Number of missing migrant children up
9 Dec 2009
Irish Times - Wed 9 December 2009
Marie O Halloran
FIVE MIGRANT children have gone missing each month this year, twice as many as for all of last year, the Dáil has heard.
Fine Gael spokesman on migration Denis Naughten sharply criticised Minister of State for Children Barry Andrews who he said had told the Dáil in February that 24-hour care was being provided to unaccompanied children seeking asylum in the State. But the report of the Children's Ombudsman had shown that "security guards provide care after 6pm".
Mr Andrews, Minister of State for Children, said it was of serious concern the figure had increased in 2009 after a "very low figure" of 22 in 2008. Figures for missing migrant children who enter the State unaccompanied, showed that 32 went missing in 2007, from the care of the Health Service Executive (HSE), 22 disappeared in 2008 and up to October this year 45 had gone missing.
To prevent this happening, "we need to bring children seeking asylum into a position of equality with children in residential or foster care so that they are provided with the same services and the accommodation is properly registered and inspected. This has not been the case until now," said the Minister.
He hoped to "phase out the four hostels that remain providing services to children" by December 2010 and the move to foster care "should help to ensure that fewer children go missing".
He said that children "go missing very soon after coming to the attention of State agencies". He said that if they were in inappropriate accommodation it was certain that "inappropriate service will be provided".
Mr Naughten also objected to HSE proposals to "put new accommodation alongside existing asylum centres" which were a focal point for traffickers.