Belgium "The return of migrant minors is first a right, not an obligation!"

Project : RETURN 23 Mar 2009 |

Brussels, Belgium: Peter Brey, CEO of Terre des hommes – Child Relief c o-presented last Thursday the recent publication “Wandering young people: the conditions for return”. “It is a very simple reminder to our obligations: all foreign minors found on our territories have exactly the same rights than our own children! declared Peter Brey, as an NGO working daily on the field with our partners, we keep on repeating this message to the authorities of the EU member states and the EU institutions. It is not only according to the UNCRC, but this message is coming from the migrant children themselves, expressing their rights!"

The publication “Wandering young people: the conditions for return” is the last step of an 18-month project as a feasibility study on the reintegration of isolated minors victims of trafficking, based on 600 study cases in Albania, Austria, France, Italy, Romania and Spain. This project, co-financed by the European Commission, is the result of a convergence of interests and questionings between local authorities – represented by the European Forum for Urban Safety and, within it the cities of Turin and Barcelona, to which was later added the Land of Tyrol – and associations specialised in taking care of and following up foreign minors, represented by the Jeunes Errants association (based in Marseilles) and Terre des hommes (regional child protection project based in Budapest). This sharing of expertise and know-how was enriched by the analysis contributed by Dr Brenda Oude Breuil (photo on the left) of the University of Utrecht.

The project partners decided to meet again before the summer to envisage further steps to be made together to address the specific needs of foreign unaccompanied minors in the EU member states. They also agreed on continuing to make the link between origin and transit / destination countries with preventive and protective measures.

Fabian Lutz, from the Justice, Freedom and Security General Directorate of the EC, also explained the ‘Return Directive’ with a specific emphasis on minors. The following step envisaged is a study on how member states integrate the directive into their national laws and practices. Marlene Vermoken, Head of the Migration and Asylum sector at EC-EuropAid, described the results of the AENEAS programs and the perspectives of the new DCI strategic orientations.

Download the publication here