On 18 October 2017, during its 33rd Session, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe held a debate on the reception of unaccompanied child migrants in European towns. Yoomi RENSTRÖM (Sweden, SOC) commented that, while this year's statistics showed a fall in the number of child migrants in Europe, this had only been due to a tightening up of migrant filtering mechanisms. Three moving testimonies by refugees from Syria, Somalia and Afghanistan, who arrived in Europe as migrants minors, confirmed that integration measures had helped them continue their studies and succeed in their host country (Germany, Sweden and France). During the debate which followed, Congress members commended the personal efforts made by these young people and reiterated the need to mobilise local and regional authorities, in order to increase the number of foster families for migrant children, prevent child trafficking and establish a system to provide each young person with a guardian. The introduction of platforms for contact with local residents would help prevent a parallel society emerging and ensure that children’s rights are respected.
News 2017
