Welcome to ISS
SOON 90 YEARS OF SERVICES!
The International Social Service (ISS) helps individuals, children and families confronted with social problems involving two, or more, countries as a consequence of international migration or displacement. As an international not-for-profit organisation, it is active in around 140 countries through a network of national branches, affiliated bureaus and correspondents (link toward illustrative map). Each year, it provides services to more than 50’000 persons throughout the world.
Amongst the most challenging issues of the 21st century is movement across borders, voluntary or forced which makes the activities of ISS highly relevant to the current reality with its main areas of intervention being:
- International family conflicts
- Family separation prevention
- Issues concerning child protection in family separation (Custody / visiting rights and maintenance payments, etc.)
- Child abduction
- Alternative care
- Foster care
- National and intercountry adoption
- Search of origin
- Voluntary or forced migrations
- Protection and care of Unaccompanied or separated minors in the countries of origin and receiving countries.
If you are, or you know someone who is, experiencing such a situation, seeking information relating to one of these issues, ISS may provide you with the assistance you need, through one of its numerous services:
- Intercountry social and legal casework
- Counselling for individuals and professionals
- Research and analysis
- Project management
- Information diffusion
- Advocacy
Example of ISS Actions
The parents of Budi separated one year after he was born. The father left the area and the mother was not able to care for her son so she asked his grandmother to look after him until she could find work. During the years that followed the boy did not hear anything from his father and the mother had very irregular contact with her own mother and son. Eventually the grandmother remarried and moved with her new husband and Budi to live in Spain. The child integrated well, attended school and learnt the language. When the boy was 12 years old the grandmother applied to the Spanish authorities to formalise her guardianship of Budi. The Spanish social services found that the child lived in a secure and loving environment. ISS were asked to help locate the parents and inform them of the application for the transfer of custody, counsel them on their rights and, if appropriate, obtain their consent to this process. The colleagues in Singapore managed to locate the mother and she gave her written consent. The father could not be found. Custody of Budi was transferred to the grandmother by the Spanish authorities.
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