In a report published today, the Council of Europe takes stock of achievements and sets out new objectives for protecting vulnerable migrants and refugees, including children.
“The Council of Europe will continue to play a key role in the protection and promotion of human rights of the most vulnerable, such as refugee and migrant children. Their protection is a long-term commitment”, said Council of Europe Secretary General, Marija Pejčinović Burić
The Special Representative on Migration and Refugees, Drahoslav Štefánek, presented the Final Report of the implementation of the Action Plan on protecting refugee and migrant children in Europe (2017-2019) to the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers.
“We have largely attained the objectives through concrete actions, such as Committee of Ministers recommendations, practical guidance and sharing good practices. At the same time, several new activities have been carried out in the areas of alternatives to immigration detention, education, social inclusion, and human rights training courses. Other areas we need to explore are the rights of refugee and migrant women, border procedures and returns, but above all, there is a need to pursue a more positive narrative and a more constructive approach towards migrants and refugees”, said the Special Representative.
In addition, the Action Plan implementation process identified a need for a direct dialogue with national migration authorities, which led to the creation of a network of focal points from the member states. The aim of the network is to exchange good practices and enhance co-operation between the different stakeholders, including facilitating the sharing of information on relevant Council of Europe activities in the field of migration.
