Over the last few years, we have noted that most of the migrant children we have accompanied have been exposed to reception conditions that did not respect their dignity and that generated fear, insecurity and defencelessness.
ESTHER FRAILE : Psychologist of the Sira Centre
Save the Children registered in 2023 a huge increase in arrivals of minors to the Spanish State, through the different routes of the Euro-African Western Border. In 2023, a total of 56,852 arrivals, of which 5.151 were children under the age of 18. This is 116.8% more than in the previous year.. On these same routes, according to data from the organisation Walking Frontiers, at least 384 young people lost their lives.
This reality is compounded by the saturation of reception and protection resources. UNICEF recently launched an urgent appeal to respond to the more than 5,500 unaccompanied minors who are currently staying in the Canary Islands. After seeing the innovation, agility and coordination in managing the reception of displaced people from Ukraine, UNICEF called for a state policy from the administrations. equally efficient for children who remain on the islands.
”On many occasions, far from the affection, protection or security they expect to find on their arrival in the Spanish state, children are confronted with experiences that undermine their vision of the world and their trust in human beings and institutions.
The absence of a child rights approach in the reception of migrant children and adolescents is not a recent development, nor is it linked to changes in migration flows. Over the last few years, In our experience, we have found that most of the migrant children we have accompanied have been exposed to reception conditions that do not respect their rights. dignity and which generated for them fear, insecurity e defencelessness. On many occasions, far from the affection, protection or security that they expect to find on their arrival in Spain, children are confronted with experiences that undermine their vision of the world and their trust in human beings and institutions. All at a key stage of their development.
Since their arrival in the territory, it is common for unaccompanied migrant children and young people to be adultifique. Roles and tasks are imposed on them that do not correspond to their stage of life, and for which they do not have the necessary coping tools. For example, migrant adolescents who are forced to enter the labour market once they reach the age of 18, since they are expelled of the child protection system. Faced with a possible situation of homelessness, adolescents do not contemplate the possibility of studying or planning another type of life project.
”When the childhood of children is questioned, their identity is also attacked.
When the childhood of children is questioned, their identity is also under attack. Migrant children are forced to understand and carry out certain administrative and bureaucratic procedures to prove their minority status in order to apply for certain documentation or access to services. This generates a revictimisation and a high level of stress and anxiety. In some cases, moreover, where minority is not recognised, children are exposed to conditions of extreme vulnerability, especially socio-economic vulnerability. An example of this is the recent media case of a Gambian adolescent who is outside the child protection system, in a situation of homelessness, even though he has all the documentation that decrees his minority status. The Committee on the Rights of the Child ruled that Spain must protect the adolescent and place him or her in a juvenile centre in order to “prevent irreparable harm”.
All of these elements, coupled with previous experiences of violence in the countries of origin and during the migratory transit, as well as racism y criminalisation en espacios comunitarios, tienen un impacto tanto en su desarrollo, como en su salud mental. De esta manera, entre la infancia y juventud migrante es frecuente encontrar dificultades de adaptación y construcción identitaria, por el choque cultural y la ausencia de referentes. A menudo, esto deriva también en problemas de conducta, abuso de sustancias o sintomatología postraumática y ansiosa.
Reducing the impact of foster care on children depends on a state policy, and on a commitment to work on accompaniment strategies that put the rights and well-being of children at the centre. Questioning their childhood, not looking after their reception conditions, ignoring the impacts of the journey, or forcing them to act as adults at a very young age, are attacks that generate suffering that can mark their future.
”When the childhood of children is questioned, their identity is also attacked.
Esther Fraile Julián
Psychologist of the Sira Centre