Monika Smit professor by special appointment of Psychosocial Care for Unaccompanied Minor Refugees

Monika Smit has been appointed professor by special appointment of Psychosocial Care for Unaccompanied Minor Refugees at the University of Groningen since 1 July 2018. The chair is established and funded by Stichting Nidos, the (family) guardianship association for unaccompanied minor Asylum Seekers and children from refugee families who are threatened in their development. The chair of Monika Smit is part of the department of Orthopedagogics, the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen.

Research on care and supervision of unaccompanied minor foreign nationals

In the coming period, Smit will conduct research into the situation of adults who came to the Netherlands as an unaccompanied minor. Smit: "In the past decades many asylum seekers have arrived in the Netherlands as an unaccompanied minor. By looking to their current situation and the shelter and support they received in the Netherlands at the time, we learn more about which guidance and care young people need in such situations."

Background

Monika Smit studied orthopedagogics at Leiden University. Until 2000 she worked at the Department of Orthopedagogics at that university, where she obtained her doctorate in 1993 for a study on the termination of home help. Subsequently, she was senior researcher at the 'Bureau Nationaal Rapporteur Mensenhandel' until 2010. She is currently head of the Department of Legal Services, Legislation and International and Aliens Affairs of the Scientific Research and Documentation Center (WODC) of the Ministry of Justice and Security. She will continue to perform this function in addition to the special professorship.