Child and youth welfare facilities A facility for unaccompanied minor refugees operated under the Basic Provision Agreement, which was visited by Commission 5 in November and December 2018 as well as in May 2019 and February 2020, accommodated only 15 unaccompanied minor refugees and six now adult asylum seekers. The unchanged staffing levels meant that not only socio-pedagogical care could be intensified, but also all of the recommendations from the NPM could be implemented and a continuous, stabilising relationship was established through a dedicated care system. Seven unaccompanied minor refugees now have an apprenticeship; the others are doing courses or are on other programmes provided by the Public Employment Service Austria (Arbeitsmarktservice). At the end of 2018, the regional government justified the necessity of the presence of an uninformed security man between 5.00 p.m. and 8.00 a.m. When asked about his responsibilities, the security man recently explained to the commission that he watched over the residents and protected the caregivers, patrolled every thirty minutes and made a roll call from 10.00p.m. After the NPM criticised this for the first time, the security company was withdrawn until the middle of February 2019; the second time the security company was engaged was not on the request of the facility management but of the regional government. In a statement of opinion to the NPM, the latter mentioned that there had been an increased number of police operations in different facilities for unaccompanied minor refugees at the peak of the refugee crisis and that the deployment of security companies contributes to reassuring the local population. Agreement could only initially be reached with the NPM insofar as the right to movement of the unaccompanied minor refugees shall not be impaired and their privacy not restricted. Staff from private security companies has not and does not work in the area of child and youth welfare and is not trained in dealing with unaccompanied minor refugees. The regional government of Lower Austria merely assured the NPM that the scope for action of the security company would be clearly defined and the documentation for the intervention thereof specified. In autumn 2019, the security company was completely withdrawn, as recommended by the commission. Frequent closures exacerbate the situation The problem, which has existed for years, is exacerbated by the closure of facilities caused by the declining number of asylum seekers. The unaccompanied minor refugees are thus forced to change facility frequently. The unstable housing conditions and changing contact persons, with whom the adolescents cannot build a trusting relationship, exert enormous pressure. This has a negative impact on the working conditions in the existing facilities. Due to the closures and lack of suitable places in the vicinity, the adolescents are uprooted from their familiar surroundings. Even though the number of minors to be cared for is decreasing, there is no crisis intervention and specialised accommodation forms for unaccompanied minor refugees who require psychiatric or psychotherapeutic care. 85