The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Committee on Migration recently expressed its concern regarding the severe threats migrant children face while on their journey to Europe. It also highlighted the inconsistencies of policies and procedures “which limit the legal opportunities for migration in Europe and put these children at risk of falling in the hands of smugglers and traffickers”.
The Committee also expressed its dissatisfaction concerning the fact that several European states fail to provide “adequate protection to migrant children and safeguarding their rights”, consequently violating their obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Following a set of recommendations presented by rapporteur Rósa Björk Brynjólfsdóttir (Iceland, UEL), parliamentarians further emphasised the urge for the Council of Europe Member States to comply with the principles set out by the UNCRC, most importantly the principle of the best interest of the child. Parliamentarians added that Member States must ensure that each migrant child’s case is assessed individually.
It was further stated that local and regional authorities play a crucial role in ensuring that migrant children are provided with all necessary protection measures upon arrival and reaffirmed the disapproval of all forms of violent practices carried out against migrant children, such as detention and the application of non-child-friendly methods in age assessment procedures.
Finally, the Committee articulated the need for the establishment of a common strategy adopted by all Council of Europe Member States, which outlines ways for combating all forms of violence against migrant children and ensuring “the broad and comprehensive protection of their human rights”. The strategy aims to limit the risk of child trafficking and child abuse by outlining proposals, which identify ways “to ensure safe and legal entry for migrant children into third States”.