Europe The Parliament calls for support to children left behind by migrant parents

13 Mar 2009 |

The European Parliament adopted today a resolution which aim is to give support to the children left in their country of origin by parents working abroad. Indeed, according to a study conducted by UNICEF and Social Alternatives in Romania, in 2008 almost 350’000 children had at least one parent who was working abroad, and nearly 126’000 were affected by the migration of both parents. According to the text of the adopted resolution, this situation is prone to generate negative impacts on the children’s life, especially on their physical and mental health, and can create troubles in their education and schooling, while also putting them in a situation at risk of potential abuses.

European Parliament resolution

For these reasons, the Parliament adopted today the resolution initiated by Romanian MEP Rovana Plumb, with a vast majority of 579 to 21 and 13 abstentions. The resolution calls the Commission to undertake a study on the extend of the phenomenon, to involve the social partners and NGOs in actions aiming to improve the situation of migrants’ children, and to propose the adequate application of the already existing means to all interested parties. The resolution also calls the Members States to act in order to ensure the normal education and social development of the children. This means namely, to set up cooperation mechanisms, to inform migrants better about their rights, and to take steps in order to improve the situation of the children.

Press coverage: EP passes resolution on children of immigrants initiated by MEP Rovana Plumb, Financiarul, 13 March 2009

Related documentation
Publication: The Effects of Migration: The Children Left Behind (2009)
News: Debate on issue of children whose parents work abroad (Nine o’Clock, 12 March 2009)
News: In Romania, Children Left Behind Suffer the Strains of Migration (The New York Times, 14 February 2009)