UN urges European countries to end child migrant detention

The detention profoundly and negatively impacts the health and well-being of children and can have a lasting effect on their cognitive development, says a informative document released this Tuesday regarding the deprivation of liberty of minor migrants in European countries for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

UN agencies add that detention exacerbates psychological distressso children in detention are at risk of depression and anxiety, as well as violence and abuse, especially for minors who have already faced aggression before, during or after their trip to Europe.

In the note, the agencies detail the practice of detaining migrant children in the nations of Europe and propose a range of alternatives and recommendations to help countries end child detention.

An abuse that persists in 27 countries

The document indicates that the detention of migrant children occurs in at least 27 countries in the region despite high-level commitments to put an end to that practice on the continent, in accordance with international law.

It adds that child arrests persist despite unequivocal evidence of their devastating impact on the health and well-being of children, and of high financial and administrative costs that they generate.

The agencies regret that the detention of children occurs even though there are a large number of alternative routes not custodial.

Safe and worthy alternatives

The UNHCR regional director for that continent recalled that several European countries have developed alternatives to the detention of children and families that can be safe, dignified and profitable benefit both host countries and children and families affected.

“We urge all European states to adopt these approaches to protect the rights and the well-being of refugee and migrant children,” said Pascale Moreau.

In the joint review of 38 countries in Europe, IOM, UNHCR and UNICEF found many worrying cases of child detention.

However, they also discovered that in several countries of the continent there are alternatives that include a supported independent living, foster care and family-friendly, and other child-friendly and child-focused models, which offer viable and cost-effective solutions for host States.

recommendations

In addition, they presented several recommendations to end the continued detention of asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant children in Europe. Among these recommendations are:

• Expand alternatives to detention and establish appropriate systems of care
• Invest in receiving conditions and child protection systems
• increase the international cooperation and support
• improve the data collection and monitoring

violation of rights

UNICEF’s regional director for Europe stressed that the children who displaced are, above all, children, regardless of their origin and the reason they left their homes.

“Children’s detention is never what is best for them, it is a violation of their rights and should be avoided at all costs”, emphasized Afshan Khan, who is also special coordinator for the Response to Refugees and Migrants in Europe.

Agreeing with Khan, IOM Regional Director Ola Henrikson argued that the family unity and the best interests of the child they go hand in hand in the context of people on the move.

“We encourage governments to work to replace detention for migrant children and families with community programs, case management and other rights-based alternatives, which have proven to be very effective,” concluded Henrikson.