The SRSG office will develop/compile transversally and support the implementation of practical guidance for the effective identification and referral of vulnerable persons and for addressing vulnerabilities throughout the asylum and migration procedures, including reception conditions.

The project implemented in Turkey “Strengthening the Human Rights Protection of Migrants - migration component” is underway under the Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey programme.

Implement and further disseminate tools developed under the Action Plan on migrant children, namely:

• Italian Presidency and Council of Europe joint Event on age assessment of unaccompanied migrant children (2022)
• Age assessment for children in migration - A guide for policy makers (2019)

• Report on consultations with unaccompanied children on the topic of age assessment (2019)
• Child friendly leaflet: “Your rights in the age assessment procedure”
• Child friendly video animation on age assessment for children in migration

Guidelines and an explanatory memorandum to these guidelines on human rights principles and age assessment for children in migration are being finalised

Targeted action on safeguards in age assessment procedures, including training for practitioners in the field will also be developed. 

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In the context of the Action Plan on migrant children on the 3rd of March 2017, the Lanzarote Committee adopted the Special report Protecting children affected by the refugee crisis from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, as an outcome of an urgent monitoring round it launched to assess how Parties to the Lanzarote Convention were protecting children affected by the refugee crisis from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.

As a follow-up to this report, the current Action Plan invites the Lanzarote Committee to promote good practices in the implementation of the recommendations of the special report, with a focus on aspects of missing children and preventive measures. To this end, the Lanzarote Committee already adopted, on March 2022, compliance reports concerning the 10 recommendations. 

On 5 July 2022 the Checklist prepared by the Lanzarote Committee’s secretariat on the basis of the Committee’s urgent monitoring findings on “Protecting children affected by the refugee crisis from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse” was made available in Ukrainian, Hungarian, Polish, Slovak, Czech and Romanian (in addition to English and French). This Checklist provides concrete guidance for migration practitioners and policy makers to swiftly identify appropriate measures to take or procedures to follow to prevent and protect children affected by refugee crisis from sexual abuse. It is a practical tool to support the authorities confronted by the arrival of children, in particular those fleeing Ukraine.

The department on execution of judgments will organise an exchange of good practices on implementing at national level the Court judgments concerning vulnerability of accompanied and non-accompanied minors and access to asylum.

On 20 May 2022, in Turin, Italy, the Committee of Ministers adopted a new recommendation to protect the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls providing measures to better respond to needs and challenges that they face.

• Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers to member States on protecting the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls

Support the practical implementation and piloting of alternatives to immigration detention including through co-operation programmes and awareness-raising.

On 15 June 2022, the Committee of Ministers adopted an Explanatory Memorandum to the Recommendation CM/Rec(2019)11 of the Committee of Ministers to member States
on effective guardianship for unaccompanied and separated children in the context of migration.

The Steering Committee for Human Rights in the fields of Biomedicine and Health (CDBIO) is developing measures, promoting fair access to healthcare for vulnerable groups, including refugees and migrants, especially in the context of pandemics. This include a guide to health literacy, and standards on equitable access to medical treatment and equipment and to innovative treatments.

The Pompidou Group has developed a handbook with guiding principles for professionals working in the field of addictions with refugees, migrants, and internally displaced persons:

• Intercultural Responses to drug-related challenges for refugees, migrants and IDPS

Capacity building seminars are being organized by the Pompidou Group on “Responding to drug-related challenges for refugees, migrants and IDPs”. After a first edition in Athens on 8-11 October 2019, the second one took place in Palermo on 21-23 September 2021.

On 9 November 2021, the Council of Europe’s Department for the Execution of Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights published a new thematic factsheet on cases related to migration and asylum.

The factsheet summarises measures reported by 23 member states to protect and further strengthen migration- and asylum-related rights in response to 66 different judgments from the ECHR. It covers topics including access to territory and forced returns, the reception and protection of migrants and asylum seekers, protection from discrimination and hate crime, family life and family reunification and the detention of migrants and asylum seekers.

• Implementing ECtHR judgments: New factsheet on migration and asylum

On 2 February 2022, the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers took note of the Guide on family-based care for unaccompanied and separated children developed by the Steering Committee for Human Rights.

The guide highlights key aspects for Council of Europe member States to consider when developing and implementing family-based care for unaccompanied and separated children in the context of migration.

• Guide on family-based care for unaccompanied and separated children

Hold thematic discussions on child-friendly approaches and procedures in migration within the Network of Focal Points on Migration and with other stakeholders (including in follow-up to Recommendation CM/Rec(2019)11 on effective guardianship).

• Recommendation CM/Rec(2019)11 on Effective guardianship for unaccompanied and separated children in the context of migration

Identify and promote good practices in respect of legal aid and representation, and access to information and justice for vulnerable people in the context of asylum and migration, and develop related guidelines  or policy recommendations.

• Guidelines of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the efficiency and the effectiveness of legal aid schemes in the areas of civil and administrative law

An International Conference and technical meeting of experts, co-organised by CDCJ and the UNHCR,  took place on 23-24 September 2021, on "Statelessness and the right to a nationality in Europe: progress, challenges and opportunities".

Priority follow-up actions to be undertaken in the period 2022-2025 to pursue the work on statelessness include the elaboration of guidance on child-sensitive procedures for stateless children and on the establishment of nationality, in particular for children.

• Statelessness and the right to a nationality in Europe: progress, challenges and opportunities

Develop specific guidance on data protection and digital identity in the context of migration, in conformity with the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data and its Additional Protocol. 

Foster international co-operation and investigative strategies in fighting the smuggling of migrants.

• Council of Europe action plan on fostering international co-operation and investigative strategies in fighting the smuggling of migrants

Translate and promote the Council of Europe’s handbook on child-friendly information for children in migration.

• How to convey child-friendly information to children in migration: a handbook for frontline professionals (Spanish, French)

Promote the practical implementation of the CM/Rec(2019)4 on supporting young refugees in transition to adulthood.

• CM/Rec(2019)4 on supporting young refugees to their transition to adulthood 

(Czech, Dutch, French, German, Georgian, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Turkish and Ukrainian) 

Continue and support the national implementation of HELP courses on Asylum and Human Rights, Refugee and migrant children, Alternatives to Immigration Detention, , Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Fight Against Racism, Xenophobia, Homophobia and Transphobia, and Radicalisation Prevention. This will contribute to enhance the knowledge of legal professionals on key human rights topics and to a better protection of human rights on a national level.

• HELP online courses

Promote the use of dedicated resources and capacity-building activities to support the linguistic integration of migrants and refugees.

• The Education Department launched a toolkit for language support for adult refugees under the Action plan on migrant children. The toolkit is currently available in 7 languages and offers guidance and easy to-use teaching materials for educators and volunteers. 
• Language support for Children arriving from ukraine; 
• Guide for the development and implementation of curricula for plurilingual and intercultural education;
• Handbook for curriculum development and teacher training:

Support the practical implementation of a literacy framework for migrants and refugees with non or low-literate background. 

Develop a practical guide to support eductors in schools with refugee children to ensure their inclusion in the education system and society.

Develop co-operation with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) on supporting sports integration of refugees and migrants based on the existing platform of sports projects.

Side event to the 17th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport - Integrating migrants and refugees through sport: Assessing current best practice, identifying vulnerabilities and finding ways to move forwards, to be held on 27 October 2022.

• Platform of integration projects through sport for migrants

On 6 April 2022,the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers adopted by consensus Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)10 on multilevel policies and governance for intercultural integration. This is the second international standard in this field following the adoption back in 2015 of CM/Rec(2015)1 on intercultural integration, and the first ever co-drafted by representatives of local and national authorities within the framework of the Working Group on Intercultural Integration (GT-ADI-INT).

Set up in 2020 under the Steering Committee on Anti-discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion, the GT-ADI-INT fulfilled its mandate by adapting the Intercultural Cities model to the regional and national level by: 1) reviewing the implementation of CM/Rec(2015)1, in this context, mapping strengths and remaining needs; 2) elaborating a Model Framework for an intercultural integration strategy at the national level, which was adopted by consensus in June 2021; 3) and suggesting ways to promote multilevel governance and policies for intercultural integration.

• Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers to member States on multilevel policies and governance for intercultural integration

A project on Building structures for intercultural integration in Cyprus was launched in June 2021.

Promote the integration of refugees by enhancing their access to education and employement, by facilitating the recognition of their qualifications through the European Qualifications Passport for Refugees and by fostering linguitic integration through education.

• European Qualifications Passport for Refugees

The Intercultural Cities Programme issued a policy brief based on research about alternative narratives being developed by cities, big and small, in relation to migration and integration.

A training programme for public authorities' press service on alternative narratives and positive intercultural communication on alternative narratives is being developed and it is expected to be launched in 2022.

Use the Network of Focal Points on Migration to:

• Develop/compile transversally and support the implementation of practical guidance for the effective identification and referral of vulnerable persons and for addressing vulnerabilities throughout the asylum and migration procedures, including reception conditions.
• Hold thematic discussions on child-friendly approaches and procedures in migration in the Focal Points Network on Migration and other stakeholders (including in follow-up to the CM Rec(2019)11 on effective guardianship).
• Organise an exchange of good practices on implementing at national level the Court judgments concerning vulnerability of accompanied and non-accompanied minors and access to asylum.