Conducting BIAs for UASC in Cairo (RefugePoint 2012)
1. Conducting Best Interest Assessments
for Unaccompanied and Separated
Children in Cairo
Collaborative project between UNHCR Cairo and RefugePoint
April 2012 – September 2012
devon cone
mei lian tjia
SPECIAL REPORT
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List of Acronyms
AMERA Africa and Middle East Refugee Assistance
BIA Best Interest Assessment
BID Best Interest Determination
CBO Community Based Organisation
CRS Catholic Relief Services
ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross
NGO Non-Governmental Organisation
OAU Organisation of African Unity
PSTIC Psycho-Social Training Institute in Cairo
RLAP Refugee Legal Aid Project
RSD Refugee Status Determination
SC Separated Child
SGBV Sexual and Gender Based Violence
SOPs Standard Operating Procedures
UAM Unaccompanied Minor
UASC Unaccompanied and Separated Children
UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
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Executive Summary
In 2012, UNHCR released “A Framework for
the Protection of Children.” This framework
provides guidance as to how UNHCR can better
protect young refugees and asylum seekers.
As Egypt is one of 11 target countries for the
initial rollout of the framework, UNHCR Cairo
has formulated a country strategy for child
protection in consultation with implementing
and operational partners. UNHCR Cairo revised
its Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for
Unaccompanied and Separated Children (UASC).
The SOPs include the provision of a Best Interest
Assessment (BIA) for all registered UASC.
To ensure that BIAs are conducted for all UASC and
to receive assistance with the implementation of the
new SOPs, UNHCR invited a team from RefugePoint to
Cairo in early 2012. The three person team worked from
within UNHCR and in close cooperation with other
agencies from April 2012 until mid September 2012.
Prior to the start of individual BIA casework, the
RefugePoint team identified several preparatory
activities that needed to be accomplished:
Mapping of services available to UASC: The best
interest process is, first and foremost, a case
management tool. In order to be able to appropriately
refer UASC to service providers and advise them on
such referral possibilities, the team undertook as a
first step to map the services available to UASC as
well as how these can be accessed.
Determining the list of children requiring BIAs: The
RefugePoint team spent a considerable amount of
time running queries in UNHCR’s database, ProGres,
and crosschecking the results in order to identify
as many UASC as possible for the project and filter
out those who already had a caseworker. Despite
the efforts, it is still likely that some UASC were
overlooked, which highlights the need for accurate
and consistent registration data.
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Conducting an information campaign: The team
put together a general information notice on the
purpose of the project and posted these leaflets in the
community prior to beginning interviews.
Developing a counseling guide: The team wrote
a guide to be used for counseling individual UASC
prior to the start of the interviews, with the aim of
standardizing counseling and helping to manage
expectations. This guide covered the structure and
purpose of the interview as well as expected follow-up.
The RefugePoint team scheduled interviews with
identified UASC over the phone and agreed with
the children (and, where applicable, with their
caregivers) on the location of the interview – either at
a local community center or at the home of the child.
Scheduling the interviews was often challenging as
more than half of the UASC identified were unreachable
through the contact details provided at registration.
Interviews, which were conducted between mid May
and late August 2012, began with an introduction and
short counseling session and concluded by seeking
written consent for any referrals. The interviews
themselves were guided by a locally developed BIA
form, adapted from the general UNHCR BIA template.
The Cairo BIA tool is rich in content and facilitates
useful dialogue as it covers most relevant issues that
young displaced people in Cairo face. However, the
team found that the form was cumbersome and the
time required for completion was not realistic given
the number of young people requiring BIAs according
to the SOPs. The team modified the Cairo BIA form,
resulting in a form that covers all the necessary
information but eliminates some redundancies in the
previous form.
Ultimately, the RefugePoint team conducted
interviews with a total of 135 UASC – predominantly
of Somali origin, but also Sudanese, Eritrean and
Ethiopian.1 For these 135 UASC, a total of 257 referrals
for follow-up services were made. The majority of
referrals were for the purpose of gaining access to
education, mostly following a request from the child
for vocational training, but also for literacy classes
and formal education. Furthermore, a relatively large
number of referrals were made for case management,
including psychosocial support and identification
of alternative living or care arrangements. This also
included several young people who were coping
relatively well but expressed their interest in linking
up with organizations to be included in recreational
activities and/or to meet peers.
Referrals were done in bulk towards the end of
interviewing period, unless in case of urgent protection
needs requiring immediate intervention. Referring
in bulk helped both the RefugePoint team as well as
the receiving entity (various UNHCR departments,
implementing partners, and operational partners)
track and manage the cases being referred. To
facilitate follow-up, the RefugePoint team provided
comprehensive lists to those receiving entities to
whom more than 10 UASC were referred.
Many of the trends that the RefugePoint team
noticed amongst UASC in Cairo fell within the lines
of nationality and gender. For example, most Somalis
reported not to be in school, especially Somali girls.
Sudanese children cited significant security concerns,
and Eritrean and Ethiopian youth indicated that their
lack of Arabic language skills greatly affected their
ability to integrate.
The team also noted various general trends and
challenges for UASC in Cairo:
Poor awareness of services: Many of the children the
team interviewed were unaware of services available
in Cairo.
Inaccessible location of services: With limited
financial resources, limited knowledge of the city, and
given the dispersed locations of organizations, UASC
in Cairo often are unable to travel to service providers.
General isolation: Many UASC do not feel safe (even
less so since the revolution), confident or financially
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secure, which leads them to confine themselves and
limits their ability to connect with other peers and/or
take part in productive activities.
No future prospects or plans: All UASC in Cairo
are eligible for financial assistance from UNHCR’s
implementing partner Caritas. However, none of the
UASC currently receiving financial assistance have
any concrete plans for how to support themselves
once their assistance is discontinued.
In addition to conducting individual BIA casework, the
team also conducted a review of the implementation
of the revised interagency SOPs for UASC. These SOPs
describe the referral pathway for identified UASC
in Cairo and cover the topics of financial assistance,
refugee status determination, the BID process and
durable solutions.
The following issues were noted:
Cumbersome process for registration and other
services: Under the current system, UASC are
required to go to different offices multiple times
for different but related purposes. The process
of multiple interviews accompanied by the
associated documentation is cumbersome and
requires considerable amounts of time by both
staff and refugees.
Significant waiting times resulting in backlogs: Due
to lack of capacity, the waiting period for registration
has increased to 12 weeks, whereas the SOPs
prescribe three weeks to complete the registration
process. Additionally, by August 2012 there was a
backlog of 120 UASC who had been registered but not
yet referred for a BIA. Unless capacity is increased or
rearranged, there will continue to be backlogs.
Lack of central focal point: Many different focal
points from the various agencies are involved in the
referral pathway. Children can easily fall between
the cracks, especially if they do not have the means
to approach service providers or do not know how.
Having one focal point or organization tracking these
children would likely mitigate this risk, facilitate
coordination among service providers, and thus
enhance overall child protection.
The RefugePoint team encountered the following
challenges during the project:
Documentation: The locally developed BIA form the
team used at the start of the mission was partially
redundant and therefore required more time than was
necessary to complete. The team tested a streamlined
adaptation towards the end of the mission, and
it proved to allow the same data collection in
significantly less time.
High rate of no-shows: 43 interviews were scheduled
for which the child did not show up, the vast majority
of which were Somali. It is noted that many of the
Somali UASC who later did show up for their BIA
interviews were indifferent and did not think the
interaction would benefit them in any way.
Logistical challenges: UASC requiring BIAs are
located in disparate areas of Cairo and speak a variety
of languages. Coordinating interviews with them in
the community with an interpreter speaking their
language required careful planning, even with UNHCR
being fully supportive and providing transportation
and interpreters to meet the team’s needs.
Operating outside of the local SOPs: One of the goals
of the mission was to evaluate the recently-revised
local SOPs for handling UASC cases. However, as
the individual UASC with whom the RefugePoint
team worked had been identified and registered
prior to implementation of the revised SOPs, the
team was not actually a part of or even present to
monitor the initial stages of the new interagency case
management process for these cases. Being unable
to actively participate in this stage of the process
made it challenging to evaluate the effectiveness of
the new SOPs.
By the conclusion of the project, the team was
able to make several short, medium and long-term
recommendations focusing on urgent protection
concerns, capacity building, and systems change
described in detail at the end of the full report. A
selection of these recommendations include:
Simplify the UNHCR registration process to make it
more child-friendly and expand UNHCR’s presence to
more easily accessible locations.
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Ensure accurate and current registration data for all
UASC and other children at risk, including consistent
use of codes in UNHCR’s database, ProGres, which
helps to facilitate any necessary follow-up and
enhances protection.
Improve mechanisms used to follow up after children
are referred for services, in order to ensure that the
children are actually accessing the services they need.
Identify a single, dedicated child protection focal
point within UNHCR as well as a child protection
implementing partner to conduct case management.
Conduct regular trainings on identifying children
at risk and on child-friendly interviewing and case
management techniques.
Make important information more child-friendly
and more easily accessible for vulnerable children,
in particular information about what services are
available and how to access them.
Advocate for the inclusion of persons of
concern to UNHCR in the national framework
for child protection.
During the course of the mission, the RefugePoint
team identified cases in need of a BIA, conducted
interviews, completed assessments, made referrals
and provided recommendations to modify the SOPs
for unaccompanied and separated children. For many
of these children, the interview with the RefugePoint
staff member was their first and sometimes only
interaction with someone affiliated with UNHCR since
their registration. One-on-one interaction with the
young person, in a non-threatening, child-friendly
environment was an important priority. Many of
these children were unaware of services available to
them in Cairo and indicated that they felt isolated and
neglected. The RefugePoint staff provided counseling
to these young people while simultaneously providing
UNHCR and its partners in Cairo an evaluation of
existing SOPs. Ultimately, RefugePoint’s mission
to Cairo reduced the previously existing backlog of
pending BIAs and at the same time helped build long-
term capacity by making recommendations to improve
Cairo’s interagency child protection systems.
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1. Introduction
1.1 BACKGROUND OF CAIRO
Cairo and the surrounding area houses almost 20
million inhabitants. It is the largest metropolitan
center in Africa and is known as a gateway to Europe
and the Middle East. As of July 2012, Cairo is the
home to more than 44,147 registered refugees and
asylum seekers: 25,972 recognized refugees and
18,175 asylum seekers. Of these refugees and asylum
seekers, 51% are Sudanese, 16% are Iraqis, 17%
Somali, 5% Eritrean, 4.4% Ethiopian, and 6.3%
from other refugee producing countries.2
Egypt is a refugee-receiving as well as transit
country. Many refugees and asylum seekers
pass through Egypt, arriving from sub-Saharan
African countries in an attempt to travel to other
locations, particularly Israel and European countries.
Egypt is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and
its 1967 Protocol, as well as the 1969 OAU Convention,
however, it has submitted reservations on clauses
related to personal status, rationing, public relief
and education, labor legislation, and social security.
Although Egypt is a signatory, it has yet to develop its
own domestic asylum procedures and legal institutions
in order to adequately address the needs of refugees
and asylum seekers. Under a 1954 Memorandum of
Understanding, Egypt generally delegated to UNHCR
the responsibility for registering asylum-seekers and
adjudicating their applications (that is, conducting
refugee status determinations).
1.2 EGYPTIAN REVOLUTION
Beginning in January 2011, Egyptian citizens
participated in a series of uprisings that resulted in
the overthrow of the president Hosni Mubarak and
his regime. As a result, Cairo in particular has been
the scene of numerous protests, demonstrations, and
sometimes violent clashes regarding the nature of
Egyptian politics and government. Although the events
of the Egyptian revolution and the following post-
revolutionary environment relate most specifically to
Egyptian citizens, they have also aggravated the already
difficult conditions for refugees and asylum seekers who
reportedly face increased xenophobia, overt racism,
violence and in some instances difficulty accessing
refugee related services.3
1.3 CURRENT ENVIRONMENT
Presently, UNHCR and NGOs are serving refugees
at normal capacity. Despite Egypt’s recent political
upheaval, people fleeing persecution in their home
countries throughout the region continue to seek
asylum in Egypt. In July 2012, 919 individuals registered
with UNHCR and sought asylum in Egypt. In the same
month, UNHCR Cairo registered 14 unaccompanied or
separated children (UASC), increasing the total number
of registered UASC to 289.
1.4 UNHCR’S GLOBAL CHILD PROTECTION FRAMEWORK
In 2012, UNHCR released “A Framework for the
Protection of Children.” This document provides new
guidelines aimed at improving the protection of young
people, recognizing that over half of the world’s forcibly
displaced people are under the age of eighteen.4 Egypt
is one of 11 target countries participating in the initial
rollout of the framework.
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UNHCR Cairo has formulated a country strategy
in line with the Framework, in consultation with
implementing partners and operational partners.
In addition to serving all child refugees and asylum
seekers, UNHCR Cairo has placed particular emphasis
on increasing the protection space for UASC.
To better address the needs of vulnerable children,
UNHCR Cairo has revised its Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs) for UASC, which now include the
provision of a Best Interest Assessment (BIA) for all
registered UASC.5
To help UNHCR and its partners implement the new
procedures as well as to provide further guidance on
child protection systems, a RefugePoint mission worked
within UNHCR from April to September 2012.
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2. BIA Project Methodology
2.1. BIA PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The BIA project objectives related to individual
casework with UASC, feeding into the evaluation of
policies relating to UASC. The terms of reference agreed
on were as follows:
Conduct BIAs, where appropriate including home
visits, for approximately 250 UASC who were
registered with UNHCR but had not yet undergone
such assessment;
Evaluate the draft standard operating procedures (SOPs)
for UASC, designed by UNHCR and partners, and
assist with the implementation thereof, ensuring close
cooperation with key partners in the BIA/BID process;
Assess, together with the various UNHCR units, the
overall approach to protection and assistance of UASC,
and where appropriate conduct training or coaching;
In accordance with need and capacity, conduct
focus group discussions with UASC to assess their
protection and assistance concerns;
Provide an end of mission report with
recommendations on protection and program
interventions to support a comprehensive approach.
The duration of the project, initially envisioned to
be four months, spanned from early April until mid
September 2012. The team consisted of a team leader/
caseworker and two additional caseworkers.
2.2. PROJECT PREPARATIONS; INITIAL ACTIVITIES
The RefugePoint team identified several preparatory
activities that needed to be completed prior to the start
of the individual casework.
2.2.1. Mapping of UASC services
In order to be able to appropriately refer UASC to
service providers and advise them on such referral
possibilities, the RefugePoint team undertook as a first
step to map the services available to UASC as well as
how these can be accessed. The importance of using a
BIA as a case management tool with adequate follow-up
actions (in order for the children to fully benefit from
the process), as well as the limited term of the project
(and thus the impossibility for the team to conduct
longer term follow-up), further prioritized this matter.
To this end, the team met with the various UNHCR
units and partners working with refugee and asylum
seeker children. These meetings also provided the
opportunity for the team to explain the objectives
of the project and to obtain initial input on the child
protection situation from the perspective of the various
stakeholders. Annex 1 provides an overview of the
different services and how they can be accessed.
2.2.2. Determining the BIA individual case list
UNHCR and RefugePoint ensured that those
individuals who already had a caseworker from
AMERA or PSTIC (UNHCR’s key partners for UASC
case management) were filtered out from the list of
UASC to work with during the project. This was done
to avoid possible confusion and/or distress for the
children as well as duplication of work. To this end,
prior to the start of the project UNHCR extracted a list
of UASC from its database, ProGres. UNHCR sent this
list to partners, requesting that they indicate which
individuals they were already working with.
This list was generated using the search criteria
reflected in the left hand column of the table on page
12. As the table demonstrates, only unaccompanied
children who are the principal applicant for the
household were identified through this search – 54
of which were not registered with the “UASC specific
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needs code”. To ensure that separated children (who stay
with an adult guardian) were also included on the case
list, the RefugePoint team extracted a list on the basis of
the criteria reflected in the right hand column – i.e. UASC
who are identified as such in the ProGres database. The
results from the two filters, though overlapping, differed,
requiring an additional crosscheck.
Accurate, consistent registration data is invaluable,
especially indicating “UASC” as a specific needs code
when an asylum seeker registers and is without his/her
parents. The process of crosschecking search results is
time consuming, and was one of the main reasons why
the start of interviewing was delayed until mid May
2012. If the registration information is accurate and
specific needs codes are applied consistently, UASC
can easily be filtered from ProGres and identified.
Also, in view of the fact that a significant number of
unaccompanied children were identified who were
not registered with the UASC specific needs code, it
is possible that the team was unable to identify some
separated children for whom the UASC specific needs
code was not indicated in ProGres.
Additionally, as the UASC code is currently applied
for an indefinite period of time, the team had to look
specifically for UASC under age 18. If the code is applied
for a finite amount of time i.e. until the child attains
the age of majority, which is possible and appears to be
preferable from a reporting perspective, it is easier to
identify UASC.
After crosschecking the results of both searches and
an additional partner review, the BIA case list was set
at 242 cases. Subsequently, the team undertook a desk
review of all cases and identified 49 UASC who, based
on initial review, were likely to be more vulnerable
than the others. The team prioritized these cases and
interviewed them first. Some examples of such high
priority cases were UASC of a younger age or with
multiple specific needs.
2.2.3. Information campaign
Most of the child protection actors in Cairo tend to
conduct their work at their respective office locations.
As interviews for this project were to be conducted
in community centers and homes, the RefugePoint
team drafted a general message to inform the refugee
community beforehand about the team members’
impending presence and the purpose of the work. The
message, included in Annex 2, was translated into five
languages most commonly spoken amongst the refugee
population in Cairo, and sent out to partners and
community-based organizations to share widely.
2.2.4. Counseling guide
The team drafted a counseling guide with the aim to
standardize counseling in the context of the interviews,
help manage expectations, and facilitate UASC in giving
informed consent to sharing their information with
NGO partners for purposes of referral and follow-up.
The main topics of the counseling guide, attached in
Annex 3, included:
Introductions
Purpose of the BIA interview; expectations
Confidentiality; usage of BIA information
Structure of the BIA interview
Rights
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3. Individual BIA Casework: Interviews,
Referrals and Follow-Up
3.1. BIA INTERVIEWS
3.1.1. Interviews conducted – overview
From the 16th of May 2012 to the 23rd of August
2012, the RefugePoint team conducted interviews for
a total of 135 individual UASC: 80 boys and 55 girls.
The tables below provide a breakdown of gender and
age 6, nationality and gender, and nationality and status
(unaccompanied or separated).
a. Scheduling of the BIA interviews
The RefugePoint team scheduled interviews over the
phone using interpreters, managed mostly by one
caseworker for the purpose of consistency. Scheduling
was a time-consuming activity for a number of reasons.
First, it typically required several attempts to reach a
child. Second, many of the telephone numbers available
in the UNHCR database were outdated. This appears,
in part, to be due to the fact that it is burdensome for
persons of concern to update contact details, which
presently is almost always done by reporting in person
to UNHCR’s office in 6th of October City, which is some
distance from central Cairo and the neighborhoods
where most refugees and asylum seekers live. Caritas,
the organization that provides financial assistance to
UASC and that interacts with them on a monthly basis,
also did not always have accurate contact details for
the children, reflecting the challenge of tracking urban
refugees generally.
b. Location of the BIA interviews
With the support of the UNHCR office providing
transport and interpreters, the RefugePoint team
attempted to meet with the UASC in the most ideal
location possible under the circumstances in Cairo. This
was either a community center close to the home or the
home itself, and was determined in consultation with
the child (and, where applicable, the caregiver).7 For a
number of interviews, the RefugePoint team met at the
office of implementing partner Caritas.
Community centers
The majority of the interviews were conducted in
community centers of implementing partner Tadamon
located in the areas where the children live. Conducting
interviews in the various community centers was
beneficial in that all of these community centers had
rooms that could be closed off to provide a confidential
environment. Additionally, the community centers
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were run by refugees themselves and were located in
relatively easily accessible areas to the children.
Prior to each interview, the caseworker met with the
child outside of the center, brought them into a room,
explained what the purpose of the interview was and
asked if they had any questions before beginning.
Additionally, the caseworker did not use a computer and
set chairs in a circle with the interpreter, the child, and
the caseworker all facing each other in order to facilitate
openness and discussion.
Home visits
The RefugePoint team conducted home visits for 26
individuals (19% of all UASC interviewed). In principle,
a caseworker conducted a home visit in addition to an
interview in a community center when one was needed
in order to make a sound recommendation. In some
cases, the child indicated his/her preference to meet at
the residence, for instance because he/she did not feel
comfortable to leave the house and locate the center.
Prior to conducting home visits, the caseworker
explained the nature of the interview and asked
the child (and, where applicable, the caregiver), if
he/she would be comfortable with the caseworker
and interpreter entering his/her living area. The
caseworkers were sensitive to the fact that entering the
child’s home or even being in the child’s neighborhood
can sometimes attract added attention to the child and
thus can put the child at risk. RefugePoint staff tried
to ensure that the location where the caseworker met
with the child was a comfortable and safe environment
and did not put the child at additional risk. In addition,
when the caseworker met in the child’s apartment, the
caseworker made efforts to ensure that the child and
caseworker were able to find an area of the house where
they could speak in private.
Caritas
Using the modified BIA form the team created,
RefugePoint staff were able to interview 34 children at
Caritas (25% of all UASC interviewed) over a period of
five workdays in the month of August. All were children
to whom Caritas had been providing financial assistance
but who could not be reached or had not shown up to
their scheduled interview.
In these cases, the caseworkers met in a private room
within Caritas. Interviewing at Caritas was a less child-
friendly location than the home or the community
center because Caritas serves many refugees and
asylum seekers and is often crowded. However, the
children interviewed at Caritas were Caritas clients and
were familiar with the location and the systems in place.
RefugePoint staff facilitated the entrance of the minors
into the building and during the interview made efforts
to create an environment of comfort and trust.
c. Interview introductions and counseling
Creating a positive atmosphere for the interviews was
a priority for the RefugePoint staff. The caseworker did
this by clearly explaining who she and the interpreter
were, what the purpose of the interview was, what the
child could expect following the interview and that
the child was encouraged to ask questions. To this end,
RefugePoint staff developed a standard counseling guide
(see Section 2.2.4 above), which caseworkers used at the
beginning of each interview. The caseworkers operated
according to the BID guidelines, which emphasize the
importance of using age-appropriate language that
children can easily understand, as well as employing
culturally appropriate and gender sensitive questioning.8
Such introductions and counseling are imperative
when conducting interviews with children and
were particularly important in the context of the
project since a significant number of UASC that the
RefugePoint staff interviewed were relatively new
arrivals (having registered in Cairo in 2011 or 2012).
Being new and often without formal caregivers, many of
these children were unaware of the differences between
various interviews, hence explanations were vital.
d.Material covered in the interviews
RefugePoint caseworkers used the interagency BIA
form for Cairo (Annex 4) as a guide in leading their
conversations and questions with the UASC. The
caseworkers took part in discussions with the children
and did not ask them all of the questions posed in the
form directly, however, the caseworkers made sure to
cover all of the topics and questions covered by the tool.
After each interview concluded, the caseworker filled in
the form with information gathered from her time with
the child.
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The form as agreed upon by UNHCR and partners
in Cairo was a useful guide in the interviews because
it is extensive and covers most relevant issues that
young displaced people in Cairo face. However, the
caseworkers also felt that the form was cumbersome
and the time required for completion was not realistic
given the number of young people requiring BIAs
according to the SOPs.
After completing the agreed upon form for each of
several dozen interviews with minors, RefugePoint
staff modified the form using the BID guidelines as a
foundation. The new version covered all the necessary
information but was less extensive and repetitive
than the previous form. The RefugePoint team used
this abbreviated form for the interviews conducted at
Caritas and found that meeting with the children in a
central location and using the abbreviated form was
efficient and effective. The RefugePoint team was able
to meet with more children and obtain the same amount
and quality of information as when using the original
form and meeting with the children in their individual
communities. The team subsequently amended the
form and presented it during an interagency meeting,
where agencies made some further amendments and
agreed for the new version to replace the previous form.
The finalized version is attached in Annex 4.
e. Consent and confidentiality
To refer a child to another organization for follow-
up and thus share his/her information from the BIA
interview requires the child’s informed consent. To this
end, RefugePoint staff counseled each child during the
interview on the various referral possibilities. At the end
of the interview, the caseworker agreed with the child
on which referrals would be made. The referrals were
reflected on a consent form, which the child signed in
duplicate: one for the child, and one for the UNHCR file.
3.2. REFERRALS OF UASC IN NEED OF ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE
3.2.1. Referrals – overview
For the 135 individual UASC interviewed, the
RefugePoint team made a total of 257 referrals over the
course of the project, i.e. close to 2 referrals on average
per child. The referrals were made for 106 of the 135
UASC; for the other 29, no follow-up was found to be
necessary at the time of the interview.
As is evident from the graph below, which reflects the
nine categories of referrals that were made9, the vast
majority of the referrals relate to education. These
referrals fell into three categories: formal education,
literacy training and vocational training. As reflected in
the graph to the right, many young displaced indicated
that assistance in accessing vocational training would
be most useful for them.
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Of the 135 UASC, 38 individuals (28%) were referred
to partners for case management, including (but
not limited to) psychosocial support, identification
of alternate living arrangements or identification of
alternate care arrangements. Of these 38 UASC, 29
(76%) were facing protection concerns that warranted
intervention in an intermediate term, and in some cases
immediately. For example, several of these UASC were
young girls in highly unfavorable living arrangements
where they were at an increased risk of SGBV. Another
example is of a boy with serious medical problems, both
physically and mentally, who had difficulties accessing
adequate medical assistance. The other nine young
people referred for case management were coping
relatively well but expressed their interest in linking
up with organizations, for instance to be included in
recreational activities and/or to meet peers.
Other significant referral categories were family tracing
(37 individuals, 27%) and RSD related referrals (27
referrals for new RSD interview appointments and 29
referrals for legal aid).
3.2.2. Referral mechanisms and follow-up
Although the RefugePoint team referred several UASC
with urgent protection needs shortly after their initial
interview, the majority of referrals were done in bulk
at the end of the project. Referring in bulk helped
both the RefugePoint team as well as the receiving
entity (various UNHCR departments, implementing
partners, and operational partners) track and manage
the minors being referred for services, which in turn
facilitated follow-up. The RefugePoint team provided
the relevant information for each referral. To further
facilitate follow-up, the RefugePoint team provided
comprehensive lists to those receiving entities to whom
more than 10 UASC were referred.
The benefit for children in relation to the BIA process
depends mostly on the follow-up action taken to address
children’s needs. Such follow-up, and particularly who
is responsible for following up once a case is referred,
can be challenging. This is demonstrated by the example
of an Ethiopian asylum seeker girl interviewed during
the beginning of the BIA project. The girl was in a highly
unfavorable living arrangement and faced several
serious protection concerns. After conducting an
interview and home visit, the RefugePoint caseworker
referred her to a partner to identify alternate living
arrangements and provide case management services.
Several months after the referral, the caseworker
learned that the girl was still in the same situation.
17. 17 refugepoint cairo best interest assessments
4. Information Gathered from the Interviews
4.1. TRENDS PER NATIONALITY
Throughout the process of conducting interviews,
writing BIA reports and making referrals, the
RefugePoint team kept records of trends among various
groups of children. The information gathered from
the BIAs was not only useful in obtaining information
to direct the individual case management, but also in
providing greater understanding of the issues facing
minors in Cairo generally.
Many of the trends that RefugePoint staff noticed
amongst UASC in Cairo fell within the lines of nationality
and gender. As such, for the purposes of analysis, the
team divided the information into these categories.
4.1.1. Somali UASC
The vast majority of UASC that the team interviewed
were unaccompanied Somali male minors between
the ages of 15 and 17. The team interviewed a total of
100 Somali individuals: 38 girls and 62 boys. Two of
the 38 girls had a child of their own. Statistics from the
interviews are provided in Annex 5.
One of the general trends noticed during the course
of interviewing is that most of the Somali UASC were
unaccompanied: 87 out of the 100. Many had traveled
to Cairo by plane with the help of smugglers, having
been “sent” by their parents or relatives. The relatives
of the child often sold some sort of property and
arranged travel for the minor to Cairo with the use of
fraudulent documents.
Upon arrival, significantly more girls than boys were
placed in a family situation, often set up by the smuggler
whom they traveled with. Most Somali boys began living
with other single Somali men, whom they met in Cairo
upon arrival at a Somali café or other location where
many Somalis congregate.
Another trend noticed among Somali youth is that very
few of them are in school and if they are, they are not
using education grants provided by CRS, but rather
have located language classes or training on their own
which are not supported by CRS. It is important to
note that only seven out of the 38 Somali girls attend
any type of educational activities and one of the most
common complaints Somali girls mentioned is that
they feel isolated. One of the Somali girls explained to
a caseworker:
I am very lonely. I have lost contact with my family
in Somalia, and in Cairo I never leave the house.
The only time I leave is to attend interviews and I
have no friends. Even to attend a required interview
like this one, I have to ask the woman I live with for
permission so that she can arrange her schedule and
stay home with the children.
Somali girls in Cairo are often responsible for
performing domestic duties and childcare in return for
shelter and food, making it difficult for them to interact
with other peers.
Many Somali boys also do not attend school, but rather
than isolation, their most stated concern is lack of
opportunities generally. Many stated that they were
wasting their time in Cairo. Also, many of them stated
that they initially traveled to Cairo hoping to access
education or opportunities to work but have not been
able to participate in either. One Somali 17-year old
boy noted:
My parents sent me to Cairo because Al-Shabaab
was threatening to forcibly recruit me. Additionally,
there are no opportunities in Somalia…we are in war.
My parents told me, ‘you are our oldest son, go, find
opportunities and send money back to us. You are
responsible for us now.’ I thought that Cairo was a
developed place and I could help support my family.
Instead, I cannot access education and I receive 400
LE a month, which I can barely survive on myself. I
feel like a complete failure and I am quite depressed
about my situation. I feel stuck.
Additionally, 26% of Somali boys traveled through Libya
before coming to Egypt. Many of these boys initially went
to Libya in an attempt to continue to Europe, however,
they were detoured to Egypt when the Libyan conflict
18. 18 refugepoint cairo best interest assessments
intensified. Of these boys, many still want to be smuggled
to Europe and indicated to the interviewers that they will
attempt to do so when they have the opportunity.
4.1.2. Sudanese UASC
The RefugePoint team interviewed 23 Sudanese UASC:
13 boys and 10 girls. One of the 10 girls had a child of
her own. Statistics from the interviews are provided in
Annex 5.
Of the Sudanese minors interviewed, only seven of the
23 were unaccompanied; the others were all living with
members of their family in Cairo. Another point of note
is that only five of the 25 minors interviewed indicated
that they were smuggled into Egypt (the five noted
are all from one nuclear family); a significant majority
of Sudanese children entered the country with the
required immigration documentation.
Most Sudanese minors in Cairo attend school and they
do so through a CRS grant. The Sudanese community
seems to be better aware of the services offered in
Cairo including both CRS educational grants and
medical assistance from Caritas, than communities of
other nationalities.
Although most of the Sudanese UASC are living with
members of their family and do not remember any direct
persecution in their country of origin, since arriving
in Cairo the Sudanese minors indicated more pressing
security problems than any other population the
RefugePoint team interviewed. 62% of Sudanese boys
and 50% of Sudanese girls feel unsafe in Cairo. Both boys
and girls cited examples of being attacked by Egyptians
with regularity, seemingly on the basis of their race. The
children rarely reported these incidents to the police
because they did not see the benefit or expect that they
would receive the desired response by the authorities.
One 15-year old Sudanese boy explained:
I like to go outside and I have friends I like to spend
time with, however, more and more especially since
the revolution, I just go to school and go home. I don’t
like to stay out because Egyptians are always yelling
at me saying things like ‘chocolate, go back home!’
I saved my financial assistance and bought a phone
once, but within one week Egyptian teenagers had
beaten me and stolen it from me. What can I do? I am
a foreigner and they feel like they can do whatever
they want. I am scared all the time.
4.1.3. Eritrean UASC
The RefugePoint team interviewed six Eritreans; three
boys and three girls; four of which are unaccompanied
minors. Statistics from the interviews are provided in
Annex 5.
Although it is a small sample size, the RefugePoint
team noticed that only one of the Eritrean minors is
attending school, and it is without a CRS grant. Most
of the children were well educated in their country
of origin; however, as a result of language barriers
and lack of information, they do not attend school in
Cairo. Additionally, about half of the children are in
contact with their family, however, two of the children
mentioned that they planned on discontinuing
communication with their families in the future because
they worry that contact with them will endanger their
family members at home.
One of the 17-year old Eritrean girls, living with her
18-year old brother, explained her typical day to the
caseworker. She stated:
I spend most of my day doing nothing because we do
not have any money. Most of the time I am at home
and on occasion I go out with my brother for a short
walk near the house because it does not cost anything.
I also watch a lot of TV. I love art, but we cannot
afford any materials. My brother sometimes works
as an unloader but that is irregular. Fortunately, we
live with a nice family we met in the waiting room of
UNHCR. Everything is ok, but I am not happy here
and worry about our survival, I wish I could go home
to my mother, but that is not possible now.
4.1.4. Ethiopian UASC
The team was only able to interview four Ethiopian
UASC, all of which were girls and unaccompanied by any
relatives. Statistics from the interviews are provided in
Annex 5.
During the course of the mission, the RefugePoint
team found the Ethiopian girls in Cairo to be a
particularly vulnerable group. Three out of the four
girls interviewed are survivors of noteworthy violence
in the country of origin, during flight or in one case also
while staying in Egypt. RefugePoint staff found that all
four girls exhibit significant psychological concerns
and require considerable assistance. A few of the girls
were separated from family members during flight
19. 19 refugepoint cairo best interest assessments
and none of the four are currently in contact with any
family. Three out of the four girls cite their number
one concern to be locating their family members.
Additionally, none of them are attending school, only
one of them has a caregiver and all four of them spend
more than half of their financial assistance on rent.
Three out of the four girls are living in very temporary
living conditions. One of the Ethiopian girls explained
the situation in which she lost her mother and sister
who she was fleeing with:
Fighting broke out and we all began running in
different directions. I was already outside my own
country and so I did not know where to go or what
do to. I returned to Khartoum expecting to find my
family members there. I never saw them again and
worried for my safety in Sudan…so I came to Egypt.
I am always sick, I cannot support myself and I am
alone in Cairo. I feel completely hopeless. I cry every
time I think about my mother. I hate my life and I need
help. Please just find my mother through tracing or
whatever. I know that if she were here, I would be fine.
4.2. GENERAL TRENDS
As noted above, many of the trends and patterns the
RefugePoint team noticed were specific to particular
nationalities, however, there were also some general
trends common among most of the minors interviewed
regardless of their background.
Most children are unaware of the services
available to them;
Of those UASC who have medical problems, many
have approached Caritas, however, their medical
problem does not improve (either they are given
a referral and cannot locate the particular doctor,
they end up having to pay and they cannot afford
treatment, and/or the treatment is not effective);
Many UASC do not feel safe in Cairo and those who
cite security concerns indicate that they feel less safe
since the Egyptian revolution;
None of the UASC have any concrete plans to support
themselves when they age out and their financial
assistance is discontinued, and most do not meet
other vulnerability criteria on account of which the
assistance can be extended.
4.3. MAIN CHALLENGES AMONG THE YOUTH POPULATION
4.3.1. Poor awareness of the availability
and importance of services
The RefugePoint team found that apart from Caritas’
financial assistance, the UASC they interacted with
were generally not well aware of the various services
available to them.
For instance, the RefugePoint team spoke to various
UASC who, although benefiting from Caritas’ financial
assistance, were not aware that Caritas also provides
medical services. In addition, those UASC accessing
medical services were not aware that their status as
UASC exempts them from medical fees – something
that not all service providers were aware of either.
Similarly, many of the UASC were not aware of
the various available educational and recreational
opportunities apart from the CRS education grant for
primary and secondary education.
In some cases, the UASC were unaware of the longer
term importance of accessing certain services, such
as RSD. Of the 135 UASC the RefugePoint team
interviewed, 21 had missed their RSD interview
appointments. Most of them indicated not being aware
of the importance of completing the RSD process,
despite the fact that UNHCR generally advises asylum
seekers of this at the registration stage. Only a few of
the UASC in the RSD process were also accessing legal
assistance services. As with the RSD process, UNHCR
generally advises asylum seekers of the availability of
legal assistance services, but many UASC appear not to
grasp the importance of using them.
20. 20refugepoint cairo best interest assessments
Such poor awareness of available services or the
importance of accessing these services may in part be
attributed to the fact that information dissemination
tends to be geared towards refugees and asylum seekers
generally, without specific consideration towards young
people. The available referral guide,10 though useful, is
too comprehensive for children to easily understand.
In relation to information dissemination, it is noted that
many different recreational activities geared specifically
towards refugee and asylum seeker youth are offered in
Cairo, however, these activities are not always widely
advertised. As a result, if a child is not already familiar
with an organization, he/she will not likely know of and
be involved in the organization’s activities.
4.3.2. Locations of service providers; accessibility
A complicating factor in accessing services is that the
various key service providers are based in different areas
of the city. These areas are not always easily accessible
– for instance, the UNHCR office is not on a metro
line and is located about 40km from central Cairo.
Cairo can be difficult to navigate, especially without
Arabic language skills. Therefore, it is not surprising
that many young people would opt not to approach an
agency unless a direct improvement of their situation is
expected, as is the case with financial assistance.
4.3.3. Isolation
Many UASC whom the RefugePoint team interacted
with indicated that they feel isolated. Typically, these
UASC did not participate in recreational or educational
activities. Sometimes this was the case because they
were not aware of the availability of such services,
but for many their living situation did not allow for
it. For example, the RefugePoint team spoke with 14
adolescent girls who live with a family in exchange for
helping out with housework and looking after children.
Although these girls generally felt and were seemingly
safe from harm, their individual situations made it
difficult for them to leave their home.
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5. Challenges for the BIA Team in
Effectively Completing the Work
5.1. DOCUMENTATION
As mentioned in Section 3.1.1 above, the RefugePoint
team found that the interagency BIA form required an
excessive amount of time to fill out: interviewing and
transferring the information into the electronic file
for one BIA proved to take up to a full workday. The
RefugePoint team developed an abbreviated form for
the interviews conducted at Caritas, and found that
the same amount and quality of information could be
obtained with this form in significantly less time.
5.2. HIGH RATE OF NO-SHOWS
Another challenge was the relatively high rate of no-
shows especially among Somali adolescent UAMs.
Between late June and late August 2012, 43 interview
appointments were scheduled for which the child did
not show up (16 of which were during the interviews
held at Caritas). For 40 of these 43 appointments, the
child was Somali. Most of these 40 are male, live in
the Nasr City area of Cairo and have a registered age
between 15 and 17 years old.
The exact reason behind these no-shows is not known.
Two members of the Somali community suggested that
some of these UASC feared that the purpose of the BIA
interview was in fact to conduct an age assessment, and
that the outcome would be negative for their financial
assistance. The RefugePoint team was not able to
confirm this.
It is noted that several of the UASC who initially did
not show up, did come for their BIA interview when it
was conducted at Caritas. When asked why they had
failed to attend their interview previously, many of
them appeared indifferent and seemingly had not come
because they thought it would not benefit them in any
way. Similarly, many of these same UASC had failed to
show up for their RSD interview appointments.
5.3. LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES
UNHCR provided ample support in terms of making
interpreters and transportation available to the
RefugePoint team. For languages other than Arabic
and Somali there are not as many interpreters, which
sometimes posed challenges in terms of scheduling.
5.4. ASSISTING WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SOPS
One of the terms of reference was for the RefugePoint
team to evaluate Cairo’s revised interagency SOPs for
UASC (as further discussed in Section 6 below). But as
the individual UASC with whom the RefugePoint team
worked had been identified and registered prior to
implementation of the revised SOPs, the team was not
actually a part of or even present to monitor the initial
stages of the new interagency case management process
for these cases. Being unable to actively participate in
this stage of the process made it challenging to evaluate
the effectiveness of the revised SOPs.
However, as the RefugePoint team worked with its
parallel caseload, UNHCR and its partners were using the
revised SOPs to address the needs of new arrivals. This
allowed the team to at least observe the effectiveness of
the new system for these new cases. The RefugePoint
team also requested an interagency meeting to discuss
how the revised SOPs were working in practice, which
took place shortly prior to the team’s departure.
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6. Implementation of Revised SOPs for
UASC in Cairo
6.1. REVISED SOPS FOR UASC IN CAIRO
Over the course of about one year beginning in 2011,
UNHCR and its key partners for child protection
revised the existing SOPs for UASC, which dated back to
2008. The revised SOPs essentially describe the referral
pathway for identified UASC, aiming to ensure that
UASC are quickly registered and that they have access
to all relevant services – including commencement of
the best interest process.
6.1.1. Initial implementation
In April 2012, the revised SOPs went into effect. In short,
these SOPs cover the following steps and referrals:
23. 23 refugepoint cairo best interest assessments
6.2. CHALLENGES AND BLOCKAGES
6.2.1. Registration of UASC
Currently, UASC are required to visit different offices
multiple times for various purposes, however, the
information the children are required to provide at
each organization is often the same or at least overlaps.
Also, the process of multiple interviews accompanied
by the associated documentation is laborious and
requires considerable amounts of staff time. Due to
lack of staff capacity, the waiting period for registration
has increased to 12 weeks, whereas the SOPs prescribe
three weeks to complete the registration process.
Additionally, by August 2012 there was a backlog of 120
UASC who had been registered but not yet referred for a
BIA. Without additional capacity added, there will likely
continue to be backlogs.
6.2.2. Number of actors involved and challenges
in terms of follow-up
As is evident from the table in Section 6.1.1, different
focal points from the various agencies are involved in
the referral pathway which can make follow-up of each
individual case challenging. For instance, once the
UNHCR Registration focal point for UASC has referred
the child for a BIA, the staff member’s responsibility
ends there, according to the current SOPs. Though the
number of UASC is not very large and many of them do
not require intensive monitoring, there is no system
in place for one focal point to follow up further on the
situation of the child. Through this process, the child
can easily fall through the cracks – especially if he/she
does not have the means to approach service providers
or does not know how – all the more applicable for new
arrivals who are not yet registered with UNHCR.
6.2.3. Description of the BID process
The revised SOPs describe the BID process, however,
there are several matters that are not clearly outlined
for the Cairo context.
Firstly, it is common practice that only UNHCR Cairo
representatives sign off on the decisions.11 The reason
for this is that most BIDs are triggered because of
a resettlement opportunity and therefore require
expedited submission; in case of changes to the report,
the new signatures cannot be obtained until the next
panel meeting, which then delays the resettlement
process. However, despite the legitimate concerns about
delaying a resettlement opportunity, it is critical that all
panel members sign off on all panel decisions, given the
potentially long-lasting effect on the child’s life (which
is why a BID with more formal safeguards is required in
the first place).12
Also, the BID reports that are up for deliberation
are sent out to all current and even former panel
attendants, who each print out and bring the reports
to the meeting. This is unnecessary and, moreover,
unfavorable in regards to the child’s confidentiality.
BID reports should be disseminated only to those panel
members/representatives who have the authority to
vote, as they are the only ones who need to read reports
prior to the meeting. Also, projecting the reports at the
meeting would make it unnecessary for the attendees to
print them.
Finally, the SOPs do address the crucial issue of
follow-up on the implementation of BID decisions,
but in practice this follow-up is ad hoc and by request
only. Regular BID panel meetings are an ideal time
for managing follow-up, and the panel coordinator is
typically best placed to lead follow-up discussions.
24. 24 refugepoint cairo best interest assessments
7. Recommendations
After meeting with most partners relevant to the child
protection activities of UNHCR in Cairo, conducting
in depth interviews with 135 UASC, and participating
in discussions surrounding the SOPs relating to child
protection, the RefugePoint team has developed the
following recommendations to increase the protection
space for displaced children in Cairo and most
specifically for UASC.
7.1. SHORT-TERM
Simplify the registration process (UNHCR)
Abandon the preliminary interview during the
registration phase, but rather include the information
of the preliminary interview in a comprehensive BIA
form (already developed by UNHCR and partners; see
Annex 4), which is shorter than the interagency form
and is more efficient to use.
Meet with UASC at central locations such as Caritas
instead of the UNHCR office in 6th of October City,
as this is more efficient especially for the child.
Meeting with children at their homes and/or in their
communities is an ideal situation, however, given the
conditions of the city of Cairo, this is not feasible.
Ensure accurate registration of UASC and children
at risk (UNHCR)
Ensure accurate and current registration data of
UASC and children at risk, including consistent use
of codes in ProGres, which will facilitate follow-up
and enhance protection.
Clarify the UASC SOPs
Elaborate on the existing BID process for the
purposes of transparency, efficiency, and
confidentiality. All voting panel members should
sign off on all decisions. Delays can be avoided by
assigning someone to amend the BID as the case
is being discussed.
To improve confidentiality, limit dissemination of
BID reports to voting panel members only and
obviate the need for printing them by projecting the
reports as they are being discussed in the meeting.
Specify the process by which recommendations
are followed-up. The BID coordinator could keep a
spreadsheet of all cases with action points, which can
be projected and discussed at the beginning of each
panel meeting.
Assign a UNHCR focal point for children at–risk
including UASC
Assign a UNHCR staff member dedicated to
conducting the initial BIAs, referring vulnerable
children to partners for specific services and/or case
management, and following up as needed.
Make information more easily accessible and child friendly
Map education facilities and opportunities; a process
currently initiated through a collaboration between
CRS and AMERA.
Map recreational activities organized by the various
NGOs and CBOs.
Distribute information on schooling at Registration
stage in a child friendly document.
Provide simple leaflets on specific topics/services
(education, medical, etc.) to refugees and asylum
seekers (including children) while they are in the
waiting area at the UNHCR office.
Coordinate information dissemination between
agencies to ensure harmonized circulation.
Make greater use of the internet in transmitting
information to UASC, as a substantial number of
UASC interviewed indicated that they frequently use
social media sites such as Facebook.
25. 25 refugepoint cairo best interest assessments
7.2. MID-TERM
Facilitate/make available refresher trainings
Facilitate/make available training focused on
identifying children at risk. The training should be
open to all UNHCR staff but should be required of staff
that work at the entry gate, in Registration, RSD and
Community Services.
Facilitate/make available training focusing on child
friendly interview techniques and how to best gather
information from children, in which UNHCR staff and
relevant partners participate.
Identify a child protection implementing partner
Identify a child protection implementing partner
to conduct case management activities for UASC
and other children at risk, including assessments to
determine financial assistance based on needs.
Focus on Somali, Ethiopian and Eritrean youth
enrollment in school
Develop free language training courses specifically for
Ethiopian and Eritrean youth as well as Somali youth in
some cases.
Work in closer collaboration with CRS and make sure
that they are a fully participating member of meetings
and discussions between UNHCR and partners on how
to enhance the protection of children and facilitate
their access to services.
Provide greater and more easily accessible vocational
training options for young people (including people who
have exceeded age 18)
Together with partners, create training programs
targeting young people and allow asylum seekers
of all nationalities non-discriminatory access to
these programs.
Provide scholarship programs for young people to
attend vocational training courses of their choice
already offered in Cairo.
Create “outposts”
Consider creating “outposts” where on certain days, in
certain locations a UNHCR staff member is available
for refugees and asylum seekers including UASC to
make inquiries and conduct basic administrative tasks
such as changing his/her contact details, report a
change in family composition etc.
7.3. LONG-TERM
Work in close collaboration to find ways to respond to
security incidents
Respond to security incidents by advising children
and young people how to prevent them in the future.
The Protection unit (with significant input and
collaboration from the Community Services unit)
should lead this effort. Often the security problems
UASC face are general and the incidents they
report are minor, however, they contribute to an
atmosphere of fear and lead to isolation because
they can make UASC hesitant to go out in public.
Get involved in meetings, organizations and working groups
of national child protection mechanisms and organizations
Advocate for the inclusion of persons of concern to
UNHCR in the national framework of child protection,
education etc.
Continue to conduct research on the nature of displaced
children in Cairo
Assess why displaced children come to Egypt and
what their plans are. It could be useful to continue
to follow-up on UASC interviewed in this particular
project, including those who did not prove to be
particularly vulnerable at the time of interview as
their situation may change.
26. 26 refugepoint cairo best interest assessments
8. Acknowledgements
The RefugePoint team thanks UNHCR and its partners
in Cairo for their hospitality and cooperation. Without
their full support, this mission would not have been
possible. Globally, there is a growing awareness of
the need to find creative solutions for at-risk refugee
children, and RefugePoint is excited to have had the
opportunity to work with UNHCR and other agencies in
Cairo at the forefront of this new effort.
27. 27 refugepoint cairo best interest assessments
Annex 1 – Services Available to UASC and Access
14
13
28. 28 refugepoint cairo best interest assessments
Annex 2 – Information Campaign
NOTICE
UNHCR interviews with refugee and asylum
seeker children
Cairo, 13 May 2012
UNHCR and partners wish to help improve services to asylum seeker children
and refugee children in Egypt.
In order to do so, UNHCR will be collecting information about issues affecting
children in the community. Several staff members will be in the community to
talk to children and their caregivers, in order to understand more about their
lives here in Cairo and to respond to the specific needs of the most vulnerable
children, including especially unaccompanied and separated children.
We look forward to gaining your views, and working together towards a safe
space for all children.
29. 29 refugepoint cairo best interest assessments
Annex 3 – Counseling Guide
Best Interest Assessment Project
Individual counseling for children prior to the interview
1. Introductions
a. My name is [name] and I work with the
Community Services unit of UNHCR as [title].
b. This is [interpreter], who will help us by
translating what I tell you and what you tell me.
I asked [her/him] to be here today because I do
not speak your language.
c. Can you tell me your name? Do you have any
identification? May I see it? [E.g. yellow/blue
card]
d. Thank you for [coming to see me / receiving me
in your home]. Before we go on, I want to take a
minute to make sure that you understand why I
asked to meet with you today. I also want to talk
about what you can expect after this interview.
2. Purpose of the BIA interview;
expectations
a. I understand that you came to the UNHCR
office in [year]. Do you remember this? (What
was the interview like? Did anyone explain to
you why they wanted to talk to you? When I say
“interview” do you understand what I mean, or
do you want me to explain?)
b. I understand that you are originally from
[country].
c. I also understand that you are [describe
individual risk factors; e.g.: here in Cairo
without your parents].
d. UNHCR and other organizations working
with people who fled their country, like you,
want to better understand the challenges that
children like you face here in Cairo. We want to
know this because we want to help to improve
the services to all children. That is why we ask
you and many other children if they can tell us
about life here in Cairo.
e. Also, I want to ask you about your particular
situation because I want to help you [and
your caregiver] to find ways that could make
your situation here better. [Make clear that
it is about enabling them, not us taking over!]
To give you an idea, a possible outcome of
this interview is that you and I agree for me
to put you in contact with someone in your
community who can assist in case you have a
problem. [Education, etc.]
f. What I can and will do after the interview
depends on what you need and want, but also on
what I am able to do under the circumstances,
what is available, etc.
g. This interview is not for RSD or RST purposes.
3. Confidentiality; usage of BIA
information
a. Because I speak to many different children, I
will write down what you tell me, so I will not
forget it. I want to make sure that this is okay
with you, so perhaps I can explain a little bit
about what will happen with what I write.
b. For every child I interview, I make a report.
This is to make sure that it is documented that
we spoke and what we spoke about. Also, it will
make it easier for others to follow up if needed.
30. 30refugepoint cairo best interest assessments
c. What you tell us, is private. That means that
[interpreter] and I are not allowed to tell other
people – for instance your caregiver – about it.
d. However, the information will be recorded
on your UNHCR file. Also, UNHCR wants to
share the report with Caritas, for the purpose
of follow-up. For this, I need your written
permission for this. [Counsel on consent
form: translate; verify if child/caregiver is
comfortable to sign and if not, clarify why not;
provide copy]
e. It could be that we both find that it may
be helpful for you to link up with another
organization. If so, I will also need your
written permission to share your information
with these other organizations.
4. Structure of BIA interview
a. If you agree to continue with the interview then
I will ask you to tell me about where you come
from, the reason why you came, and your life
here in Cairo. I will also ask you to tell me about
your family, and whom you live with here.
b. I will try to ask as few questions as possible,
but may need to ask some specific questions
about what we call bio-data: that is
information relating to a person’s identity
(name, date of birth, etc.).
c. I may want to ask you further questions after
this interview. If so, I or my colleague will
contact you again to make an appointment.
5. Rights
a. If you feel at any point that you need a break,
for instance to use the bathroom, or that you
cannot continue with the interview, please let
us know.
b. If you do not feel comfortable with me or
with [interpreter] then please let us know so
we can make different arrangements. This is
completely fine; we will not be offended.
c. If you have a question or do not understand
something, also let me know; it is important
that we understand each other because your
views and opinion are very important to me.
d. If you do not know the answer to a question,
this is okay. Please know that there is no
wrong answer.
31. 31 refugepoint cairo best interest assessments
Annex 4 – Revised Interagency BIA Form for Cairo
16
15
41. 41 refugepoint cairo best interest assessments
1 Two boys from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Iraq
were also interviewed.
2 UNHCR Cairo Fact Sheet, July 2012.
3 Martin Jones, “We are not all Egyptian,” Forced Migration
Review (Issue 39, North Africa and Displacement 2011-2012):
16-17.
4 UN High Commissioner for Refugees, A Framework for the
Protection of Children, 26 June 2012, available at: http://www.
unhcr.org/refworld/docid/4fe875682.html [accessed 20
September 2012]
5 A BIA is defined as “An assessment made by staff taking
action with regards to individual children, except when a BID
procedure is required, designed to ensure that such action
gives a primary consideration to the child’s best interests.
Best interests assessments should facilitate adequate child
participation. Such assessment must be conducted by staff
with the required expertise, whether working alone or in
consultation with other.” See UN High Commissioner for
Refugees, Field Handbook for the Implementation of UNHCR
BID Guidelines, November 2011, available at: http://www.unhcr.
org/refworld/docid/4e4a57d02.html [accessed 20 September
2012], (UNHCR BID Field Handbook). Annex I.
6 The ages recorded were those at the start of the project. Over
the course of the project, some of the UASC aged out.
7 UNHCR BID Field Handbook, p. 94-95.
8 UNHCR BID Field Handbook, p. 92-96.
9 The category “other” mostly includes referrals for registration
purposes (where significant changes to bio-data were required
such as individuals registered under the incorrect sex or with
the incorrect refugee status).
10 UNHCR Cairo, Referral Guide for Refugees and Service
Providers, April 2011.
11 This is not in line with the UNHCR BID Field Handbook
§5.11.4, which sets out the various steps to reach a BID
decision; this includes formalization of the decision by
having all members sign.
12 Only BID panel members are to vote and sign off on the
BID decisions. The panel should be multi-disciplinary,
gender-balanced and normally composed of 3 to 5 persons
with professional expertise in child development and child
protection, see UNHCR Guidelines on Determining the Best
Interest of the Child of May 2008, p.53. A panel member who
presents a BID to the panel should refrain from voting; see
UNHCR BID Field Handbook, § 5.11.4.
13 The services covered herein are generally not exclusive to UASC.
14 Upon registration at UNHCR an asylum seeker is provided with
a yellow identification card indicating that he/she is an asylum
seeker. Generally, when he/she is recognized as a refugee he/
she is provided with a blue identification card.
15 Examples: child-headed household with young children; young
child without caregiver of with unrelated caregiver; underage
pregnancy/parent; risk of SGBV.
16 Examples: child is a gang member; drug abuse; sex work.
17 Based on the definition in the UNHCR Resettlement Handbook.
For the purposes of the BIA, it is a child who either experienced
violence or torture directly himself/herself or witnessed a
family member experience violence or torture, which “may
have lingering physical or psychological effects.”
18 As victims of trafficking, including unaccompanied and
separated children, are automatically referred to PSTIC for case
management, the RefugePoint team only interviewed a few.
19 “Significant psychological concerns” refers to individuals who
the caseworker has identified as requiring case management
and counseling. The caseworker does not consider this to be a
diagnosis itself of psychological problems, but rather highlights
the need for additional counseling.
20 See footnote 17 above.
21 See footnote 18 above.
22 See footnote 19 above.
23 See footnote 17 above.
24 See footnote 18 above.
25 See footnote 19 above.
26 See footnote 17 above.
27 See footnote 18 above.
28 See footnote 19 above.
Notes
42. RefugePoint is a non-governmental organization dedicated
to providing lasting solutions for the world’s most vulnerable
refugees. The staff at RefugePoint work to fill the critical and
unmet needs of people affected by war and conflict that have
fallen through the net of humanitarian assistance, in particular
women, children and urban refugees.
For questions regarding this report, please contact RefugePoint
at info@refugepoint.org.
