This paper focuses on accompanied and unaccompanied children seeking asylum in Britain and Australia, with focus on the rights of these children and on a rights-based approach for social work. There are comparisons of the countries’ policy backgrounds, legislative changes and policy complexity. There is a discussion of exclusion of asylum seekers from basic rights, issues for separated children, and the detention of children and families. Current research is discussed, as is the role of social workers and the challenges they meet in dealing with repressive policies.
