Open AccessHidden Children: Refugee Fostering in Guinea
Author(s) -
Catherine Moller,
Courtney Sara Minard
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
refuge
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.485
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 1920-7336
pISSN - 0229-5113
DOI - 10.25071/1920-7336.21249
Subject(s) - refugee , forced migration , human rights , new guinea , political science , gender studies , sociology , economic growth , ethnology , law , economics
One of the most vulnerable yet overlooked groups within situations of forced migration is that of refugee children who have been separated from their families as a result of armed conflict and subsequently absorbed by foster families in the countries to which they have fled. Based on extensive fieldbased research, this paper presents protection problems and poses solutions for such refugee children in Guinea, West Africa, including their access to rights such as family tracing; cultural and linguistic continuity; and education, health, and well-being. The paper also considers long-term integration options for refugee children living in Guinean foster families. The paper concludes by analyzing the use of a human rights framework to alleviate human suffering in this particular situation of forced migration.