Purpose and Structure of the Review

This review presents a structured analysis of the implementation of Recommendation CM/Rec(2019)4 on supporting young refugees in transition to adulthood, drawing upon a mixed-methods approach designed to capture diverse stakeholder experiences and institutional practices across the Council of Europe’s Member States. The assessment responds to growing interest among national governments, local authorities, and youth- and/or refugee-led organisations to strengthen implementation of the Recommendation and address persistent gaps in service continuity, legal protection, and youth participation.

The report is organised in a way that clearly distinguishes between stakeholder contributions and the report’s own policy conclusions. Thematic chapters present stakeholder Proposals, reflecting the perspectives of civil society organisations, government representatives, and a mixed group of participants. While not formal recommendations of the report, these proposals provide essential context and were instrumental in shaping the final consolidated Recommendations. The Recommendations, presented in the concluding chapter, constitute the core policy guidance derived from the findings. This structure ensures both transparency and clarity, allowing readers to trace how stakeholder voices have informed the overarching policy directions advanced in the final chapter.

Methodology

The review is based on research combining quantitative and qualitative methods, with a strong emphasis on triangulation of data sources to ensure reliability and contextual depth.
It includes:

• A survey of government representatives (n=26), conducted by the Council of Europe Secretariat, assessing levels of awareness, implementation practices, and perceived challenges.
• A parallel survey with civil society organisations (CSOs), including youth-led and refugee-led groups, focusing on community-level implementation of the Recommendation, resource needs, and opportunities for strengthening support mechanisms.
• A series of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders in countries not covered by the surveys, used to address geographic gaps and validate emerging themes.
• Desk research and secondary analysis of relevant Council of Europe frameworks, action plans, and sectoral recommendations.

Main Findings

The findings demonstrate a landscape of broad engagement and strong normative alignment with the principles of CM/Rec(2019)4, but also highlight structural challenges that constrain effective and equitable implementation.
 

Key insights include:

• High Engagement with Implementation: 88% of respondent Member States reported actions aligned with the Recommendation, suggesting a strong foundational commitment. Local authorities and public institutions are increasingly active but require clearer strategic coordination and support.
• Persistent Systemic Barriers: Across both government and civil society inputs, recurring implementation challenges include legal uncertainty post-18, fragmentation of support services, inadequate inter-agency coordination, and limited funding mechanisms, especially for organisations working directly with young refugees.
• Valuable Role of Civil Society: CSOs, especially youth- and/or refugee-led organisations, demonstrate innovative and often under-recognised leadership in filling critical service and advocacy gaps. These actors require better access to Council of Europe tools, funding, and platforms for meaningful participation in implementation efforts.
• Cross-Cutting Strategic Priorities: Education, housing, healthcare, and legal protection emerged as the most consistently cited areas requiring urgent policy attention. These themes represent actionable entry points for Council programme development and resource mobilisation.
• Geographic Disparities and Knowledge Gaps: Variation in awareness and implementation across regions indicates the need for targeted dissemination strategies and structured peer learning. Countries with strong practices are well-positioned to serve as reference points for others.
• Call for Strengthened Council of Europe Leadership: Stakeholders consistently highlighted the Organisation’s unique capacity to coordinate, advise, and mobilise collective action. There is clear demand for expanded Council engagement in the form of technical guidance, monitoring frameworks, and convening power. At the same time, stakeholders acknowledged the important steps already taken by the Council of Europe’s Youth Department, notably through the Youth for Democracy programme, including study sessions, seminars, and training activities aimed at building capacity and awareness around Recommendation CM/Rec(2019)4. These efforts provide a valuable foundation which stakeholders suggested could be further scaled up and more systematically linked to national-level implementation.

Conclusions

The findings indicate the Recommendation CM/Rec(2019)4 is widely recognised as a highly relevant and timely instrument. However, its full potential has yet to be realised. While the Council of Europe’s Youth Department has already laid important groundwork, for example, through the Youth for Democracy programme, including study sessions, seminars, and other capacity-building initiatives, the diverse institutional, legal, and social landscapes across Member States necessitate a more strategic, differentiated, and inclusive approach to implementation support.
The review highlights the indispensable role of youth work in supporting young refugees, underscoring the need for sustained investment, structured training, and formal recognition of youth workers as key actors in the Recommendation’s implementation. With targeted investment in coordination, capacity building, and resource development, especially for civil society actors, the Council of Europe is well positioned to lead a renewed effort in realising the Recommendation’s objectives. Crucially, the young refugees at the heart of CM/Rec(2019)4 are not only beneficiaries of transitional support but also contributors to Europe’s democratic, social, and economic future. Their inclusion represents both a shared obligation and a strategic opportunity.
Finally, this review sets out specific proposals for action directed at, Member States, civil society and the Council of Europe respectively. Taken together, these proposals provide clear direction for scaling impact, transforming fragmented efforts into a coherent European approach that upholds rights, reinforces inclusion, and strengthens shared democratic values.