Recently the Norwegian government passed a new Immigration Law aiming to restrict the conditions for asylum seekers to stay in Norway. This new law has a great influence on both the asylum seekers inside Norway and those who are outside the country now but hoping to seek asylum. Among the people who will be influenced is the group of EMA children (Enslige mindreårige asylsøkere), or Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children.
I wrote about child trafficking in Norway in my master thesis and have seen that some EMA children are at risk as potential victims of child trafficking. According to some NGOs, the work on Norwegian policies regarding anti-child trafficking only started in 2005 when two Chinese EMA children disappeared from Norwegian asylum centers and were found later in Sweden. The situation of EMA children in Norway has not been good. It was not until December last year that UDI transferred these children to the children's centers (omsorgssenter for barn). This means that the Norwegian Child Welfare System (Barnevernet) finally took over the formal responsibility of taking care of the daily needs of EMA children, while UDI still decides whether a child stays or leaves. Because the government does not have enough resources, manpower and money, only children under 16 years live under Barnevernets protection. Today EMA children between 16-18 years old still live in asylum centers in Norway.
And these children, the EMA children between 16-18 years old, may risk being the biggest loser when facing the new Immigration Law. First of all, the new law does not mention anything about allocating enough resources to provide enough facilities and resources so these children can move out of asylum centers as soon as possible. Second, the law does not specify how the government can improve the current situation of identification, rescuing and rehabilitation of potential child trafficking victims among EMA children. It will be very interesting to see how the law fits into the government's ambitious action plan of 'Stop Human Trafficking': the Norwegian government's action plan against human trafficking 2006-2009. Moreover, the children, especially those between 16-18 years old, especially those who come from a country which are not in war or any kind of political oppression, risk being treated as an asylum seeker and sent back home after they turn 18 years old.
A limited view of seeing EMA children as asylum seekers first, children second, violates the UN Child Convention. When a decision of whether or not sending an asylum seeker back home is not based on the individual case, but the situation of the country of origin, the decision violates the International Human Rights Law. Norway has ratified both the UN Child Convention and the International Human Rights Law.
I believe that there are certain humanitarian principles that are extremely important that the government must follow in their asylum policies. As a legal guardian (verge) for a EMA child, I understand how vulnerable these children are, how scared they are that somebody will send them back to where they came from, and as an adult, I know that now it is the time I should speak for these children.
Hence I signed the "Nestekjærlighet" petition, and I wish that you sign it here also.
With your signature, the Norwegian prime minister Jens Stoltenberg will receive a Christmas gift from us and other 200 000 people who signed this petition, to tell the government that:
"it is our view that the following principles must still form the basis of Norwegian asylum policies:
1. The UN recommendations must remain the foundation of Norwegian asylum policies. No one must be returned by force to their country of origin in violation of the UN recommendations.
2. Unaccompanied minors without caretakers in their country of origin must be given durable safety in Norway, not false safety for a couple of years before they are returned to an uncertain future in Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, and other conflict areas.
3. Spouses, parents, and children who have been separated by war, conflict, or political oppression must still have access to family reunification. A requirement that the family member in Norway must have worked or been under education for at least four years before the family has the possibility of reuniting, is inhumane." (--from http://www.nestekjaerlighet.no/sign.html)
Sign the petition, spread the word, for a good sake.
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