Care for Unaccompanied Children in Croatia: The Roles and Experiences of Special Guardians

Scientific paper - Original scientific paper

• Title (croatian): Skrb za djecu bez pratnje u Hrvatskoj: uloge i iskustva posebnih skrbnika
• Author: Drago Župarić-Iljić https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5654-4080
• Author: Dubravka Mlinarić https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5100-3306
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of Sociology)
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: SOCIAL SCIENCES; Sociology

Abstract (english)

In the period from 2011 to 2017, there was a fluctuating yet notable increase of unaccompanied minors transiting through Croatia. The 2015 and 2016 events involving the Balkan corridor included a significant number of unaccompanied and separated children, who count as vulnerable groups of refugees and migrants. State policies and measures aimed at providing care and protection to these groups include mechanisms of appointing special guardians, who are tasked with safeguarding their rights and providing general assistance within the system of care during their stay and/or during the status recognition procedure. Using a desk study of relevant accessible documents together with a thematic content analysis of 26 expert interviews that were conducted in three cycles; in 2014, 2016, and 2018 with relevant stakeholders and care providers, the authors discussed the experiences of practitioners in the field and some of the most important challenges they are facing within the special guardianship system. The general role of caregivers in the reception, integration and possible family reunification of unaccompanied children was also examined. The results suggested that due to short period of their stay in Croatia, and due to systemic insufficiencies within the system of care, the state is facing inconsistencies in the implementation of existing European Union standards and of national measures. The special guardianship care system for unaccompanied and separated children, which is moderately influenced by the 2015 and 2016 Balkan corridor experience, has been limited by lack of professional and financial resources, lack of stronger institutional support and somewhat overlapping competences of different parties in the system of care.

Abstract (croatian)

U razdoblju između 2011. i 2017. došlo je do oscilirajućeg, ali vidljivog, porasta broja maloljetnika bez pratnje u tranzitu kroz Hrvatsku. Događaji na balkanskom koridoru tijekom 2015. i 2016. uključivali su i značajan broj djece bez pratnje i djece odvojene od roditelja, koji se smatraju ranjivim skupinama izbjeglica i migranata. Državne politike i mjere usmjerene na skrb za te skupine, odnosno na njihovu zaštitu, uključuju i mehanizme imenovanja posebnih skrbnika koji se bave zaštitom njihovih prava i pružanjem opće potpore u sustavu skrbi tijekom njihova boravka i/ili tijekom postupka priznavanja statusa. Provedenom analizom dostupnih dokumenata nadopunjenom tematskom analizom sadržaja 26 ekspertnih intervjua koji su bili provedeni u tri ciklusa, 2014., 2016. i 2018., među relevantnim dionicima i pružateljima skrbi, u radu se razmatraju neki od najvažnijih izazova u sustavu posebnog skrbništva, ispitujući opću ulogu skrbnika za prihvat, integraciju i moguće spajanje obitelji za djecu bez pratnje. Rezultati upućuju na to da se zbog kratkog razdoblja boravka djece bez pratnje u Hrvatskoj, ali i zbog sustavnih nedostataka u sustavu skrbi, država suočava s nedosljednostima u provedbi postojećih standarda Europske unije kao i nacionalnih mjera. Stoga je sustav posebnog skrbništva za maloljetnike bez pratnje i djecu odvojenu od roditelja, na koji je samo dijelom utjecalo iskustvo s balkanskim koridorom iz 2015. i 2016., ograničen nedostatkom stručnih i financijskih sredstava, izostankom snažnije institucionalne podrške angažmanu posebnih skrbnika te donekle preklapanjem nadležnosti različitih aktera u sustavu skrbi.

• Keywords (english): unaccompanied children; special guardianship; family reunification; asylum in Croatia; Balkan corridor
• Keywords (croatian): djeca bez pratnje; posebno skrbništvo; spajanje obitelji; azil u Hrvatskoj; Balkanski koridor
• Language: english
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Original scientific paper
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review
• Publication version: Published version
• Journal title: Revija za sociologiju
• Numbering: vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 297-327
• p-ISSN: 0350-154X
• e-ISSN: 1846-7954
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.5613/rzs.48.3.2
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:357436
• Publication: 2018
• Document URL: https://hrcak.srce.hr/217640
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2022-05-11 15:39:42