5 June 2016
ASSAF's Youth Program Background ASSAF – Aid Organization for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Israel is the largest Israeli organization devoted entirely to supporting and promoting the rights of asylum seekers in Israel. According to Israel's Ministry of Interior approximately 42,000 asylum seekers live in Israel, of which 92% are from Eritrea and Sudan. Israel maintains a non-refoulement policy towards them, granting them “temporary group protection." They live without legal status, work permits, or access to health and welfare services. In addition they are under the constant threat of being detained and deported. The State of Israel, a signatory to the United Nations' Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (1951), is breaching its obligations under the Convention and implementing draconian policies against asylum seekers, depriving them of basic human rights and hope for the future. ASSAF has been working since 2007 to promote and protect the rights of asylum seekers in the face of Israel’s harsh policies. Asylum Seeker Youth The official legal status of refugees in Israel, particularly children and youth, is undefined and unclear, leaving them especially vulnerable and unprotected by Israel's laws. There is no official published number of minors among the asylum seeker community. The Israel National Council for the Child estimates the number of asylum seeker minors at 7,500-8000. Many have undergone great personal tragedy and trauma, including losing family members in the conflicts from which they have fled or during their forced migration. Many of them face an identity crisis as part of their integration into Israeli society. Even though they receive education by the Israeli Education System, they are still subjected to severe social alienation and isolation in every other aspect. On the one hand, the RAS minors do not feel that they belong to Israeli society and on the other hand, many of them 1
feel that their belonging to their country of origin is complicated and ambiguous. Their future is very unclear, and they know that when they turn 18 they can either be sent to the detention facility "Holot", or work as dishwashers at a restaurant. Phenomena such as collapsed family frameworks and risky behavior are a grim and common reality for RAS minors. Like their parents, the asylum seeking minors receive very few services from the Israeli government. The main and almost only right they are entitled to is the right for education. Yet, the rights to health and welfare are very limited to the RAS minors. ASSAF's Youth Club At ASSAF's Youth Program, we facilitate a Youth Club that opens its doors for its 60 participants twice a week, from 5 PM until nighttime, thus keeping its underage streets
members in
a
off
the
nurturing
framework. The Club's framework is a structured format: with consistent joint dinners, weekly activities, academic tutoring, music and computer lessons, all in parallel to special activities such as safe-sex education, fun workshops etc. In addition to the other activities, the Youth Club celebrates all three major religions' holidays, as represented by the group of participants and staff – Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The Youth Club provides both positive atmosphere for healthy socialization and psychosocial support. The Youth Club is a safe environment for participants to talk about their unclear future, their diffused identity, their frustration with Israeli policy, and their dreams and wishes. The youth acquires the tools to cope with the challenges they face as refugees and the activities address the needs of children and teens for normal growth and development. ASSAF's team offers the youth a friendly and comforting shoulder to lean on, addresses their psychosocial needs and coordinates their care with services such as schools, emergency shelters, social services, psychologists or clinics, as needed. In addition to the Club's weekly activities, ASSAF advocates for the youth's rights by submitting appeals and applications to the court of justice regarding status, identification papers etc. 2
The ASSAF youth program also include two special groups, which also meet separately from the youth club. The Young Girls' Group (ages 8-12) with 14 participants and the Teen Girls Youth Group (ages 13-17) with 13 participants. The groups address the girls' needs such as anger management, communication, body image, sexuality and cultural barriers.
In the summer time, a particularly critical time for refugee minors who have no school or any adult supervision, ASSAF offers a Summer Program in addition to the weekly meetings of the Youth Club. The Summer Program includes visits to the Cinema, water parks, museums and more.
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