Refugee and migrant children

Refugee and migrant children are first and foremost children. States must respect their rights, including their right to information, their right to be heard and to a life free from violence.

The Council of Europe aims to ensure that all refugee and migrant children can benefit from the protection measures set out in international and European legal instruments and enjoy the full realisation of their rights in compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the European Convention for Human Rights.

Protecting the rights of refugee and migrant children remains an ongoing challenge and a long-term commitment. Action in this area is guided by the Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2022-2027), whose implementation is overseen by the Steering Committee for the Rights of the Child (CDENF).

CDENF acts as a pan European platform for regular exchanges of knowledge, good practices and experiences to support the implementation of policy measures to protect unaccompanied and other children in the context of migration. Key policy areas addressed include:

promoting good practices for the implementation of CM/Rec(2019)11 on effective guardianship for unaccompanied and separated children in the context of migration and its Explanatory Memorandum;
addressing the implementation of policies aimed at ensuring sustainable and durable solutions and the effective integration of children affected by migration more generally, notably by reviewing the implementation of CM/Rec(2007)09 on life projects for unaccompanied migrant minors;
supporting member states in the implementation of Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)22 on human rights principles and guidelines on age assessment in the context of migration and its Explanatory Memorandum.

In order to protect and promote the rights of children on the move, the Council of Europe has been guiding member states in taking a co-ordinated child rights-based approach to tackle this challenge through two consecutive actions plans coordinated by the Special Representative on Migration and Refugees, and implemented by different bodies and divisions within the Council of Europe: Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025) and Action Plan on Protecting Refugee and Migrant Children in Europe (2017-2019). These policy documents aim at ensuring access to rights and child-friendly procedures, providing effective protection and enhancing the integration of children who would remain in Europe.

Numerous Council of Europe bodies monitor the situation of migrant children in Europe. Recognising the high risk of children affected by the refugee crisis being or becoming victims of sexual exploitation or abuse, the Lanzarote Committee decided to launch an urgent monitoring round and issued a series of recommendations on measures to be taken to improve or reinforce the protection of children affected by the refugee crisis against sexual abuse, and identified promising practices.

Migration-related activities

Child-friendly information for children in migration and life projects

Child-friendly information for children in migration and life projects

This project supports member States to implement their obligations to inform children in migration in a child friendly way about their rights and to provide access to rights through child-friendly procedures, in line with the principles set out by the Council of Europe Guidelines on Child-friendly Justice. This project aims also to increase States’ capacities to implement durable solutions for children who will remain in Europe through implementation of life projects for unaccompanied children.

End Immigration Detention of Children Campaign

The Children’s Rights Division carried out work in co-operation with the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly as part of the End Immigration Detention of Children Campaign. This project was supported through a voluntary contribution from the Government of Switzerland.

As part of this campaign, the Children’s Rights Division:

Elaborated a training guide on monitoring places where children are deprived of their liberty as a result of immigration procedures (EN - FR - AR).
Elaborated a training programme for members of national parliaments and ombudspersons’ staff on monitoring places where children are deprived of their liberty as a result of immigration procedures.
Identified examples of age assessment policies, procedures and practices respectful of children's rights to support the work of the former Ad hoc Committee for the Rights of the Child of the Council of Europe (CAHENF) on standards regarding age assessment.

This project aimed at further enhancing co-operation between parliaments, ombudspersons, competent government bodies and civil service in addressing problems relating to immigration detention of children.

News on migration

Back 2nd and final meeting of the working group charged with drafting a Handbook for professionals on child-friendly information for children in migration on access to rights and procedures

2nd and final meeting of the working group charged with drafting a Handbook for professionals on child-friendly information for children in migration on access to rights and procedures

The Council of Europe, under the Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2016-2021) and the Council of Europe Action Plan (2017-2019), held the second and final working group on a handbook on child-friendly information for children in migration in Strasbourg on 30-31 May 2018.

The working group is formed of experts working with children affected by migration in Italy, France, Belgium and the United Kingdom. A call for examples of good and promising practices was held in 2017 to gather materials from a wide cross-section of Council of Europe member States. Materials provided in response to the call have informed the drafting process of the handbook and some examples may be included in the handbook as examples of promising practice.

As well as the examples of promising practice, the handbook will include the views of children on the move. Children gave their views and recommendations during workshops which took place in autumn 2017 in five member States of the Council of Europe. The opinions and recommendations of the children who participated in the workshops can be consulted in the new study “Child-friendly information for children in migration: What do children think ”.

The handbook will be a practical tool for frontline professionals and volunteers who interact with children in migration at various stages of their migratory journey within the Council of Europe member states. The handbook will provide guidance on communicating with children in a child-friendly way upon arrival and in reception centres as well as during age assessment, guardianship and immigration or asylum procedures. The handbook is expected to be published by the end of 2018.

Strasbourg 30-31 May