of two unaccompanied minors (one stayed for 46 days and one for 24 days) due to obtaining documents in cooperation with the family in one case, and changing their statements and lack of cooperation with the guardian in the second case. In 2016, the temporary placement of minors, foreign nationals, and unaccompanied minors was regulated by the Decision of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia as of 28/07/2016, which states that regardless of their status, unaccompanied minors must be accommodated in Nova Gorica and Postojna student homes. Pursuant to this Decision, minors, who are the most sensitive of all vulnerable people, were ensured placement in the two student homes from 01/08/2016 to 31/07/2017. The Government of the Republic of Slovenia also issued Implementing Instructions on the stay of unaccompanied minors in student homes, no. 21400-6/2016/8 as of 28/07/2016, which govern all procedures involving unaccompanied minors (from the acceptance in the student home, the role of the legal representative, the conclusion and content of the accommodation contract, procedures for correctional measures if obligations and prohibitions are violated, documentation, termination of the stay in the student home, and special characteristics of caring for unaccompanied minors). After the Government of the Republic of Slovenia had been briefed on the evaluation of the pilot project on placing unaccompanied minors and recognised it as a best practice example, it adopted a new decision (number 21400-5/2017/4) on 26/07/2017, with which it prolonged the placing of unaccompanied minors in student homes until the end of 2018, which is stipulated by Items 2 and 3 of the new Decision: “2. For the period lasting until 31 December 2018, the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants, in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, and the Ministry of Health, sets up systemic placement and processing of unaccompanied minors as a separate unit for comprehensive processing regardless of their age. 3. Until an appropriate systemic solution is set up, the pilot project of placing unaccompanied minors in Postojna student home shall continue in the context of the financial construction stipulated in the Attachment hereto. The costs of accommodation, material care, and staff shall be covered by the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants.” Hereunder, all unaccompanied minors who do not make an application for international protection should be immediately accommodated in the Postojna student home (but no longer in Nova Gorica student home), which has 28 beds for these purposes and 13 employees. During our visit to the AC, however, we established that Postojna student home, despite attempts by the AC to immediately place unaccompanied minors there, refuses such placement or does not (yet) enable it. The reason supposedly lies in Postojna student home not having appropriate health services, especially medical triage, at the time of arrival of the child. The NPM therefore recommended that the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants sees that the decision of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia no. 21400-5/2017/4 as of 26/07/2017, which stipulates that unaccompanied minors are accommodated in Postojna student home, begins to be fully implemented. The inability to provide triage care, which would eliminate the presence of any infectious diseases or serious mental health problems which could endanger the health or safety of other children accommodated in the student home, must be regulated in the context of the existing possibilities for healthcare. Furthermore, the NPM asked for an explanation on the progress with the implementation of the second item of the Decision, relating to the setting up of systemic accommodation and processing of unaccompanied minors as a separate unit for comprehensive processing, regardless of their age. UNICEF again pointed out the unacceptability of the placement of children in closed institutions, even if accompanied by adults. More appropriate solutions should be found for children who are accommodated at the AC together with their families, especially because of the negative effects that the stay in a closed institution has on the child’s psychological and physical health and development. UNICEF therefore asked that practical and child-friendly alternatives be shaped. The CPT also believes that the accommodation of children accompanying their parent(s) in a detention centre can have a negative psychological effect on the child’s development and well-being, particularly when the child is young. The placement of minors with their parents in a detention centre should only occur as a last resort, and if, in exceptional circumstances, such placement cannot be avoided, its duration should be as short as possible. Every possible effort should be made to avoid the separation of children from their parent(s). The NPM recommended that other alternative possibilities for accommodation be 74 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE NPM IN 2017 NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM UNDER THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE UN CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT