On 18 October 2017, during the 33rd session of the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities , the Current Affairs Committee will approve a report on “Refugee children and minors: the role and responsibilities of local authorities”. This is a follow-up to the resolution the Congress adopted in March 2017 on the reception of refugees and integration of migrants in general, where it had already drawn attention to the need to prioritise action for children in precarious situations, including children in refugee reception centres. The future work programme of the Committee also includes a report on the situation of border regions facing migration flows, which should be ready for discussion in 2018.
Newsletter - October 2017
Mandate
The Division on Migration and Refugees (DMR) was created at the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law (DG1) on 1 February 2025 to follow-up on the action by the former Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees. Its mandate includes suggesting assistance and support to member states, particularly through the Network of Focal Points on Migration, seeking, collecting and analysing information on the human rights situation of migrants and refugees, as well as complementing and co-ordinating activities of other relevant Council of Europe bodies and our action with other international partners, notably the UNHCR, IOM, EU, and its specialised agencies, and other national, regional and international stakeholders, including civil society organisations. The DMR represents the Council of Europe in the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award Selection Committee, as well as in the Consultative Forums of Frontex and of EUAA.
newsletter summary
- Prague conference, event on statelessness and cooperation with UN, OSCE/ODHIR
- Human Rights court on deportation, detention and collective expulsions of migrants and refugees
- GRETA published report on Ireland
- CPT published reports on Greece and Slovenia
- Commissioner calls for an inclusive education for all children, and visits Luxembourg and attends Prague conference
- Congress to approve a report on the role of local authorities in protecting refugee children
- Age assessment, guide for parliamentarians and a visit to Hungarian transit zones
- European Qualifications Passport for Refugees project
- A new course on the rights and protection of refugee and migrant children