Transfer or relocation
In
case of transfer or relocation, it is important to ensure continuity of service
provision for the child and enable the child to maintain stable relations with
support persons before, during and after transfer or relocation. Guardianship
services should be provided with continuity in cases where the child is
transferred or relocated within the EU.
A
personal life project supports the child in using their time well, especially
during the period of uncertainty when the child is awaiting a decision on their
application for international protection and any decisions on transfer or
relocation. A life project gives a structure and purpose to this period and
facilitates meaningful investments into the child’s development and transition
to adulthood, in the country of arrival or origin or a country to which the
child is transferred or relocated.
Life
project planning should be as comprehensive as possible, addressing matters of
education and professional training, employment, health care and treatment,
social life and leisure time, contact with the family of origin and taking into
account the personal aspirations of the child as well as expectations from the
child’s family or community of origin. They should be transparent about each
step in the child’s case assessment and care planning and ensure continuity
while not anticipating any decision about the durable solution for the child.
Orientations
for professionals working with unaccompanied children:
- Inform the child about
the opportunities and conditions of transfer or relocation in a language that
the child understands and in a child-friendly manner, consult the child and
ensure that the child’s views are heard and taken into account by relevant decision-makers
and service providers.
- Ensure that decisions
about transfer or relocation are informed by a best interests determination
procedure and the views of the child.
- Work closely with the
child to prepare the transfer or relocation and ensure continuity of service
provision, relations and guardianship before, during and after the transfer or
relocation.
- Make sure that the
child holds all relevant documentation and certificates prior to transfer or
relocation, such as the child’s identity documents, case files, health care
documents, school certificates and other relevant documentation.
Literature:
Family and Childcare Centre
(KMOP), Defence for Children International –
Italy (2015), ‘Arrival’, in: Resiland
, Participation,
capacities and resilience of children on the move against trafficking and
exploitation, Orientations for professionals and officials working with and for
children on the move, Athens, pp. 29-43.