Asylum seekers are not a class apart

Findings from a Social Research Unit study of the needs and characteristics of separated children seeking asylum in Ireland are now published in the April edition of the Child Care in Practice Journal.

The first empirical work of its kind in Ireland, the study established that such children are very far from being a homogenous group.

They face a multitude of risks and, although some experience significantly poor outcomes as a result, others thrive in their new environment and excel once properly settled.

In ‘The circumstances and needs of separated children seeking asylum in Ireland' Ali Abunimah and Sarah Blower describe how they were able to distinguish distinct patterns of need reflecting different types of experience and difficulty, which in turn require different types of service response.

Reference:

Abunimah, A, & Blower, S. (2010) The Circumstances and Needs of Separated Children Seeking Asylum in Ireland, Child Care in Practice, volume 16, number 2. PP 129-146.