Do refugee children and asylum- seekers fit into that definition?
Mr Stevens: Immigration and asylum-seeking are matters for the Home Office. As excepted matters, they will not be devolved to the Northern Ireland Administration. The Chairperson: Does that mean that the children’s commissioner will not have any authority in that respect? Mrs Stevens: The commissioner will have a role in the provision of the services that Departments provide to children who are seeking asylum — for example, housing, education and health services. That is the only area of policy-making on which our Administration can have an effect. Dr McDonnell: However, if an asylum-seeker gave birth to a child here, the commissioner could look after that child — the child would be fully qualified, so to speak. Mrs Stevens: I would have to check the legal status of that child to ascertain whether he or she would have residence in Northern Ireland. Dr McDonnell: A few of my patients are children of asylum-seekers, so I think that they would qualify. Clause 25 referred for further consi
