L'Amade
As of September 15, 2023 nearly 126,000 men, women and children have arrived in Lampedusa by sea, mainly from Tunisia and Libya. Of these, 10% are unaccompanied minors. Due to the natural disasters affecting Libya, over 8,500 people arrived on the island of Lampedusa in just 3 days, an island with an estimated population of 6,000. These indicators are constantly rising, having tripled since 2021 over the same period.
The hotspots and reception areas managed locally, particularly by the Italian Red Cross, are overwhelmed: on September 14, over 7,000 migrants were present in a center with a capacity of 400 people.
Terre des Hommes Italy, a well-established player in the emergency humanitarian environment in Italy and a partner of AMADE since the start of the migration crisis, is continuing its work with UFMs and families with children in Sicily, Lombardy and Liguria, in partnership with Unicef, providing support to this population in 30 reception centers.
In response to this crisis, Terre des Hommes is stepping up its work with unaccompanied minors as soon as they arrive on the quayside and in the hotspots, by deploying the FARO program in Sicily. This program provides emergency psychological and psychosocial assistance, support and accompaniment in high-risk situations.
There is an urgent need to support the forces on the ground to enable minors and families to regain their dignity, humanity and sense of identity. In this crisis, the protection of minors must be a priority, and this can be achieved by supporting Terre des Hommes Italy.
This project is part of an emergency response to the migratory crisis, but also of AMADE's more global ambition to formalize its support and intervention within the framework of the "Unaccompanied Minors" program.
Assistance on disembarkation and support for the most vulnerable cases
In liaison with the rescue ships, the teams mobilized obtain initial information on the general state of health and main vulnerabilities of the migrants on board, in particular the project's target population (minors and families with children).
Collaboration with NGOs mobilizing rescue boats at sea
Since 2022, Terre des Hommes has been providing MSF staff on board the Geo Barents vessel with its key "FARO Phrasal book" reception tool to facilitate contact with migrants.
Proud of this first collaboration, Terre des Hommes has opened a dialogue with the NGO SOS Méditerranée to explore avenues of partnership specifically concerning UFMs and children, around the orientation of serious/critical cases detected on board the ship.
Care in hotspots
Once disembarkation has been completed and hospitalized persons have been monitored, the staff mobilized for the project move to the Pozzallo, Cifali and Modica hotspot centers, to offer minors additional services: orientation groups, psychosocial group activities, discussion groups on topics proposed by the minors (how the Italian reception system works, the purpose of the procedures applicable in the hotspots, etc.)...
Care at reception centers (first reception centers)
As part of its partnership with Unicef, TDH also works in 30 reception centers in the provinces of Ragusa (Sicily) and Crotone (Calabria), and more specifically in Milan, Genoa and Ragusa, to provide psychosocial support for the UFMs received and to strengthen the skills of the social teams.
Identification and legal support at the Ventimiglia border
After crossing through Italy, many minors are stranded at the French-Italian border in the town of Ventimiglia. A mobile legal support unit identifies and advises unaccompanied minors stranded in Italy.
600 people identified on arrival at the docks and supported during their initial medical inspections
20 highly vulnerable cases identified and supported to limit their trauma
300 Unaccompanied Minors and 50 families involved in group psychosocial activities to regain their sense of identity and humanity
150 minors reached by psychosocial actions at the Hotspot
60 people individually assisted with their specific problems during their stay at the Hotspot
PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT FOR UNACCOMPANIED MINORS ARRIVING IN ITALY
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Italy
Province de Raguse : Pozzallo, Cifali et Modica
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Project status
In progress
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Duration
2023-2024
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Funding
75 000 euros
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Beneficiaries
Unaccompanied migrants minors
Children and families -
Partners
Operator: Terre des Hommes Italy
Institutional and technical partners :
Italian Ministry of the Interior
Italian Red Cross
Unicef
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Objectives
Provide psychological and psychosocial care and emergency medical referral for Unaccompanied Migrant Minors and families with children, as well as mobile legal assistance in Ventimiglia.