The final European conference of the SUN project "Safeguarding Unaccompanied and Separated Children's Rights through the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights" was held in the Aula Magna of the Sofia University on 13 March. It was attended by 70 participants - representatives of the project partners, institutions and organisations in their countries, lawyers, academicians, as well as representatives of national and international institutions and organisations in Europe.
The conference started with an introduction by Dr. Valeria Ilareva, Chairperson of FAR and coordinator of the SUN project. She focused on Article 24 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which refers to the rights of the child. Dr. Ilareva stressed that Member States should always be guided by the best interests of refugee and migrant children when implementing the provisions of the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.
The conference programme included presentations by professionals working with refugee and migrant children and experts in the field of immigration law and the rights of refugee and migrant children. Among the main topics of the conference were:
Protection and risks for migrant and refugee children (with speakers: Bülent Peker, Deputy Representative of the UNHCR in Bulgaria; Catherine Varin from the University of Lille; Laura Voynova from UNICEF-Bulgaria). The panel explored the main risks faced by refugee and migrant children, such as being trafficked, exploited, abused, exposed to forced labour, and also their limited access to basic rights such as protection and safety, adequate accommodation and living conditions, education, health care, family reunification. Opportunities to improve systems of care for unaccompanied refugee and migrant children were also presented, such as improving multidisciplinary work and cooperation between experts from different fields, adapting asylum procedures to prioritise child protection and health and well-being, and introducing risk and vulnerability assessment procedures for children.
Legal safeguards for the rights of unaccompanied refugee and migrant children and the role of the judiciary (with speakers: Carolina Babica, International Commission of Jurists; Cassandra Lange, Judge, Council of State of the Netherlands). This panel focused on the role of judges in cases of unaccompanied refugee and migrant children. Emphasis was placed on Article 47 of the Charter, which guarantees every person within the EU has the right to an effective remedy, a fair public trial and access to legal aid. Article 47 is of utmost importance for vulnerable groups such as unaccompanied refugee and migrant children. Furthermore, the panel stressed the importance of balancing the application of national and European law norms with the principle of the best interests of the child.
Presentation of the Analytical Report and the Handbook for Professionals, developed within the SUN project: Safeguarding Unaccompanied and Separated Children's Rights through the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights project. (with speakers Magdalena Miteva, lawyer, and the project partners). Magdalena Miteva, national expert of the SUN project and editor of the Analytical Report and the Handbook, presented the process of their development and the participation of the partners. The Analytical Report presents the results of a training needs assessment of professionals and people interacting with unaccompanied refugee and migrant children (social workers, lawyers, representatives of state authorities, representatives of NGOs, teachers, parents and extended family members). Both the Analytical Report and the Handbook are based on the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and focus on its importance as a legal instrument.
Presentation of good practices from partner countries in the protection of the rights of unaccompanied refugee and migrant children (Bulgaria, Spain, Italy, Romania, the Netherlands, Greece).
The conference marked the official end of the SUN: Safeguarding Unaccompanied and Separated Children's Rights through the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights project. It provided an opportunity to present the results of the project and lessons learned from partners' experiences, as well as to exchange knowledge and experiences among a wide range of professionals and experts from across Europe involved in the rights of refugee and migrant children.
FAR would like to thank the SUN project partners Tdh (Romania), ARSIS (Greece), Volontarius (Italy), Sirius (international network), Nidos (Netherlands) and CCAR (Spain) for their dedication and tireless work over the past 2 years. We are confident that our fruitful cooperation will continue in the future!
You can find the photo album from the conference here.
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The Safeguarding Unaccompanied and Separated Children’s Rights through the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights – SUN project is funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme of the European Commission. The European Commission does not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains. Project Number: 101084990.
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