position of unsuccessful
  applicants who will be required to return to
  their country of origin.
• Better age assessment Using medical techniques
  to improve age assessments should/can be
  introduced into the asylum screening process for
  UASC. This will help counter the abuse of the
  system by adults claiming to be UASC. It is
  essential that care services are accessed only by
  the appropriate age group.

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What the Programme is doing Now

• We have issued a formal consultation paper
  responses by 31 May 2007.
• Researching Scientific Evidence on use of Dental
  X-rays Age Assessment Procedures in Europe and
  elsewhere.
• Working with local authorities and likely
  receiving regions with particular attention to
  models of service specification, case transfer
  arrangements and post 18 issues.
• Internal Border and Immigration Agency process
  change for UASC and alignment with New Asylum
  Model (NAM) and improved pathway planning.

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Finally

• Please remember deadline for responses to
  Consultation Paper 31 May 2007.
• Do not hesitate to send clarification of the
  proposed reforms.
• Do feel free to think more imaginatively about
  how we can together bring about meaningful reform
  of the UASC processes.