Care order for unaccompanied minor- 2022vol2#29

The District Court made a care order until the age of eighteen for an unaccompanied minor who travelled from Afghanistan to Ireland alone.

The court heard that the boy left Afghanistan because his life was in danger from the Taliban. His father was killed by the boy’s uncle who was in the Taliban. The uncle then married the boy’s mother. He was forbidden from going to school and his stepfather wanted him to join the Taliban.

The boy was smuggled out of Afghanistan with no shoes, food or money and travelled through several countries before he arrived in Ireland. He had a siblings who lives in the UK with whom he was in contact with.

The court heard that the boy was safe and well, but he was bereaved, he feared for his family and he would like to find them. He was attending school, but he was not sure what he would like to do with his life. The court heard that it would be nice to get a foster placement for him, but it was unlikely that he would get a placement before he turned 18. He did attend at a potential foster care placement, but the boy did not like the fact that the family had a dog and that there were adult children who would be there on the weekends. He was currently living in a residential placement in Dublin which he really liked as there were some children from Afghanistan there and he could attend the Mosque in Dublin.

The court made a care order until the age of 18.