The protection of children in migration and unaccompanied minors is a pressing societal and political issue as it concerns the most vulnerable members of society. The Urban Agenda for the EU’s Partnership on the Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees has identified this as a crucial issue as well.

On 11 April 2018, the Partnership hosted a workshop at the Lost in Migration II Conference in Brussels. The conference, organised by Missing Children Europe and the Maltese President’s Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society, focused on the role of local authorities and followed an earlier edition held in 2017. It brought together NGOs, universities and research institutes, European institutions, international organisations, and policy-makers from various governmental levels.

The Partnership's workshop aimed at fostering exchange between European municipalities in addressing the needs of children in migration. Representatives from the cities of Antwerp, Ghent, Rotterdam, and Strömsund presented their approaches, policies and projects around the two workshop topics:

• Education, guardianship, psychological care and
• Reception and housing of young refugees/children in migration.

The input collected during and in the follow-up of this workshop will feed into the recommendations concerning the protection of children in migration, which the Partnership will present later in 2018.

Do you have questions on the Partnership’s action on children in migration? Please consult the action leaders Carlos Mascarell Vilar from the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) or Mark Boekwijt from the city of Amsterdam. 

To read all of the Partnership's actions and recommendations, go to the Action Plan.