An Intersectional Approach to Alternative Care Models: A case study of asylum-seeking children at the Makeni Transit Centre in Zambia

As the use of immigration detention has increased, so too has the development of alternative care models. Alternative care models are interim measures implemented when an asylumseeker initially enters a country to avoid their detention until a durable solution is found. This paper seeks to determine the impact of alternative care models on the well-being of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and asylum-seeking children with their families, specifically those accommodated at the Makeni Transit Centre in Lusaka, Zambia. Due to the diverse identities of children accommodated in alternative care models, an intersectional approach is applied to make visible the realities of children with minority identities. The findings of this research highlight that although there are gaps in the services provided at the Makeni Transit Centre, many of the well-being needs of accommodated children are being fulfilled. However, due to the limitations of the research, the indicators used can only offer an objective understanding of the wellbeing of children in alternative care models. More broadly the findings of this research highlight the need for an intersectional approach to alternative care models to ensure the needs of women and girls are satisfied. The findings further show that disaggregated data is required to understand the extent to which those with minority identities enjoy their rights, and thus uncover discriminatory practices within alternative care models.