On World Refugee Day, the Advisory Council on Youth (CCJ) welcomes the Council of Europe’s work to protect refugee and migrant children in Europe whilst emphasising the importance of including young refugees in seeking solutions to their situation.
Today, we mark World Refugee Day with record numbers (65.6 million) of displaced persons in recent history. Many of them are young people. The Advisory Council on Youth is calling on European countries to be proactive in their management of the influx of asylum seekers in order to prevent further escalation of the current crisis.
In the spirit of the Council of Europe’s policy on youth participation, any sustainable solution should involve young refugees. Labeled as "victims" and viewed as a burden on society, young refugees are often left out of decision-making processes. Even in youth projects and initiatives, they are not included in the planning and implementation stages, being viewed only as participants or target groups. Young refugees should be empowered and participate in decision making if more effective and sustainable results are to be achieved.
More than half of refugees worldwide are under the age of 18, while one third of minors arriving in Europe in recent years are unaccompanied. The Advisory Council on Youth continues to support the Action Plan on Protecting Refugee and Migrant Children in Europe because, as the Secretary General of the Council of Europe rightly said when it was adopted, “We must prevent children from falling victims to violence, abuse, exploitation and trafficking, this is a moral imperative”. When they turn 18 however, unaccompanied minors lose overnight all of the guarantees provided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child. More needs to be done to ensure that this transition process is as smooth as possible and in the best interests of these children.
Asylum is a human right. “Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution”. Today is a time for solidarity and human rights.
The opinions expressed in this statement are those of the Advisory Council on Youth and
do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Council of Europe or its member states.
