{"id":1701,"date":"2017-05-19T14:39:05","date_gmt":"2017-05-19T14:39:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zadecu.org\/en\/?p=1701"},"modified":"2017-07-13T14:45:01","modified_gmt":"2017-07-13T14:45:01","slug":"national-level-is-of-key-importance-to-improve-the-situation-of-migrant-and-refugee-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zadecu.org\/en\/national-level-is-of-key-importance-to-improve-the-situation-of-migrant-and-refugee-children\/","title":{"rendered":"National level is of key importance to improve the situation of migrant and refugee children"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Eurochild National Partners Networks (NPN) Group, which gathers 20 networks and represents in total 2.000 child rights organizations around Europe, met for two days (18. and 19. May) in Brussels to talk about migrant and refugee children. The Network of Organisations for Children of Serbia (MODS) was represented by Jasmina Mikovi\u0107 from Praxis, president of the MODS Management Board.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The first day of the meeting was focused on capacity building on advocating for the rights of refugee and migrant children by mainstreaming children\u2019s rights in all EU and national policies and practices. Eurochild\u2019s aim is to advocate for the EU to encourage Member States to strengthen their child protection systems to accommodate the specific needs of migrant and refugee children.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"deca<\/p>\n

To this end, Eurochild is currently collaborating with other European networks with a broader expertise on migration. Some of the Brussels-based networks, the Missing Children Europe<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, and the European Council on Refugee and Exiles<\/a><\/span><\/strong> shared their experience on advocating for the rights of migrants and refugees. They highlighted that action at national level is of key importance to improve the situation of migrant and refugee children. <\/span><\/p>\n

EU instruments, such as the Communication on the protection of children in migration<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, need to \u201cleave Brussels\u201d and become well-known at national and local level: there are tools to be used to encourage national authorities to implement policies. The EU Return Handbook<\/a><\/span><\/strong> is currently being revised and updated by the European Commission: there is a risk of stronger measures promoting returns so need to monitor how governments will be reacting to it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moreover, Eurochild, in partnership with SOS Children\u2019s Villages International, is currently developing a Compendium of case studies on the integration of migrant and refugee children across Europe. Therefore, some of the contributors to the Compendium were invited to the meeting to present their project\/practice, highlighting achievements as well as challenges and lessons learnt. Marion Macleod from the Children in Scotland, UK, presented two examples of different approaches: <\/span><\/p>\n