Ombudsman for Minorities, National Rapporteur on Traffi cking in Human Beings P.O. Box 26 FI-00023 GOVERNMENT Tel: 071 878 0171 Internet: www.ofm.fi Annika Parsons The best interests of the child in asylum and refugee procedures in Finland Publication 6 Annika Parsons THE BEST INTERESTS OF The child IN ASYlUM and refugEE procEdures in Finland Vähemmistövaltuutettu Helsinki 2010 © Vähemmistövaltuutettu ISBN: 978-952-491-512-0 ISSN: 1798-694X painoyhtymä Oy porvoo 2010 Contents Foreword...................................................................................................... 3 ABSTRACT................................................................................................. 5 I.INTRODUCTION..................................................................................... 7 1..Subject.and.structure.of.the.report..................................................... 7 2..Material.of.the.report.......................................................................... 9 3..Relevance.of.the.report..................................................................... 12 II.RIGHTS.OF.THE.CHILD.AND.THE.CHILD’S.BEST.. INTERESTS.IN.INTERNATIONAL.CONVENTIONS,.. STATUTES,.GUIDELINES.AND.RECOMMENDATIONS.................. 13 1..The.rights.of.the.child.and.the.child’s.best.interests.in.. international.conventions...................................................................... 13 2..The.rights.of.the.child.and.the.child’s.best.interests.on.. the.European.level................................................................................ 17 3..Guidelines.and.recommendations.relating.to.the.rights.. of.the.child.and.the.child’s.best.interest................................................ 20 4..Summary.......................................................................................... 22 III.THE.RIGHTS.OF.THE.CHILD.AND.THE.CHILD’S.. BEST.INTERESTS.IN.FINNISH.NATIONAL.POLICY.. AND.LEGISLATION................................................................................ 24 1..The.Government’s.Migration.Policy.Programme............................. 24 2..The.rights.of.the.child.and.the.child’s.best.interests.. in.international.legislation.................................................................... 25 3..Legislation.projects.in.progress........................................................ 29 4..Summary.......................................................................................... 31 IV.ASYLUM.PROCEDURE.FOR.UNACCOMPANIED.. MINORS.SEEKING.ASYLUM.IN.FINLAND....................................... 32 1..Submitting.the.application................................................................ 33 2..Reception.......................................................................................... 35 2.1..Reception.in.group.homes.and.supported.housing.units.......... 37 2.2..Private.accommodation............................................................ 39 2.3..Folk.High.Schools..................................................................... 41 2.4..Mental.health.and.child.welfare.services................................. 42 2.5..Social.assistance.......................................................................44 2.6..Basic.education......................................................................... 45 3..Representative................................................................................... 46 4..Counsel............................................................................................. 49 5..Police.interview................................................................................ 50 6..Age.determination............................................................................ 52 v 7..Processing.applications.for.asylum................................................... 56 7.1..Dismissal.of.applications.for.asylum........................................ 57 7.2..Processing.applications.for.asylum.and.asylum.briefings........ 59 8..Asylum.decision.and.notice.of.decision........................................... 62 9..Situation.after.a.decision.is.taken..................................................... 66 9.1..Placement.after.a.residence.permit.is.obtained......................... 66 9.2..After-care.................................................................................. 68 10..Family.reunification........................................................................ 69 11..Detention......................................................................................... 70 12..Summary.of.the.children’s’.interviews........................................... 72 V.THE.PROCESS.FOR.ACCOMPANIED.MINOR.ASYLUM.. SEEKERS.ARRIVING.IN.FINLAND..................................................... 74 1..Asylum.application.and.procedure................................................... 74 2..Reception.......................................................................................... 74 3..Police.hearing.and.Immigration.Service’s.asylum.investigation...... 75 4..Decision............................................................................................ 75 5..Detention........................................................................................... 76 6..Placement.in.a.municipality.and.integration.................................... 77 VI.THE.BEST.INTERESTS.OF.THE.CHILD.IN.THE.. ASYLUM.PROCESS................................................................................. 78 1..The.best.interests.of.the.child........................................................... 78 2..General.comments.and.recommendations....................................... 80 2.1..General...................................................................................... 80 2.2..Age.determination.as.an.indication.of.increased.scepticism... 81 2.3..Incrimination............................................................................ 83 2.4..Conclusion................................................................................ 85 3..Detailed.comments.and.recommendations....................................... 85 3.1..General...................................................................................... 85 3.2..Reception.................................................................................. 86 3.3..Age.determination.................................................................... 89 3.4..Representation.and.legal.aid..................................................... 92 3.5..The.Dublin.procedure............................................................... 93 3.6..The.normal.asylum.procedure.................................................. 95 3.7..Identifying.victims.of.human.trafficking.and.those.. facing.a.threat.of.being.victimised.................................................. 96 3.8..Detention................................................................................. 100 3.9..Family.reunification................................................................ 100 4..Conclusion...................................................................................... 102 LIST.OF.REFERENCES......................................................................... 105 Legislation.and.international.agreements........................................... 105 Instructions,.regulations.and.decisions.............................................. 105 Literature.and.other.sources............................................................... 106 vi Foreword As.I.am.writing.this,.the.UN.Convention.on.the.Rights.of.the.Child.has.just. seen.its.20th.anniversary..While.celebrating.this.anniversary,.Finland.reiter- ated.its.commitment.to.the.Convention.on.the.Rights.of.the.Child,.and.in.par- ticular.to.the.principle.of.the.child’s.best.interests.that.is.central.to.it.. How.can.the.principle.of.the.child’s.best.interests.be.applied.to.children.seeking. asylum.in.Finland?.Do.the.basic.rights.of.the.child.also.cover.their.situation? The.Government.Programme.of.Prime.Minister.Matti.Vanhanen’s.second. Cabinet.sets.as.its.goal.to.prepare.a.report.on.how.the.interests.of.children.are. recognised.in.the.decision-making.process.concerning.minor.asylum.seekers. and.refugees.and.in.their.reception..This.report.was.drawn.up.by.the.Office.of. the.Ombudsman.for.Minorities.with.funding.from.the.Ministry.of.the.Interior. The.results.show.that.this.report.was.badly.needed..The.report.indicates.that. the.principle.of.the.child’s.best.interests.is.not.adequately.recognised.in.deci- sion-making.concerning.minor.asylum.seekers.. The.first.step.should.be.to.perceive.minor.asylum.seekers.as.children.–.chil- dren.who.are.in.a.special.and.vulnerable.position,.but.children.nevertheless.. The.report.indicates.that.when.we.talk.about.unaccompanied.minor.asylum. seekers,.the.operative.word.is.‘asylum.seeker’,.possibly.overshadowing.efforts. to.identify.the.special.needs.of.the.child. Pursuant.to.the.UN.Convention.on. the.Rights.of.the.Child,.however,.each.and.every.person.under.18.years.of.age. should.be.treated.as.a.child..Whenever.necessary,.they.should.also.have.access. to.support.measures.under.the.Child.Welfare.Act.. In.the.report,.unaccompanied.minor.asylum.seekers.themselves.were.given.a. voice..It.turned.out.that.the.young.people’s.understanding.of.the.procedures. and.processes.concerning.them.was.rather.vague..From.their.perspective,.the. procedure.involves.many.actors,.a.great.number.of.processes.and.numerous. relocations..Their.ideas.of.their.own.rights.and.the.tasks.of.each.person.and. authority.were.rather.disorganised..When.taking.steps.to.improve.procedures,.