Planning for the Return of Separated Children Seeking Asylum: An Inter-Country Social Service Perspective

Abstract

A variety of circumstances contribute to an increasingly large number of minors who leave family, home, and country to seek asylum on foreign soil. They present special challenges to state and local authorities, to relevant non-governmental agencies, and to the international community. This paper considers the planning needs for these minors for whom asylum is denied and for whom return to country of origin needs to be arranged. The paper highlights the need for a social service perspective, such as provided by International Social Service, to be included in the planning process.