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 migrant children in European towns. Yoomi Renström (Sweden, SOC) commented that although, in this year’s statistics, the number of migrant children in Europe had decreased, it had not been due to the further tightening of migration policies. Three moving testimonies by refugees from Syria, Somalia and Afghanistan, holding migrant status as minors, confirmed that integration measures 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 authorities, in order to increase the number of host families for migrant children, prevent child trafficking and establish a system to provide each young person with a guardian. The introduction of an exchange platform with local residents would help prevent the creation of a parallel society and ensure that children’s rights are respected.
News 2017
