On June 4th, Terre des hommes Romania (Tdh) hosted a conference with the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) about alternatives to child detention in the context of migration and asylum. Guests from around Europe were present to discuss the differences in policies in Belgium, Bulgaria, and Romania for accompanied and unaccompanied minors. There were also representatives from the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), Mineurs en exil, UNHCR Romania and Legal Resources Center (CRJ). This conference was part of an advocacy initiative called Safe, Not Detained which highlights that children are children before they are migrants and that children should not be detained. The initiative had three main elements which were drafting a road map of solutions, a child led campaign on the issue, and an advocacy event. Tdh also wrote a guide for judges and prosecutors which can be found here (in Romanian).

 

Child detention occurs during the migration process as either part of the reception procedure into the country, part of a Dublin transfer, or part of a return decision. Often, children are detained with their family or if there is confusion about their age. Staying in a closed detention centre can be a traumatizing and stressful experience for children and removes their rights. Child protection laws should be prioritized over migration laws, but they are often ignored. Tdh believes that there are different alternatives to keeping children in detention or public custody and that there needs to be more data collection on the issue.

During the conference, guests discussed on several practical alternatives to detention of minors. Speakers from Belgium shared that they are working on more alternatives, but are currently using return houses to host families who are in the removal process. In 2018, a repatriation centre with family units opened, but has since received criticism for being another kind of closed facility.

Another alternative idea is having a case manager assigned to each migrant who will help them through the process of immigration. Case management also helps with the next steps if migrants are not approved to stay in the country. This can help families trust in the system and can also be less costly. The UNHCR representative also noted that when alternatives to detention are applied that migrants are more likely to comply and work with authorities. Tdh is looking into alternatives that can be used in the Romanian context as detention is never in the best interest of the child. 

This conference was organised under Safe, not detained project. This project was funded by the European Program for Integration and Migration (EPIM), a joint initiative of the European Foundation Network, H&M Foundation in partnership with the Initiative for Children in Migration, Missing Children Europe and PICUM.

 

For more information, contact Elena Patrateanu, project manager, at elena.patrateanu@tdh.ch.

 

Article written by Marie Gomez, communication intern at Tdh Romania.

Attachments

Childhub

You might like..

yes
0
505
Freedom is as important as life itself; a lesson most young people in detention become keenly aware of. Young people in detention have the right to a decent future, and their time in detention should help prepare them for this. But how do they…
yes
0
159
                                         …
0
21
The course is based on the Council of Europe’s CDDH Analysis and Practical Guide on Alternatives to Immigration Detention. The e-learning course is composed of four modules that explore three key questions: Why use…
0
24
This paper sets out and analyses the European and international standards relevant to alternatives to detention for persons who may be lawfully deprived of their liberty in accordance with Article 5 § 1(f) and, under certain…
0
9
Thousands of unaccompanied or separated children arrive and claim asylum in the UK each year. Many of them survive arduous journeys from persecutors and war zones in a search for safety; some flee abusive treatment by family or close associates;…
0
170
About the webinar: The United Nations Global Study on Children Deprived of Their Liberty reported that “there are still at least 410,000 children held in detention every year in remand centres and prisons. This does not include an estimated 1…
0
17
The research, first looks at the legal systems and practice of administrative detention in France and in different countries of the European Union (United Kingdom, Poland, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Malta, Sweden, etc..) This review made it possible to…
0
92
Romania is set to implement a national IT system for child adoptions, the country's government announced on 17 September. The project, which costs around 9.7 million euros, is part of Romania's 2020 National Digital Agenda Strategy. It aims to…
yes
0
20
The Terre des hommes Foundation aims to change the future of 200 young people and raises funds for the 2020 edition of the Bucharest Swimathon until July 10. These teenagers (girls and boys) are currently in detention in Craiova and have problems…
0
13
As unaccompanied and separated asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant children form a significant part of the refugee and migrant population who are still arriving in Serbia, the number of unaccompanied children is changing substantially and accounts…
yes
0
38
About the webinar: This webinar will focus on the issue of detention of child immigrants in the European context and the potential alternatives that might counter detention. Kadri Soova (PICUM) will address the current state of detention of child…
0
3
Governments around the world are increasingly using detention as a migration management tool, with refugees, asylum seekers and migrants detained for prolonged periods.   However, there are humane and cost effective mechanisms that prevent…
0
314
Andrea Csép, an UDMR politician said, that the currently adopted law in Romania has simplified the process of adoption. The compulsory course can be taken in Hungarian too, and the diploma will be valid for five years, instead of two. The provision…
0
15
In this short ChildHub video, you can learn about why and how we should seek alternatives to detention for young offenders, what alternatives to detention exist as well as their key benefits. The attached document provides more information on the…
0
1
Migration Profiles provide a means to identify information gaps and to develop strategies to enhance data collection and data-sharing through the analysis of information and data available on immigration, emigration, irregular migration, labour…