Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 February 2022
353. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the protocol that is in place in cases in which an unaccompanied minor arrives into an Irish port and seeks to be reunited with a family member; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5801/22]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a dedicated social work team for Separated Children Seeking International Protection (SCSIP). Over the past 20 years the SCSIP Team has developed expertise through Ireland’s participation in International Refugee Protection Programmes and by caring for the greater number of separated children seeking international protection who arrive unannounced at Irish ports and airports.
SCSIP who arrive in Ireland are received into care. These children are placed by Tusla either in specialist residential care centres with a maximum of six children, or with specifically recruited foster families. The children are automatically entitled as children in care to a medical card, access to education services and have a social worker allocated to them.
The basis for care of a SCSIP is different from the general child in care population; they are not received into care to protect them from their family but rather for welfare reasons due to their separation from their primary carers, which can be as a consequence of war or persecution.
The right to family reunification is a well-established principle of human rights law and of particular relevance to SCSIP. Given that it is a statutory right of SCSIP to apply for family reunification Tusla is of the view that its role is to ensure that those rights are upheld and further, to support the applicant in their application for family reunification as appropriate.
Consequently, reunification work has evolved to be a key piece of the support Tusla staff provide to SCSIP in State care and who are eligible to apply. The process of reunification is commenced as soon as the young people come to the attention of Tusla with an aim to re-establish contact with the family of origin as soon as possible.
