Coinciding with the informal Justice and Home Affairs Council, Missing Children Europe joined hands with the Maltese President’s Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society to bring together key stakeholders concerned with the protection of migrant children’s rights across Europe on the 26 and 27 January.
At the conference, 160 professionals, among them The Smile of the Child, national member of MCE from Greece, took stock of the situation and the current challenges of this children’s rights crisis. Based on the research, expertise and recommendations put forward by stakeholders at the ‘Lost in Migration’ conference, forward-looking operational and policy recommendations were developed for policy makers.
These recommendations include 10 operational and policy recommendations and seven cross-cutting recommendations on the overall policy framework, data and funding. They have been drafted and endorsed together with over 45 children’s rights organisations.
The recommendations include improving accommodation and reception conditions, ensuring access to trained guardians for children, the right for children to be heard and informed, and more. These conclusions will be shared with EU and national ministers, commissioners and heads of states. Policies will be monitored over the next year to see whether progress has been made to protect children.
If you want to endorse these recommendations, please contact the team of’The Smile of the Child’ at press@hamogelo.gr or email Federica Toscano federica.toscano@missingchildreneurope.eu, who is the focal point for missing unaccompanied migrant children at Missing Children Europe.
The Smile of the Child is an internationally recognised non-profit, non-governmental organisation in Greece that works in the critical field of child protection, support of children and families with children in need, as well as free public health service for children, both in prevention and treatment. ‘The Smile of the Child’ operates the European Hotline for Missing Children 116000 and is member of Missing Children Europe and its Board of Directors. For further information go to www.hamogelo.gr
Missing Children Europe (MCE), is the European federation for missing and sexually exploited children. The MCE network unites 30 organisations in 26 European countries. MCE ensures that there is a link between researchers, police, and organisations on the ground to protect children from all acts of violence, abuse, or neglect caused by or linked to them going missing. To find out more head to missingchildreneurope.eu