Public policies to unaccompanied immigrant children in São Paulo and Oslo

Abstract

In this Master thesis, the cities of São Paulo and Oslo are the points of study of Public Policies for unaccompanied minor asylum seeker (UMAs). São Paulo is the first city in Brazil to develop public policies for this population and Oslo is the city that receives most immigrants in Norway. This thesis explores how local governments deal with refugee children through their migratory policies from the perspective of children rights. Through interviews with public and private institutions that work with UMAs and documental analysis of laws and regulations, this study gained comprehension on how these local government respect children rights. In this research I used the CRC (1989) and the UN Guidelines for Refugee Minors to do the analysis of the children rights. This thesis research found how distinct types of public policies demonstrate the concern of the local governments have about the children rights. São Paulo still struggle with the lack of regulation, training of staff and prolonged period of analysis of applications of UMAs for asylum. But the city can count on independent initiatives of public and private institutions to give support to the children. In the case of Oslo, the large tradition of regulations on child reception guarantee that children have their rights respected. However, there is still differences in the treatment and reception of children younger than 15 years and the ones till 18 years old.