Unaccompanied Foreign Children
The presence of unaccompanied foreign children (UFC) in the Region imposes a need for a centre to take total charge of them so that their complex first and second phase reception needs can be quickly, appropriately and sustainably addressed by housing them in specific dedicated facilities. They must then receive specific support in managing their day-to-day lives, ensuring all the support actions required to facilitate integration in their new social situation.
In 2016, the Autonomous Region of Sardinia introduced a set of measures to facilitate first and second level reception of unaccompanied foreign children.
In particular:
1. Regional Council Decision 5/27 of 28 January 2016 preliminarily defined the organisational, structural and staffing requirements of first reception facilities for unaccompanied foreign children.
2. Regional Council Decision 46/16 of 10 August 2016 concerning "Regional Law No 23/2005 – Regional President’s Decree No 4/2008 – Transitional facilities used to host unaccompanied foreign children who, after landing, are in a particularly exceptional situation” defines requirements for facilities designed to deal with emergency situations and particularly exceptional circumstances, involving holistic age assessment procedures, the identification process and specific health assessment or prevention measures for unaccompanied foreign children.
3. Regional Council Decision 32/8 of 31 May 2016 concerning “Regional Law No 23/2005, Article 25-bis "Extraordinary urgent and non-derogable finance for taking charge of children, the elderly and unaccompanied foreign children arranged by judicial authorities. Programme guidelines for 2016” ordered an increase in the contribution paid by the Ministry of the Interior (amounting to €45 per day for each child accepted) to municipalities providing reception measures payable out of the National Fund for the reception of unaccompanied foreign children, because this sum is insufficient to guarantee all services provided for children.
Within the context of Article 25-bis of Reginal Law 23/2005, the Region also intervenes to provide financial support or housing in an unaccompanied foreign children's facility or a foster home.
Toward the end of 2017, the Region of Sardinia, working in conjunction with the Ministry of Employment, developed a Children’s Information System (SIM) that monitors the presence of unaccompanied children, tracks their movement throughout Italy and manages data relating to the UFC database, their status and their placements.
The Region of Sardinia also works with the Juvenile Court, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Bar Association to organise courses for unaccompanied foreign children’s guardians.
Consult the legislation:
- Legge 7 aprile 2017, n. 47 - Disposizioni in materia di misure di protezione dei minori stranieri non accompagnati
- Legge regionale 23 dicembre 2005 n. 23 - "Sistema integrato dei servizi alla persona. Abrogazione della legge regionale n. 4 del 1988 Riordino delle funzioni socio-assistenziali"
- Circolare Ministero della Sanità 24 marzo 2000, n. 5, “Indicazioni applicative del D. Lgs. 25 luglio 1998, n. 286 Testo Unico delle diposizioni concernenti la disciplina dell’immigrazione e norme sulla condizione dello straniero - Disposizioni in materia di assistenza sanitaria
- DPR 31 agosto 1999, n. 394, “Regolamento recante norme di attuazione del testo unico delle disposizioni concernenti la disciplina dell’immigrazione e norme sulla condizione dello straniero, a norma dell’arti. 1, comma 6, del decreto legislativo 25luglio 1998, n. 286”, art. 43 (Assistenza sanitaria per gli stranieri non iscritti al Servizio Sanitario Nazionale)
- D. Lgs. 25 luglio 1998, n. 286, “Testo Unico delle diposizioni concernenti la disciplina dell’immigrazione e norme sulla condizione dello straniero”, art. 34 (Assistenza per gli stranieri iscritti al Servizio Sanitario Nazionale” e art. 35 (Assistenza sanitaria per gli stranieri non iscritti al Servizio Sanitario Nazionale)
- DM 2 gennaio 1996, n. 233, “Regolamento di attuazione dell’art. 2 del D.L. 30 ottobre 1995, n. 451, convertito nella L. 29 dicembre 1995 n. 563
- L. 27 maggio 1991, n. 176 "Ratifica ed esecuzione della convenzione sui diritti del fanciullo, fatta a New York il 20 novembre 1989"