GERMANY
unaccompanied children in the areas they serve.
However, the national guardianship system is
overwhelmed: the challenges associated with
delays in the appointment of guardians are
compounded by the fact that the staff of youth
welfare offices are unable to adequately carry
out their tasks due to a heavy workload and
insufficient training and support 7 .
THE PRACTICE
The project sets out to offer adequate care and
protection to unaccompanied children, while
providing support as each child grows up. It
seeks to equip young people with the right set
of skills to live independently and to integrate
socially. It targets unaccompanied young people
between the ages of 16 and 18, providing them
with support and assistance up to the age of 21,
where necessary. All the young people enrolled
in the programme have submitted an applica-
tion for international protection and either hold
a short-term, tolerated residence permit until
the age of 18 or have been granted refugee status
or subsidiary protection.
The project is in place in the cities of Düsseldorf
and Essen. In Düsseldorf, the unaccompanied
young people live together in two or three bed-
room apartments in the city. Socio-pedagogical
experts of SOS Children’s Villages meet with
them regularly to provide support. There is
as well a 24/7 on-call duty performed by the
socio-pedagogical experts. In Essen, the young
people live together in two bedroom apartments
across two buildings in one street. The office of
the socio-pedagogical experts who are available
24/7 to support the young people is located in
one of the buildings. There are currently 42
young men who are supported to live inde-
pendently in Düsseldorf and Essen. Both cities
have developed a comprehensive care frame-
work to assist with the integration of unaccom-
panied children. In both locations the project
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works closely with the local youth welfare office,
education authorities, health officers, youth
migration services and healthcare providers.
The project is funded by state youth welfare
authorities and institutional donors.
The main goal is to create a functioning support
network which helps unaccompanied young
people to achieve independence and fully
integrate into German society.
I am currently a fighter. I fight for life. […] I had
nothing when I came to Germany. I had to learn to grow
up quickly, I could no longer be a child. I have been an
adult since I turned 15.
[…] Family and social relationships are very important.
This is why I want to and have to care for my younger
brother. Sometimes people say that I should live my own
life and he as well, but I can’t. He is my family.
19-year-old boy from Syria, former unaccompanied child
An individual care plan is developed in consul-
tation with each young person, his or her legal
guardian and his or her case manager at the
youth welfare office. The individual care plan
details the appropriate measures and activities
that will be taken to support the young person,
“Country Report: Germany”, Asylum Information Database (AIDA), last modified 13 April 2017,
http://www.asylumineurope.org/reports/country/germany.
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