Project Description

The multilateral Project “Building Futures, Sharing Good Practices: Migrant Children’s Transition to Adulthood – UACFutures”, aimed to foster improvements in the support provided to unaccompanied migrant children in their transition to adulthood at the European level, with a particular focus on Greece, Spain and the Netherlands. To achieve its objective, the Project addressed four key areas of particular importance for unaccompanied children during the transition to adulthood: (1) psychological impact and support; (2) legal support and access to basic rights; (3) access to education and the labour market; (4) access to accommodation.

The Project was funded by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Council of Europe and implemented jointly with the Special Secretariat for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum of Greece, SolidarityNow (Greece), Stichting Nidos (Netherlands) and Fundación Cepaim-Convive (Spain). The Project built on the exchange of promising practices and standards of the Council of Europe and led to the development of various awareness and training tools as well as the organisation of international events and national trainings sessions. Overall, the different Project activities took place in Greece, Spain, the Netherlands and at the Council of Europe premises in Strasbourg. To encourage a European-wide dialogue and the long-term sustainability of the results of the project, other countries were also actively involved in the different activities of the Project.

The Project was implemented between January 2022 — June 2023.

In the course of its implementation, the Project, inter alia, has completed the following work:

• Carried out 3 study visits (1 to Greece, 1 to Spain, 1 to the Netherlands) from co-beneficiaries of the action and professionals from 7 other EU member States (Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Ireland, Italy and Portugal) as well as young migrant and refugees.
• Organised 3 Transnational Workshops (2 in Greece and 1 in Spain) bringing together a wide variety of actors from governmental and European institutions, international organisations, academic institutions, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) as well as young migrant and refugees. In addition to professionals from Greece, Spain and the Netherlands, professionals from 9 other EU member States (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Italy, Serbia, Sweden, Norway, Germany and Malta) were actively involved in the workshops.
• Produced 3 videos – 2 from Greece and 1 from Spain,– giving voice to former unaccompanied migrant children who have turned 18, showcasing their challenges and solutions on transition to adulthood.
• Developed a Compendium of Good Practices showcasing over 30 good practices that contribute to supporting migrant and refugee children in their transition to adulthood, from 6 EU member States – Greece, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France.
• Developed a Roadmap to Adulthood highlighting a series of significant and strategic milestones facilitating unaccompanied migrant and refugee children in transition to adulthood and provides specific suggestions on how to achieve each milestone.
• Developed a Toolkit on Transition to Adulthood aiming to equip professionals working with unaccompanied migrant children with knowledge, concrete tips, exercise and ideas to better support these youngsters in their transition to adulthood.
• Developed an e-learning HELP course on the Transition of Migrant and Refugee Children to Adulthood. The free e-learning course is available on the Council of Europe European Programme for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) platform. It provides an overview of the United Nations, Council of Europe, and EU standards on transition to adulthood. Examples of promising practices are included throughout the different sessions with a view to promoting knowledge sharing and inspiring relevant professionals in the field.
• Carried out 3 training sessions (2 in Greece and 1 in Spain) for local professionals working with young migrants and refugees and strengthened their knowledge on how to better support migrant and refugee children in their transition to adulthood.
• Organised an International Event in Strasbourg (France) and online jointly with the Council of Europe’s Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees and the Youth Department under the auspices of the Icelandic Presidency of the Committee of Ministers.
• Organised 1 Launch and 1 Closing Event. The events brought together the project partners from Greece, Spain, and the Netherlands as well as EU representatives, the Council of Europe Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees and Council of Europe staff members, as well as relevant professionals.

Jointly implemented with:

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