Sir, – The African & Migrant Women’s Network in Ireland (AkiDwA) welcomes the Interim Report of the Child Care Law Reporting Project (Dr Carol Coulter, Nov 2013). Since 2006 we have expressed concern about the number of African children requiring State care or intervention. Protections and supports for unaccompanied minors, trafficked youth and those abandoned are of major concern for all. On the other hand the report also highlighted instances where some cases did not need to go to court and where greater cultural understandings and appropriate training could have helped.
A key area of concern for AkiDwA has been the mental wellbeing of parents within the asylum system. It would appear to us that the longer they are left in a prolonged state of uncertainty the most likely they are to fall into depression. Depression among African parents, while very much hidden from society, is very prevalent within the community. This impacts on the level of care given to children.
AkiDwA feels a closer examination of the reasons African children are taken into State care is needed. An open conversation between agencies and stakeholders is also needed. While not wishing to pre-empt the results of any such examination, AkiDwA believes plans for culturally appropriate timely interventions for parents and children in the asylum system, along with a speeding up of the asylum process, will be one of the most effective means of addressing the current issues.
One error in Dr Coulter's report is the assertion African families are more than 20 times more likely to be involved in child care proceedings. This figure is based on an estimate of approximately 22,524 Africans in Ireland, or almost 0.5 per cent of the population. However the CSO's 2011 census of population put the population of Africans at 41,642 or 0.91 per cent of the total population. Thus it would be more accurate to say that African families are 12 to 13 times more likely to be involved in child care proceedings. Despite this lower likelihood than the figure reported, it is still an unacceptably high statistic, a very real cause for concern and an issue that demands a response. – Yours, etc,
SALOME MBUGUA,
CEO, AkiDwA,
Buckingham Street,
Dublin 1.