Health for Asylum Seekers and Refugees Portal banner

Unaccompanied Children

News & Events

About HARPWEB

Site suggestions - help us to provide better service

Other HARPWEB sites

Communicate - multilingual appointment card

Local resources - UK database of important local resources

Harp Mental Health and Well-being Resource - website for health professionals involved in assisting asylum seekers and refugees

An unaccompanied child is the definition used by the Home Office to describe a child under 18 outside their country of origin who is not accompanied by a close relative (regardless of whether or not that relative usually cares for the child).This makes it a more narrowly defined term than separated children.

National Register for unaccompanied Children (NRUC

To ensure continuity of care and prevent abuse of the asylum system, central and local government have built the National Register for unaccompanied Children (NRUC). For the first time data will be held and shared between local authorities responsible for the care of unaccompanied asylum seeking Children (UASC) and central government.

Link [Last update: 2007-02-15; 12:46]

Refugee Council provides specialist advice to unaccompanied refugee children

The Refugee Council employs around 30 advisers who travel all over the country to support unaccompanied asylum seeking children. The Children's Panel of Advisers represents many different countries and languages.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 13:17]

Refugee Council: unaccompanied children

Support and entitlement information from the Refugee Council's information centre.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 13:14]

The Home Office instruction policy guidelines concerning asylum applications from accompanied and unaccompanied children

The site includes definitions and (short) instructions on interviewing unaccompanied children. Scroll down to 'unaccompanied children'.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 13:14]

Save the Children: working with separated children -field guide

Information sheet No. 5.
This sheet gives details of the rights of the children.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 13:15]

UNHCR (2001) Protection and assistance to unaccompanied and separated refugee children

The document offers a broad introduction the international rights of unaccompanied children; it discusses topics such as children in the military, sexual violence and abuse, child headed households. A good foundation document. (Slow to open).
Type 'Protection and assistance to unaccompanied and separated refugee children' into search for report.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 13:15]

Barnardos: unaccompanied children

According to the children's charity Barnardo's, 'the majority of authorities have no specific policies to work with Unaccompanied children (72%), they have not included them in their Management Action Plans under the Quality Protects initiative (62%) or in the Department of Health's 'new assessment frameworks' (74%). More than a third of authorities place unaccompanied children outside the responsible borough with very varied levels of support then available.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 13:16]

MEDACT: Providing health care for refugee children and unaccompanied minors

Article by Margaret A Lynch, Professor of Community Pediatrics, Guy's, King's and St Thomas' School of Medicine.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 13:16]

Working with asylum children at ports (2002)

Save the Children have produced a set of guidance notes about working with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. These include practical tips for working with these children on arrival.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 13:16]

Unaccompanied Minors Team

The Unaccompanied Minors Team (UMT) was established in December 1998 in response to the increasing numbers of unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children arriving in the UK. Provides a useful list of services and links.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 13:17]

Women's commission for refugee women and children.

This commission is working to improve the lives and defend the rights of refugee and internally displaced women, children and adolescents Special considerations for Refugee Children. This document(pdf)includes issues such as health, detention centres, unaccompanied minors. Link to chapter 5: 'Special considerations for refugee children'.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 13:18]

Research with unaccompanied children seeking asylum

Guidance in an article by S. Thomas & S. Byford. BMJ 2003;327:1400-1402 (13 December). The rise in the refugee and asylum seeking populations in the UK has led to increased research and debate about their health and social needs. Although more information is needed, concerns exist that some researchers may be unaware of the complex issues inherent in conducting research with such groups. Language, culture, religion, social norms, and experiences of oppression may make it difficult to obtain truly informed and voluntary consent or truly accurate responses to research questions. In addition, refugees may be stigmatised or risk reprisal merely by entering a study.These concerns are magnified for young people who are refugees or seeking asylum, particularly those who arrive in the UK alone. They have drawn on our experience working with unaccompanied children who are seeking asylum to suggest guidelines for researchers.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 13:18]

Unaccompanied asylum seeking children: Home Office information note

Provided by asylumsupport.
Includes clear information on meeting the needs of unaccompanied children and guidelines for support plus useful addresses.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 13:19]

Eligibility of non-residents for NHS treatment

BMJ article: BMJ 2004;329:683 (18 Sept),
'Children of asylum seekers are special case'

Link [Last update: 2007-05-15; 13:24]

The ARC project

ARC, the Asylum Seeking and Refugee Children: Developing Good Practice Project website, is a new online resource from NCB aimed at practitioners and managers from: Children's services; Education; Foster care; Health sector;
Refugee community sector; Residential care and
Voluntary sectors.

Link [Last update: 2006-08-30; 15:30]

Home Office: Guidance on unaccompanied children seeking asylum in the UK

Definition of unaccompanied child plus the process of applying for asylum.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 13:19]

Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children: research in practice

Report June 2004.
Scroll down to read presentations.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 13:20]

Information note on Home Office position re Schedule 3 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 as it applies to former Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC).

Information supplied by the Children's Legal Centre

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 13:15]

Refugee Council: Support arrangements for 16 to 17 year old unaccompanied asylum seeking children

In recent years the majority of unaccompanied children seeking asylum have been aged 16 and 17 on arrival. There have been many concerns expressed about the quality of care and support provided to this group. This briefing addresses some of the fundamental questions and concerns.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 13:18]

Who can consent to the medical treatment of an asylum seeking child who is unaccompanied or separated from his/her parents?

This information is provided by The Children's Legal Centre.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 13:17]

HARPWEB logo and link to HARPWEB home page About HARPWEB | Site Map | Disclaimer | Contact Us | ©2003 HARP