Children and young people on the moveTowards a more precise definition of their best interests

Decision making in the asylum procedure and on housing issues

Presentation Margrite Kalverboer, Phd, LLM & Carla van Os, MSc, LLM

Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences - Department of Special Needs Education and Youth Care

Study Centre for Children, Migration and Law

Content

1. The Best Interests of the Child (BIC)-model: a theoretical framework to describe the best interests of the child.

2. The BIC-Questionnaire (BIC-Q) and BIC-Selfreport (BIC-S): tools to assess the best interests of the child.

3. The BIC-method and General Comment No. 144. Recently arrived refugee children: what do we know?5. Finding keys: how to facilitate the disclosure of life

stories?6. Making a decision upon the asylum request.

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Decision making in the asylum procedureProgramme

The Best Interests of the Child-model

Family: current situation Society: current situation

1. Adequate physical care 8. Safe wider physical environment

2. Safe direct physical environment 9. Respect

3. Affective atmosphere 10. Social network

4. Supporting, flexible childrearing structure

11. Education

5. Adequate examples by parents 12. Contact with peers

6. Interest 13. Adequate examples in society

Family: future and past Society: future and past

7. Continuity in upbringing conditions, future perspective

14. Stability in life circumstances, future perspective

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The BIC-model, BIC-Q, and BIC-S: example

Family: future and past

7. Continuity in upbringing conditions, future perspective

Definition (elements) Attachments bonds do develop, basic trust is to be continued by the availability of primary caregivers, the child experiences a future perspective

BIC-Q (example) Does the child have contact with significant persons from the past?

BIC-S (example) Do you still see people who were important for you when you were young?

Society: current situation

8. Safe wider physical environment

Definition (elements) Criminality, (civil) wars, natural disasters, infectious diseases etc do not threaten the development of the child

BIC-Q (example) Is the wider living environment the child is growing up safe?

BIC-S (example) Do you feel safe in your neighbourhood?

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Decision-making

BIC-method: scientific, pedagogical, practical translation of GC 14 Elements of the BID-determination in GC 14: Individual characteristics:

The child’s identity The child’s vulnerability

Social and cultural context: The child’s views The child’s family environment Preservation of ties The child’s protection Future risk or harm The child’s right to health The child’s right to education

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Best Interests of the Child determinationGeneral Comment N0. 14 (GC 14)

Knowledge on unknown children: recently arrived minor refugees

Stressful life events: Exposure to violence, war and persecution, separation from

and loss of family member, extreme poverty, dangerous flight

Mental health problems:Anxiety, trauma related stress, depression

Risk factors for mental health:• Number, duration and severity of stressful life events • Exposure to violence• Loss of close family member• Experience of danger during the flight, duration of the

flight.

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Disclosure of life stories

Importance of disclosure for the assessment of protection needs Barriers for disclosure:

Mistrust Selfprotection Culture of disbelieve

Facilitators for disclosure: A positive and respectful attitude of the interviewer Taking time to build trust Providing agency Non-verbal methods Skilled interpreter

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Decision-making

Individual BIC-assessment: 1. Is the child extra vulnerable? 2. Were conditions for development in the country of origin fulfilled before

departure? 3. What are the expectations about these conditions for development when

the child returns? Balancing the elements in the BIC-assessment

Multidisciplinary BIC-panel Purpose: full and effective enjoyment of the CRC rights

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Decision making

References BIC-method

› Ten Brummelaar, M. D. C., Kalverboer, M. E., Harder, A. T., Post, W. J., Zijlstra, A. E., & Knorth, E. J. (2013). The Best Interest of the Child Self-report questionnaire (BIC-S): Results of a participatory development procedure. Child Indicators Research, doi: 10.1007/s12187-013-9225-3.

› Zijlstra, A. E ., Kalverboer, M. E., Post, W. J., Ten Brummelaar, M. D. C., & Knorth, E. J. (2013). Could the BIC-Q be a decision-support tool to predict the development of asylum-seeking children? International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 35, doi 10.1016/j.ijlp.2013.01.005

› Kalverboer, M. E., Ten Brummelaar, M. D. C., Post, W. J., Zijlstra, A. E., Harder, A. T., & Knorth, E. J. (2012).The Best Interest of the Child Questionnaire; reliability and validity. Preliminary data on the question: Where to live after detention or secure treatment?Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 22(1),41-52. doi: 10.1002/cbm.825. [SSCI]

› Zijlstra, A. E. , Kalverboer, M. E., Post, W. J., Knorth, E. J., & Ten Brummelaar, M. D. C. (2012). The Quality of the Childrearing Environment of Refugee or Asylum Seeking Children and the Best Interests of the Child: Reliability and Validity of the BIC-Q. Behavioral Sciences and The Law, 28, doi: 10.1002/bsl.1998

› Zijlstra, A. E. (2012). In the best interest of the child? A study into a decision-support tool validating asylum-seeking children’s rights from a behavioural scientific perspective. Dissertation. University of Groningen.

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