Target groups
Primary target group
We understand an asylum child as:
- A child aged 0-18 who has come to Denmark unaccompanied, or who has at least one asylum-seeking parent.
- A young person aged 18-25 who has come to Denmark as an unaccompanied child.
- A child/young person (0-25 years) who has obtained a residence permit within the last 5 years, or had his residence permit revoked within the last 5 years.
Secondary target group
- Parents and other carers of the child when it is in the child’s best interest.
Vision and mission
Asylum children must have as good well-being and development as other children in Denmark, as well as a fair legal process.
Vores Asylbørn ensures the well-being and development of asylum children by offering legal advice, family treatment/contact persons and by safeguarding the interests of asylum children politically.
Our Story
In November 2014, communication graduate Tine Lautrup heard, through her husband, who worked at a children’s asylum center, about an Afghan pair of brothers aged 16 and 19 who were facing deportation. The situation of the young pair of brothers aroused wonder in Tine and her husband, who particularly wondered whether children who were only accompanied by an older brother were really deported because the parents lived in exile in Iran. This was the starting point for what is today the association Vores Asylbørn.
Nina Ziari was at this time a thesis student and had been volunteering in the asylum field since 2009, which is why she had also gotten to know the youngest of the brothers. A call from another unaccompanied child, who said that the brothers were imprisoned with a view to deportation, started the collaboration between Tine and Nina. Together, they wanted to educate and inform the Danes about the conditions for asylum children in Denmark, help asylum seekers with legal issues, as well as provide support to the children and their families and therefore created the Facebook group Vores Asylbørn.
Tine and Nina worked around the clock to help the Afghan pair of brothers. The youngest of the boys had sought protection in a church, which Nina also moved into with him. In the end, it was possible to reopen the big brother’s asylum case and secure him a residence permit. Next, they managed to secure the youngest on the basis of his situation as an unaccompanied child and his strong attachment to Denmark.
When both brothers were protected, Tine and Nina barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief before other unaccompanied children, who had been rejected and were facing deportation, asked them for help. Again and again, Tine and Nina succeeded in securing accommodation for the children and already in the middle of 2015 more volunteers came to help the asylum children. The association Vores Asylbørn was therefore officially founded in September 2017 and since then has worked hard to protect and help asylum-seeking children and their families.
Values
Humanistic
We have a humanistic view of people and believe that everyone has the right to seek asylum and a fair legal process.
Political
We are non-partisan, but adhere to our vision that asylum children should have as good welfare and development as other children in Denmark, as well as a fair legal process.
Factual values
We always speak matter-of-factly and in a proper tone, even when talking to people who do not share our vision.
Values in the collaboration with asylum children and families
Honesty
We are honest with the asylum seeker. This means that we always tell the asylum seeker how their chances really are and thus do not wrap things up in hope.
Equality
We understand the relationship between an asylum seeker and a volunteer as asymmetrical, and therefore we do not aim to increase inequality. We do this, for example, by the volunteers not giving or receiving many gifts/money to and from the asylum seekers.
Independence
An important part of the work with the asylum seeker is to empower them to stand strong and independently with the resources they have. For example, we do not make decisions on behalf of the asylum seeker. We believe that the asylum seekers can take care of themselves without our help. We support them to understand and go through their own process for residence, on their own. So this means that we do not have a behavior towards the asylum seeker where we put ourselves above them.
Anonymity
We protect the asylum seeker’s anonymity and the confidentiality that is built up in the relationship between Our Asylum Children and the asylum seeke
It means:
- We do not share images and names of the asylum seeker where they can be recognized, unless this is deemed to have a beneficial effect on the seeker’s case and with consent on a transparent basis.
- We do not talk specifically about the asylum seeker outside the framework of the association
- When we express ourselves via various media, we express ourselves about general trends or about cases.
When using cases:
- When we pass on cases/examples, we do so without being too specific and with a focus on ensuring that the asylum seeker cannot be recognised. Eg. geography (in Denmark) and name are not mentioned.
Board of directors
Nina Parivash Arlet-Ziari
Chairperson and founder
Sociologist with specialization in migration and integration processes as well as the gender perspective in Middle Eastern cultures. Nina has a background from the municipal area, and currently works as day-to-day manager of the association.
Søren Haar Sundin
Vice chairperson
Master degree in political science from the University of Copenhagen. Søren has worked professionally with digital marketing, management and organizational development, i.a. as CEO of Gametation.
Jacob Elholm Nissen
Board member
Master degree in communication and economics from Aarhus BSS. Has worked in retail for many years with managerial and financial responsibilities, where he currently works as a customer solutions specialist.
Thomas Mørk
Board member
Graduate in Business Administration from AVT Business School and currently studies philosophy at the University of Copenhagen. Has worked professionally as a manager and contractor and i.a. been employed as a disaster representative.
Telsia Panneer Selvam
Cashier