Protection Concerns and Advocacy for Children in Central America
This discusses protection concerns for children from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, focusing on safety accessing processing locations, risks associated with programs, and lacking referral mechanisms for protection situations. Advocacy efforts include safe shelter, eligibility expansion, and emergency transmission mechanisms.
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Presentation Transcript
In-Country Processing for Children from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador Sponsored by Church World Service (CWS), Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC), HIAS, International Rescue Committee (IRC), Jesuit Conference USA, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS), U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Migration and Refugee Services (USCCB/MRS) and the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) Church World Service (CWS), Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC), HIAS, International Rescue Committee (IRC), Jesuit Conference USA, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS), U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Migration and Refugee Services (USCCB/MRS) and the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)
Agenda 9:30 Introductions, context, overview of agenda Naomi Steinberg, RCUSA and Greg Chen, AILA 9:45 Background: children & families fleeing violence in Central America, Q&A Mary DeLorey, Jesuit Conference; Aryah Somers, KIND; and Leslie Velez, UNHCR 10:35 Background on the U.S. refugee resettlement program, Q&A Stacie Blake, USCRI 11:05 Central American Minors Affidavit of Relationship program, Q&A Anastasia Brown, USCCB 12:10 Protection concerns & advocacy issues, Q&A Anna Greene, IRC; Joanne Kelsey, LIRS; Bill Frelick, HRW 1:00 Q&A and conversation on resources needed, next steps, lunch provided 1:30 Adjourn
PROTECTION CONCERNS AND ADVOCACY ISSUES
Protection concerns for children in home countries and in transit Safety accessing CAM processing location Potential risks of being associated with the program No established referral mechanisms to UNHCR, NGOs or government entities for protection situations identified during processing No BID or BIA mechanism established No mechanisms for follow up with children who are rejected from the program No mechanisms for protection response for children who do not qualify to apply for the program Need to expand eligibility criteria to reach more children Interception and lack of asylum safeguards in transit countries (deportation back to serious harm)
Advocacy on resettlement Safe shelter, transport for processing Protection risk assessment, referral mechanisms Case management by UNHCR or NGOs during processing for specific protection cases BID or BIA where appropriate Create emergency transmit mechanism for cases at heightened risk (evacuation process in third country) Expand eligibility criteria so more children qualify Ensure that C.A. children fleeing to third countries (Costa Rica, Nicaragua) obtain protection there and have access to resettlement and family reunification when called for
Advocacy on U.S. foreign aid strategy ensure that U.S. foreign assistance does not support interception and deportation practices (without asylum safeguards) of other countries provide appropriate levels of funding for regional humanitarian response (UNHCR and NGOs) invest in national child protection systems build safe repatriation and reintegration programs for children (and adults) who are lawfully returned address root causes in the right way violence prevention, community stabilization and poverty reduction programs that are proven to be effective; prioritize tackling impunity, justice sector reform avoid failed models (Plan Colombia; militarization; mano dura )
Protection concerns for children seeking safehaven in the United States Many children with parents in the U.S. will not benefit Immediate protection concerns (child cannot wait) Non-qualifying family members (no legal status) For those trying to reach safety in the United States Access to territory and asylum still available in U.S.? Monitor what Customs and Border Protection/ Border Patrol are telling children from these countries Asylum-seekers should not be detained while seeking asylum Points of collaboration on protection Proposed Legislation Family Detention
Resources & Reports Fact Sheets, Statistics: www.wrapsnet.org State Department: www.state.gov/j/prm/index.htm Office of Refugee Resettlement: www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/resource/in-country-refugee-parole- processing-for-minors-in-honduras-el-salvador-and-guatemala-central-american-minors-cam Department of Homeland Security: www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-asylum/refugees UNHCR: Children on the Run: Unaccompanied Children Leaving Central America and Mexico and the Need for International Protection: www.unhcrwashington.org/children/reports Niskanen Center: Examining the UAC-DACA Link: New Data Show Child Migrant Crisis Began Before DACA: http://niskanencenter.org/blog/news/examining-the-uac-daca-link-new-data-show-child-migrant- crisis-began-before-daca/ USCCB Mission to Central America: Flight of the Unaccompanied Immigrant Children to the United States: www.usccb.org/about/migration-policy/upload/Mission-To-Central-America-FINAL-2.pdf KIND (Kids in Need of Defense) and Center for Gender & Refugee Studies: A Treacherous Journey: Child Migrants Navigating the U.S. Immigration System,: www.supportkind.org/en/about-us/resources Women s Refugee Commission: Forced From Home, The Lost Boys and Girls of Central America: http://womensrefugeecommission.org/programs/migrant-rights/unaccompanied-children Vera Institute of Justice, Center on Immigration and Justice: The Flow of Unaccompanied Children Through the Immigration System A Resource for Practitioners, Policy Makers, and Researchers: www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/the-flow-of-unaccompanied-children-through-the- immigration-system.pdf Considerations for Hondurans in the American Asylum Process:Relevant Law and Country of Origin Information http://jesuits.org/Assets/Publications/File/Hondurans_asylum_report_FINAL2.pdf IRC Field Visit to Texas and Arizona: key findings and recommendations to U.S. policy makers, at: http://issuu.com/internationalrescuecommittee/docs/unaccompanied_children_in_the_u.s._/1?e=9192242/985 0063
