Over the past months, the Council of Europe’s field offices in Ankara, Yerevan, Chisinau and Tunis have carried out a series of initiatives strengthening the protection of human rights in the context of migration, with a particular focus on children, displaced persons and regional cooperation.
In Türkiye, under the European Union and Council of Europe joint action Strengthening the human rights protection in the context of migration in Türkiye, an online conference on “Alternative Care Arrangements for Unaccompanied and Separated Children in the Context of Migration” was held on 3 July. The event brought together professionals from across Europe to discuss human rights standards, share good practices, and examine alternative care models for unaccompanied children on the move. During the event, an evaluation report of the same title was presented, outlining current care practices and providing recommendations to further strengthen protection for unaccompanied children in the country.
The Council of Europe, together with partners, has reinforced efforts to protect and integrate displaced persons in Armenia through a series of targeted events as part of the Council of Europe project Strengthening human rights safeguards for the displaced population in Armenia .
Civil society organisations, legal professionals, and healthcare workers took part in activities aimed at strengthening rights-based approaches, legal safeguards, and professional integration. Highlights included:
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A training for NGOs on refugee protection and advocacy tools, organised ahead of World Refugee Day.
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A joint Council of Europe–UNHCR workshop for legal professionals on the use of Rule 39 interim measures of the European Court of Human Rights, supported by the updated UNHCR Toolkit.
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A two-day traing programme for displaced healthcare professionals combining human rights awareness with professional licensing and development.
These initiatives were carried out under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023–2026 contributing to stronger protection and integration pathways for displaced populations.
In the Republic of Moldova, on 11–12 June 2025, 21 representatives from the Ministry of Education and Research, the National Psychopedagogical Assistance Centre, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, and the General Inspectorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs participated in a Study Visit to Sarajevo and Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The aim was to exchange experiences and explore best practices in education, social protection, psychosocial support and integration of displaced persons, refugees, and other vulnerable groups. Later in June, World Refugee Day was marked through a series of events in Bălți, Chișinău and Cahul, gathering more than 500 participants, including displaced persons, refugees, community members, national authorities, children, and local and international organisations.
In Algiers, the Council of Europe strengthened regional cooperation with Algeria and Tunisia to counter trafficking and migrant smuggling. On 25–26 June 2025, twenty-five criminal justice officials from both countries — magistrates, law enforcement, and national authorities — took part in a practical exercise on “Combating Human Trafficking: Enhancing International Criminal Cooperation” in Algiers. The training, grounded in a human-rights-based approach and prioritising victim protection, enhanced participants’ ability to coordinate multi-jurisdictional investigations, address the trafficking–migration nexus, securely exchange sensitive information, and dismantle cross-border criminal networks. Organised by the Council of Europe Office in Tunis under its Neighbourhood Partnership with Tunisia (2022–2025), and supported by Switzerland and the joint EU/CoE South Programme V, this initiative laid the foundation for reinforced regional cooperation on migration, security and human rights.
