An urgent call for measures to combat child-trafficking in Ireland has been made by the Irish Refugee Council amid dramatic increases in the numbers of children arriving undetected in the State.
Some 95 per cent of separated children seeking asylum here were not identified by immigration officials at ports of entry, but presented themselves to the authorities in-country, according to a report to be published by the council today.
The study raises concerns about some 160 unaccompanied minors in the asylum process who have not turned up for the refugee interviews, as the whereabouts of many of these children are unknown.
A total of 2,717 immigrant separated children, most aged 14 or over, have been referred to the East Coast Area Health Board since 1999, according to the study.
Of these, 1,316 made asylum claims. Approximately 40 per cent, or 1,113, were reunited with family members already in Ireland. The top five countries of origin of separated children to Ireland are Nigeria, Romania, Sierra Leone, Moldova and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Some 13 per cent of child applicants have been recognised as refugees fleeing persecution after initial interview, and the report calls for an alternative form of State protection for those who are not found to be refugees.
While noting significant developments in the provision of care for separated children since 1999, the report says the large increase in numbers has far overstretched the capacity of health boards to absorb children within existing residential services, particularly in the Dublin region.
The report's authors said concerns had been expressed to them about the well-being of adolescents in hostel accommodation, "a largely unsupervised and unsupported environment where minors have the same welfare allowances and self-care responsibilities as adults".
Many people interviewed questioned the appropriateness of this system for minors. One respondent told the authors: "Kids talk about their home situation, not having study facilities, no one to help them with their homework, no one to motivate them to go to school, the whole way they live."
It says accommodation centres provided for minors are not appropriately staffed to meet their needs. In some cases, one project worker is assigned to centres housing up to 70 young people.
The report recommends accommodation units for smaller numbers of minors, on a group home model with supervisory structures provided by trained childcare support staff and appropriate provision for study and homework.
Other concerns were that "minors with mental health needs as a result of experiences of loss, violence or trauma were very isolated and lonely, and that adolescents were vulnerable to abuse or sexual exploitation."
The authors conclude that "insufficient monitoring and protection mechanisms are in place to deter or identify child-trafficking."
There is also little or no follow-up of separated children reunited with family members in the State.