World Refugee Day 2018– situation of refugee and migrant children in Europe

© Rafael Ben-Ari – Fotolia.com
© Rafael Ben-Ari – Fotolia.com
The majority of children came through the Eastern Mediterranean Route, where most new arrivals in 2018 are as family groups mainly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. For children arriving unaccompanied or separated (UASC) however, the majority arrived through the Central Mediterranean Route. Despite the reduced flows of people and improving asylum procedures across Europe, refugee and migrant children continue to face multiple risks and challenges due to their migration status. Even in countries with high standard child protection systems in place, there is a clear tendency to give precedence to migration law over international obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Some of the most significant challenges currently faced by refugee and migrant children relate to family reunification, long stays in first reception facilities - not only in Greece and Italy, but also Germany and Austria - as well as limited access to services such as protection, education and information. The situation of unaccompanied adolescent children is particularly concerning as they approach and turn 18 years old, experiencing additional challenges in accessing such services due to their age. In Italy, the current projection is that nearly 60 percent (9,000) of UASC hosted in reception centres will turn 18 in 2018. There is increasing concern that without education or vocational training opportunities, nor information on their rights and responsibilities, they are at high risk of engaging in exploitative activities.

More information:
European Comission " Forced displacement: refugees, asylum - seekers and internally displaced people (IDPs). ECHO FACTSHEET" (June 2018)
UNICEF "Refugee and Migrant Crisis in Europe Humanitarian Situation Report #27" (January-March 2018)
UNICEF "Latest statistics and graphics on refugee and migrant children. Latest information on children arriving in Europe"



Submitted by admin on Thu, 2018-06-21 14:59.