Project on the field RETURN | Study On Child Trafficking
From 26 Feb 2007 To 28 Aug 2008
The project aims to develop a “feasibility study” on the return of unaccompanied children and youth who are presumed victims of trafficking in Europe. Looking at the difficult situation of this particular target group poses several challenges for local administrations and urban agglomerations in Western and Southern Europe, since their services sometimes lack know-how and training in dealing with the special needs of youth, who are often in irregular residence and risk being traumatized by trafficking and/or exploitation.
Developing return schemes that are consistent with international legislation on the rights of the child and on the fight against trafficking is dependent on exact knowledge on the complex itineraries and experiences of these youth*. The study is focused on the target group of youth and children who are potential victims of trafficking or exploitation and therefore have special needs.
Read the news about this project here
The feasability study is coordinated by the European Forum for Urban Safety and largely conducted by the French NGO Jeunes Errants (‘Young Wanderers’) combining their joint experiences in the field. Terre des hommes is participating to this project through the involvement of the national delegations in South Eastern Europe and through the Swiss Programs, based in Tdh HQ, Lausanne.
The research will be designed over 3 seminars with several project partners in both countries of origin and destination, and carried out in all participating areas, including interviews and field research, looking at case by case experiences of youth following pre-defined criteria. The aim of the study is to determine the conditions and modalities that need to be put in place to guarantee a safe and efficient voluntary return to the place of origin that respects the interests of the child, and thus to operationalise the international legal framework on concrete integrated return plans or programmes. The years-long experiences of associated NGOs in the project and the cooperation with and training of local administrations’ staff shall allow for a cross-cutting interdisciplinary study that is rooted in the heterogenous local realities of complex migration patterns.
Dates: 01 March 2007 – 31 August 2008 (France, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Switzerland)
The results of the study are distributed to more than 300 cities across the network of cities of the European Forum for Urban Safety which should guarantee high visibility and wide transfer of experiences.
Read the full presentation of the project here.
