32e Session du Congrès des pouvoirs locaux et régionaux du Conseil de l’Europe

Debate in the Chamber of Local Authorities: “The reception of unaccompanied child migrants in European cities”

On 29 March 2017 the Chamber of Local Authorities of the Congress held a debate on “The reception of unaccompanied child migrants in European cities”, highlighting the difficult position of mayors, who become the “guardians” of these unaccompanied young people, whom they must protect and help to become integrated in the host society. The participants underlined the lack of solidarity between European countries and the need for member states to provide greater financial support. The problems mentioned included the insufficient number of interpreters, the risks linked to sexual exploitation and violence, and the fact that reception facilities were full to overflowing. In the light of these challenges, several positive local initiatives were presented, for example the assistance and training offered to young people arriving in cities until they come of age and families who were willing to take in children.

“Their parents expose them to the danger of crossing the ocean in the hope that they will be able to earn their living or study in Europe, but if we do not help them to integrate our societies, many of them will descend into despair, anger and addiction, if not disappear underground” said Ole Olsson, Senior Policy Adviser on integration and public health care, Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR). Sweden had received 37 500 unaccompanied child migrants in 2015.  They had been placed under the responsibility of municipalities and mayors, who had become their official “guardians”. The mayors ensured that the young people had access to accommodation and schooling, but many needs had still not been met, partly because of the insufficient number of interpreters, especially in the health field. Moreover, young migrants were no longer entitled to protection once they came of age. The SALAR proposed less brutal transition methods for young migrants who had come of age, including the possibility of assistance and vocational training up to the age of 29. The Swedish municipalities had established an “ideas bank” to find better ways of integrating young migrants into society harmoniously. Some of the young migrants had formed associations to ensure that the public authorities listened to what they had to say. “They want us to talk to them and not only about them” said Mr Olsson. 

A call for European solidarity

Lora Pappa, President of the Greek network METAdrasi, “Action for Migration & Development”, had helped to establish five reception centres for unaccompanied migrant children but deplored the fact that they did not all have access to such centres: ideally, they were subsequently placed in families but others were living in camps, a situation which was admittedly difficult but less horrific than that of the children who had been left to their own devices in the streets. There were about a thousand children currently living in the streets, exposed to all the dangers of living outside, including sexual exploitation.  She regretted the lack of solidarity among many European countries. Although Greece could not cope with all the requests for help, she gave examples of some fine gestures across the continent: “We have just taken five unaccompanied Afghan children to Portugal, which accepted to take them in without any red tape and we hope that other countries will do likewise”.

Long-term assistance for unaccompanied migrant children

During the debate, several members of the Chamber of Local Authorities called for greater financial support from member states to help them carry out their role of “guardians of unaccompanied migrant children”. Reception centres were full to overflowing and that was only one of numerous practical difficulties: Manuela Mahnke (Germany, SOC) mentioned the problems that arose when these children – whose real age it was difficult to ascertain – reached their majority, or the long-term psychological consequences of the suffering they had endured in their country, while in Europe there were not enough psychologists to help them, particularly in their mother tongue. Another major problem, according to Lelia Hunziker (Switzerland, SOC), was the fact that many young migrants disappeared underground: “They vanish into thin air out of fear of being deported”.

Remo Grenga (Italy, SOC) also called on Europe to take greater account of the rights of young adults for, although there was no difference between a teenager aged 17 years and 364 days and another aged 18 years, things changed rapidly when it came to their status as a migrant or refugee. Along with several of his colleagues, he called for a better “ethic of hospitality” for migrant children.

Numerous municipalities had taken steps to offer the best possible conditions of reception for young migrants, and had already achieved positive results. Jean Paul Bastin, the Mayor of Malmédy, (Belgium, EPP/CCE), said that the 46 young migrants, mainly Afghans, who were accommodated by his municipality in a centre for minors, “are already all talking French and are fitting in well into the life of the community… even if they tend to keep together particularly when practising sports”. Finally, during the debate, several Russian and Ukrainian members regretted that the debate concerned only refugee children from the Middle East and underlined the efforts made by their cities and regions to take in refugees from other conflict areas.