Understanding the Legal Rights and Mental Health Needs of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children in US Government Custody and Beyond

This article addresses the mental health rights of unaccompanied children, the ways in which the US immigration system does not sufficiently support children's mental health, and how clinicians can play a role in meeting immigrant children's mental health needs.

Unaccompanied Children in the Office of Refugee Resettlement Care

Unaccompanied children entering the United States are cared for in a variety of care provider settings across the country while they are in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). While in an ORR care provider program, children receive physical and mental health-care services, classroom education, social skills/recreation services, vocational training as appropriate, family unification services, access to legal support, and case management. The Mental and Behavioral Health Services Team was created in 2019 to provide oversight of the mental health of unaccompanied children in ORR care.

Unheard voices: The living reality of unaccompanied refugee children in Jordan

BACKGROUND

Unaccompanied refugee children are highly susceptible to challenging living conditions, as they lack the presence of biological caregivers. This study addresses a critical gap in the existing literature, providing valuable insights into a vulnerable population that has been relatively understudied. Moreover, understanding the specific circumstances and difficulties faced by unaccompanied refugee children in Jordan can inform the development of more effective support systems and policies.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the lived experiences of unaccompanied refugee children in Jordan and shed light on their unique challenges and needs.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Sixteen unaccompanied refugee children residing in Jordan were purposefully selected as participants for the study. They were selected based on accessibility and permission from the responsible entity. The limited number of participants (16) reflects the challenges associated with accessing this group and the need to prioritize their privacy and confidentiality.

METHODS

To achieve this goal, a qualitative research approach was employed. Semi-structured interviews were used as the data collection method in the study, allowing participants to share their experiences and perspectives in their own words. The collected data were analyzed using the inductive thematic analysis method. Steps were taken to prioritize the well-being and rights of the participants, including obtaining informed consent, ensuring confidentiality, and providing psychosocial support when needed.

RESULTS

The study revealed three primary forms of alternative care provided to unaccompanied refugee children in Jordan: foster families, supervised groups, and institutional care. These findings shed light on the challenges faced by children in each of these care settings. The research unveiled that these children often experience various forms of abuse and violations.

CONCLUSIONS

Unaccompanied refugee children face numerous challenges and difficulties in destination countries. In light of the study's findings, several crucial recommendations emerge. First, there is an urgent need to strengthen the foster care system in Jordan while ensuring rigorous oversight to safeguard their rights. Moreover, policymakers should prioritize the provision of cost-free, high-quality healthcare and unhindered access to free education for these children.

The Implementation of CDC COVID-19 Recommendations for Testing, Isolation, Quarantine and Movement at Emergency Intake Sites of Unaccompanied Children in the United States, April 1-May 31, 2021

In March 2021, Emergency Intake Sites (EIS) were created to address capacity shortfalls during a surge of Unaccompanied Children at the Mexico-United States land border. The COVID-19 Zone Plan (ZP) was developed to decrease COVID-19 transmission. COVID-19 cumulative percent (%) positivity was analyzed to evaluate the impact of the ZP, venue type and bed capacity across EIS from April 1-May 31, 2021. Results: Of 11 EIS sites analyzed, 54% implemented the recommended ZP. The overall % positivity was 2.47% (95% CI 2.39-2.55). The % positivity at EIS with the ZP, 1.83% (95% CI 1.71-1.95), was lower than that at EIS without the ZP, 2.83%, ( 95% CI 2.72-2.93), and showed a lower 7-day moving average of % positivity. Conclusion: Results showed a possible effect of the ZP on % positivity when controlling for venue type and bed capacity in a specific EIS group comparison, indicating that all three variables could have had effect on % positivity. They also showed that smaller intake facilities may be recommendable during public health emergencies.

Community-based surveillance of unaccompanied and separated children in drought-affected northern Ethiopia

Background

Children separated from their caregivers in humanitarian emergencies are vulnerable to multiple risks. However, no field-tested methods exist to capture ongoing changes in the frequency and nature of separation in these contexts over the course of a protracted crisis.

Methods

Recognizing this gap, a mobile phone-based surveillance system was established in a drought-affected district in northern Ethiopia to assess the feasibility of using community focal points to monitor cases of unaccompanied and separated children. A total of 29 focal points were recruited through village elections from 10 villages in the district. Feasibility was assessed directly by measuring the number and quality of messages sent by the focal points each week. The team also evaluated the implementation process and any challenges that arose through observations and key informant interviews with focal points at the conclusion of the project measuring frequency of employing various information gathering techniques, challenges faced, and perceptions of community expectations. Likert scales were used to measure overall satisfaction with the experience of being a focal point, self-assessed difficulty of being a focal point, perceived likelihood of cases captured, and motivation.

Results

Over a six-month period, the focal points reported 48 cases of separation. The majority of separated children (64.6%) were 10 years of age or older. Work was a major driver of separation, especially for boys. Age, sex, role in community, and density of community had no statistically significant impact on focal point performance in terms of frequency, accuracy, or consistency of messages. The focal points themselves reported high levels of motivation, but suggested several areas for improvement in the surveillance system.

Conclusions

Without the surveillance system, most of these children would have otherwise been unrecognized. From a technical standpoint the system was successful and resilient in the face of unexpected external challenges. However, focal point participation and accuracy was variable over time and across groups and diminished towards the later months of the study, suggesting that the community-based approach may require additional supports to ensure that the surveillance system is able to accurately capture trends over time.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12914-019-0203-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Experiences and reflections of Somali unaccompanied girls on their first years in Sweden: a follow-up study after two decades

Purpose

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) from Somalia are one of the largest groups of UASC in Europe and Sweden. The current study is a follow-up of a Swedish study conducted in 1999, where unaccompanied asylum-seeking girls (UASG) from Somalia were interviewed. In 2013, UASG from the 1999 study were interviewed again, as adults who have settled and found a new life in Sweden. The purpose of this paper is to explore how these women experienced their transition into the Swedish society.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews was adopted for this descriptive study. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.

Findings

UASG need support from different groups of adults, ranging from the staff at the group homes to community members, including countrymen, to establish a good life in their new country. The UASG need understanding and knowledgeable staff that can support them through the initial period, when they do not have their parents close to them. All actors in the supporter network need more knowledge about the difficulties in war situations. Former UASC can assist newcomers as well as being informants to authorities in a new country. Both parties involved need to be open and willing to learn from each other.

Research limitations/implications

UASG who consider themselves successful in being integrated into the Swedish society were interviewed and, therefore, the study mainly describes aspects that promote integration.

Originality/value

There are limited follow-up studies on how UASG have experienced their life after almost two decades in the new country.