On 28 June 2018, concerned by events related to the management of the arrival of migrant and refugee children in Council of Europe member and observer states, the Committee of the Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Committee) released a Declaration on protecting refugee and migrant children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. In the Declaration, the Lanzarote Committee stressed that states should, among other measures; uphold the rights and best interests of the child at all times, regardless of their migration status, take measures to address the specific risk of exposure to sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of migrant and refugee children, taking into account the increased vulnerability caused by factors such as deprivation of liberty, family separation, inadequacy of reception and care and lack of effective guardianship systems.

The Children’s Rights Division continues its close cooperation with the Parliamentary Assembly in the framework of the third phase of the PACE Campaign to end immigration detention of children. The Campaign will focus on strengthening access to rights for children in migration, in particular during age assessment procedures and providing support for effective monitoring of places where children are deprived of their liberty for immigration purposes. The Council of Europe will shortly launch consultations in several member states with children who have experienced age assessment in the context of immigration or asylum procedures. The children’s views and recommendations will support the policy work of the Ad hoc Committee for the Rights of the Child, which is preparing currently guidelines on Human Rights principles on age assessment for children in migration.