NI children who regularly cross the border ‘will have rights restricted after Brexit’
THE Covid-19 pandemic is amplifying the disadvantages faced by young people, the Children’s Commissioner has warned.
Koulla Yiasouma joined with the UK’S other commissioners for a report outlining their fears.
They warned that Brexit poses significant challenges to the rights of children and said it would weaken legal protection.
In Northern Ireland young people may see their rights restricted, particularly those who often cross the border, they said.
The commissioners raised 30 areas of concern with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in their report.
It called on the central and devolved government to address disadvanatges faced by children.
The report states that in the UK there were 4.2m children (30%) living in poverty in 2018/19 with pre-pandemic rates predicted to reach 5.2m by 2022.
In Scotland an estimated 24% of children each year lived in relative poverty from 2016-19.
The report found that disabled children across the UK have been disproportionately affected by austerity and the pandemic.
Ms Yiasouma said the virus crisis was exacerbating existing problems here.
“The report highlights the work still to be done in Northern Ireland to ensure that children get the best start in life,” she said.
“While I am assured by some plans to address child poverty and mental health in Northern Ireland I urge fast action, especially after the effect Covid has had in relation to both these issues on the lives of our most disadvantaged and vulnerable young people. Further to the issues outlined in the paper in relation to the impact of Brexit, children in NI are facing a specific and serious threat to their protection when we leave the European Union in a couple of weeks’ time unless this can be urgently addressed.
“Our land border inevitably exposes vulnerabilities to child abductions, child sexual exploitation, children going missing, and/or being trafficked to and through NI.
“Access to child protection measures such as the European Arrest Warrant, sharing of criminal record information and a ‘real-time’ crime alert system, which enables quick action where a vulnerable child is at risk, including potential parental abduction and trafficking, will be lost to us unless a ‘ Future Security Partnership’ can be agreed.”
The report also considered the impact of Brexit and said that the European Union Withdrawal Agreement Act removes the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights from UK law, “weakening legal protections for children”.
It said that children’s exposure to toxic substances is also a “significant risk” as the EU’S Reach
Regulations, which can cover anything from chemicals within food packaging to herbicides and pesticides, will no longer apply after Brexit.
The Scotland Commissioner also warned that already stretched mental health services for children have been made even worse because of the pandemic.
In Scotland the number of children waiting more than 18 weeks for an initial appointment with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services rose last year.
The report said that as most CAMHS services were very limited from March to June 2020 waiting times are likely to have increased.
Bruce Adamson, Scotland’s Children’s Commissioner, said: “Before the pandemic, services were already stretched but it has become even harder for children and young people to access vital services.
“Children and young people have consistently been telling us that it’s impossible to be seen unless they are at crisis point. It’s unacceptable that children have to be in a mental health emergency before they receive treatment.”