Child protection authorities are looking into the possibility of finding a foster home for a 15-year-old who has been sentenced to 15 days in detention for presenting falsified documents upon arrival to the country.
Keflavík International Airport. Copyright: Icelandic Photo Agency.
Bragi Guðbrandsson, director of the Government Agency for Child Protection, does not find it acceptable to imprison such a young individual, Morgunblaðið reports.
A solution is being sought through an agreement between the agency and the Prison Authority. A foster home would be the best solution, Bragi stated, however adding that finding a suitable home might be difficult.
Special regulations are in place regarding the treatment of teenagers younger than 18 who arrive illegally without guardians in Iceland. Such cases have increased in recent months.
Bragi said there were seven such incidents from 2007 to 2011 and a similar amount so far this year with five occurring in the past weeks.
Two young men who are believed to be 15 and 16-17 and originate from North Africa arrived at Keflavík International Airport late last week, presenting falsified passports, for which they were sentenced to 15 days in prison.
The police are obtaining information about these individuals. So far it has not been part of the procedure to confirm the age of young refugees and asylum seekers, even when it is suspected that the stated age is not correct.
Bragi said such work methods may be adopted in the future.
ESA
