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5.6.5. Children in the reception system

icon presenting children in reception system

The increased number of children and unaccompanied child applicants throughout 2021 required reception authorities to swiftly adapt capacity and support. For example, in the Netherlands, new facilities were opened but were still insufficient to meet the capacity demand of Nidos, COA and the IND. Facilities were full, leading to high pressure on the quality of reception and support (see Section 4.7).1442  Unaccompanied children with disruptive behaviour remained at the centre of Dutch policy concerns, and a new AMIF-funded project was launched for 2022 to establish methods to counter such behaviour in reception (see Section 4.7).1443  COA observed that these issues reduced interest from municipalities to open reception facilities, leading to shortages in places.

In Bulgaria, safe zones for unaccompanied children needed to be restructured. The Ombudsperson found poor living conditions, with a lack of adequate furniture and overcrowding. When the security zone was full, children were accommodated in the gym separately from adults1444  (see Section 4.7). The Ombudsperson also requested the Supreme Administrative Court to adopt an interpretative decision related to children’s rights when they are placed in detention together with an adult relative pending a return. The court rejected the request, as it found no contradiction in jurisprudence and practice. It reiterated that children can appeal against a detention decision in their own name, the information provided by the police on the relationship between the child and the accompanying adult was not a binding one, and the authority ordering the detention can further assess this relationship.

New facilities for unaccompanied children were opened in Belgium. Cyprus was also planning to increase its reception facility dedicated to unaccompanied children. The safe zone in Limnes was completed in 2021, with a capacity of 18 places, which could be increased up to 36 places. The bids for a structure in the safe zone in Pournara was foreseen for spring 2022. However, the Cyprus Refugee Council reported that children were accommodated outside of the safe zones and there had been incidents of alleged sexual harassment.1445 UNHCR observed similar instances and expressed concern about the living conditions for children.1446  In March 2022, the Deputy Minister for Social Welfare announced plans to transfer children from Pournara to a dedicated facility in Famagusta.1447  The move followed the opinion published by the Ombudsperson for Children,1448  decisions taken during the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers on the situation in Pournara1449 and the president’s visit to the centre.1450

Due to a rise in arrivals, the number of specialised reception places for unaccompanied children was increased in Slovakia. In Slovenia, amendments to the International Protection Act clarified that unaccompanied children should be accommodated in child-friendly institutions, instead of reception centres.1451

The Italian SAI network’s capacity for unaccompanied children was increased from 3,887 places in 148 facilities to 4,672 places in 239 facilities at the end of 2021. The Ministry of the Interior signed an agreement with UNICEF to monitor reception conditions for unaccompanied children.1452 The Ministry’s Department of Civil Liberties and Migration published an operational handbook on the identification and reception of unaccompanied children, developed with support from the EUAA and other international and national stakeholders.1453  To provide immediate support, the department signed an agreement with the civil society organisation Terres des Hommes Italia for psychological and psychosocial assistance from disembarkation to first reception.1454  The department also concluded an agreement with Save the Children to continue the provision of targeted support to unaccompanied children.1455
 
Reception conditions for unaccompanied children in Spain, especially in Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary Islands, remained of serious concern. Accem reported that the government of the Canary Islands had started an investigation into alleged cases of sexual exploitation in a reception facility for unaccompanied minors.1456

The AIDA report for Germany cites a study from the Federal Association for Unaccompanied Refugee Minors published in 2021, which acknowledged general improvements in reception conditions for unaccompanied children but highlighted vast differences across the federal states.1457
 
In a case related to Greece (see Section 5.6.2), the European Committee on Social Rights noted that the state did not provide adequate protection for applicant children from physical and moral dangers, and that children did not have access to education, neither on the islands or on the mainland, nor access to sufficient health care on the islands. The committee found that the state failed to provide adequate accommodation for applicant children on the islands and long-term accommodation on the mainland. 

In this light, Greek authorities made some further steps to provide a safe space for unaccompanied children, and the Ministry for Migration and Asylum established a National Mechanism for the Detection and Protection if Unaccompanied Children, in cooperation with the IOM, Aris, METAdrasi and the Network for Children’s Rights. The mechanism includes a hotline in six languages to help guiding homeless unaccompanied children to emergency accommodation in Athens and Thessaloniki.1458

The Swiss Observatory on Asylum and Foreigners’ Law published a series of articles highlighting the gaps in the reception of unaccompanied children, for example in monitoring special facilities,1459  procedures to follow when a child disappears from a facility,1460  and inconsistencies in the roles and responsibilities when a child is at risk of abuse.1461

The Portuguese High Commission for Migration signed a cooperation protocol with an NGO to develop targeted support for single-parent families and children in reception.1462
 
The Swedish Migration Agency issued a new legal position to clarify that municipalities and regions are entitled to be reimbursed for the care of unaccompanied children from the moment they express a wish to apply for asylum.1463
 
Faced with several cases on the detention of children, the courts highlighted that this always should be a measure of last resort (see Section 4.8). 

EU+ countries undertook several measures throughout 2021 to further facilitate educational opportunities for applicant children, but delays in enrolment and gaps in support persisted in some countries and under certain circumstances (see Section 4.7.2.4). This could have a detrimental effect on educational attainment in the future when they continue with education as beneficiaries of international protection (see Section 4.14.4.3).

  • 1442Ministry of Justice and Security | Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid. Antwoorden Kamervragen over het gebrek aan daadkracht om fatsoenlijke noodopvang voor asielzoekers in te richten [Answers to Parliamentary questions on the lack of decisive action to establish decent emergency shelters for asylum seekers]. 23 November 2021. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/kamerstukken/2021/11/23/antwoor…
  • 1443Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers | Centraal Orgaan opvang asielzoekers. (January 2022). AMIF-projecten: opvang en begeleiding asielzoekers verbeteren [AMIF projects: improving the reception and guidance of asylum seekers]. https://www.coa.nl/nl/amif-projecten-opvang-en-begeleiding-asielzoekers…
  • 1444Ombudsman | Омбудсман на Република България. (2021). Доклад на националния превантивен механизъм относно извършена проверка в отдел „производство по международна закрила“ към регистрационно-приемателен център гр. София [Report of the national preventive Mechanism on inspection performed in the department of international protection at the registration and reception centre in Sofia]. https://www.ombudsman.bg/pictures/doklad%20Vo%D0%B5nna%20rampa(1).pdf
  • 1445European Council on Refugees and Exiles. (2022). Input to the Asylum Report 2022. https://euaa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2022-03/European_Council_on_…
  • 1446United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, & Cyprus News Agency. (2022, January 23). Fair system needed for migrants says UNHCR, concerns over minors. https://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/refdaily?pass=52fc6fbd5&id=61ee…
  • 1447Press and Information Office of the Republic of Cyprus | Γραφείο Τύπου και Πληροφοριών της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας. (2022, March 16). Δηλώσεις της Υφυπουργού Κοινωνικής Πρόνοιας σχετικά με τη μετακίνηση των ασυνόδευτων παιδιών από το ΚεΠΥ Πουρνάρα [Statements of the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare regarding the transfer of unaccompanied children from the Initial Reception Centre in Pournara]. https://www.pio.gov.cy/%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B1%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%B9%CE%BD%CF%89…
  • 1448Press and Information Office of the Republic of Cyprus | Γραφείο Τύπου και Πληροφοριών της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας. (2022, March 9). Δημόσια Τοποθέτηση Επιτρόπου σχετικά με την παραμονή στο δρόμο 30 ασυνόδευτων παιδιών [Public Position of the Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of the Child regarding 30 unaccompanied children staying on the street]. https://www.pio.gov.cy/%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B1%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%B9%CE%BD%CF%89…
  • 1449Ministry of the Interior | Υπουργείο Εσωτερικών. (2022, March 15). Δηλώσεις Υπουργού Εσωτερικών για τις αποφάσεις σε σχέση με το Κέντρο «Πουρνάρα», μετά τη σύσκεψη στο Προεδρικό Μέγαρο, υπό τον ΠτΔ [Statements by the Minister of Interior on the decisions in relation to the "Pournara" Center, after the meeting at the Presidential Palace, before the President]. http://www.moi.gov.cy/MOI/moi.nsf/All/95B7335FE006A118C22588060034DA7B?…
  • 1450Press and Information Office of the Republic of Cyprus | Γραφείο Τύπου και Πληροφοριών της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας. (2022, March 14). Ο Πρόεδρος της Δημοκρατίας επισκέφθηκε τον χώρο φιλοξενίας στο Πουρνάρα [The President of the Republic visited the reception centre in Pournara]. https://www.pio.gov.cy/%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B1%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%B9%CE%BD%CF%89…
  • 1451Zakon o spremembah in dopolnitvah Zakona o mednarodni zaščiti (ZMZ-1A) [Act Amending the International Protection Act]. http://www.pisrs.si/Pis.web/pregledPredpisa?id=ZAKO8192
  • 1452Ministry of the Interior | Ministero dell'interno. (2021, March 18). Sostegno a minori migranti e rifugiati in Italia, intesa tra ministero dell'Interno e Unicef [Support for migrant and refugee children in Italy, agreed between the Ministry of the Interior and UNICEF]. https://www.interno.gov.it/it/notizie/sostegno-minori-migranti-e-rifugi…
  • 1453Ministry of the Interior | Ministero dell'interno. (2021, March 23). Predisposto il vademecum sull'accoglienza dei minori stranieri non accompagnati [Preparing a guide on the reception of unaccompanied foreign minors]. https://www.interno.gov.it/it/notizie/predisposto-vademecum-sullaccogli…
  • 1454Ministry of the Interior | Ministero dell'interno. (2021, June 8). Minori non accompagnati, accordo tra Viminale e Terre des Hommes per nuove misure di sostegno [Unaccompanied minors, agreement between Viminal and Terres des Hommes for new support measures] [Press release]. https://www.interno.gov.it/it/notizie/minori-non-accompagnati-accordo-v…
  • 1455Ministry of the Interior | Ministero dell'interno. (2021, December 20). Minori non accompagnati: rinnovata la convenzione con Save the Children [Unaccompanied minors: agreement with Save the Children renewed]. https://www.interno.gov.it/it/notizie/minori-non-accompagnati-rinnovata…
  • 1456European Council on Refugees and Exiles. (2022). Input to the Asylum Report 2022. https://euaa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2022-03/European_Council_on_…
  • 1457European Council on Refugees and Exiles. (2022). Input to the Asylum Report 2022. https://euaa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2022-03/European_Council_on_…; AIDA Germany. (2022). Country Report: Germany - 2021 Update. Edited by ECRE. Written by Paula Hoffmeyer-Zlotnik. https://asylumineurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AIDA-DE_2021updat…, citing Federal Association for Unaccompanied Refugee Minors | Bundesfachverbandes unbegleitete minderjährige Flüchtlinge. (2021). Die Situation Geflüchteter Junger Menschen in Deutschland. https://b-umf.de/src/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/webversion_onlineumfrag…
  • 1458Ministry of Migration and Asylum | Υπουργείο Μετανάστευσης και Ασύλου. (2021, April 6). Σε λειτουργία ο εθνικός μηχανισμός για τον εντοπισμό και την προστασία ασυνόδευτων παιδιών σε επισφαλείς συνθήκες [The national mechanism for locating and protecting unaccompanied children in precarious conditions is in operation]. https://migration.gov.gr/se-leitoyrgia-o-ethnikos-michanismos-gia-ton-e…
  • 1459Swiss Observatory on Asylum and Aliens Law | Schweizerische Beobachtungsstelle für Asyl- und Ausländerrecht | Observatoire Suisse du Droit d'Asile et des Étrangers | Osservatorio Svizzero sul Diritto d'Asilo e degli Stranieri. (2021, March 30). Übergeordnetes Kindesinteresse – Aufsicht und Verantwortung. Teil 1 der Serie: Wer ist in der Schweiz für die Einhaltung der Kinderrechte verantwortlich? [The best interests of the child - supervision and responsibility. Part 1 of the series: Who is responsible for upholding children’s rights in Switzerland?]. https://beobachtungsstelle.ch/news/uebergeordnetes-kindesinteresse-aufs…
  • 1460Swiss Observatory on Asylum and Aliens Law | Schweizerische Beobachtungsstelle für Asyl- und Ausländerrecht | Observatoire Suisse du Droit d'Asile et des Étrangers | Osservatorio Svizzero sul Diritto d'Asilo e degli Stranieri. (2021, July 5). Wenn Kinder aus Bundesasylzentren verschwinden. Teil 2 der Serie: Wer ist in der Schweiz für die Einhaltung der Kinderrechte verantwortlich? [When children disappear from federal asylum centres. Part 2 of the series: Who is responsible for upholding children’s rights in Switzerland?]. https://beobachtungsstelle.ch/news/wenn-kinder-aus-bundesasylzentren-ve…
  • 1461Swiss Observatory on Asylum and Aliens Law | Schweizerische Beobachtungsstelle für Asyl- und Ausländerrecht | Observatoire Suisse du Droit d'Asile et des Étrangers | Osservatorio Svizzero sul Diritto d'Asilo e degli Stranieri. (September 2021). Kindesschutzmassnahmen in Bundesasylzentren. Teil 3 der Serie: Wer ist in der Schweiz für die Einhaltung der Kinderrechte verantwortlich? [Child protection measures in federal asylum centres. Part 3 of the series: Who is responsible for upholding children’s rights in Switzerland?]. https://beobachtungsstelle.ch/news/kindesschutzmassnahmen-in-bundesasyl…
  • 1462High Commission for Migration I Alto Comissariado para as Migrações. (2021, May 26). ACM e Adolescere assinam protocolo de cooperação [ACM and Adolescere sign cooperation protocol]. https://www.acm.gov.pt/-/acm-e-adolescere-assinam-protocolo-de-cooperac…
  • 1463Swedish Migration Agency | Migrationsverket. (2021, February 12). Rättsligt ställningstagande. När rätt till statlig ersättning inträder för barn utan vårdnadshavare - RS/002/2021 [Legal position. When entitlement to state compensation arises for children without legal guardianship — RS/002/2021]. https://lifos.migrationsverket.se/dokument?documentSummaryId=45239