More than 4.5 million Ukrainian refugees have now fled their country. Thousands of them have been received in Belgium, including many children and adolescents. These must legally be accompanied by guardians, but who are they and what do they do?
Most foreign minors with us with an adult, but not necessarily with their parent or legal representative. They are then considered as unaccompanied foreign minors. They must be placed under the protection of a legal guardian in order to be helped in their administrative procedures.
890 young migrants are waiting for this tutor. But what is the role of these people, what is their daily life? Jean Danis has been one for four years. For him, this task is “a lifelong commitment for the benefit of the most disadvantaged” he tells us. Jean is also the president of the AFT Mena association, an association of French-speaking Belgian guardians of unaccompanied foreign minors.
You don’t improvise yourself as a tutor, it’s a role that requires a lot of availability on a daily basis: “My agenda is quite full, and always depending on the meetings I have to do in the field. Whether in the centres, to meet my young people but also to prepare them for interviews at the foreigners office, at the CGRA (General Commissioner for Refugees and Stateless Persons, Editor’s note)and this every day of the week, seven days a week“.
Although being a tutor is not easy, Jean Danis would not give up this role for anything in the world. “It’s boosting from a personal point of view, from a human point of view, when we try to have the most positive future possible for our children but also for the children of others.“.
To become a tutor, the candidate must pass a five-day training course organized by the FPS Interior, and then go to interviews.
Once recognized as a tutor, the person can choose to join an association and work as a volunteer, as an association, as a self-employed person on a complementary basis or as a self-employed person as a main activity. The status will depend on the number of files that the person is willing to accept. The tutor will in all cases receive an indemnity which amounts to more or less 700 euros per year and per file.