At HRC: Euro-Med Monitor Calls For Youth Migrant Participation In Decision-making Concerning Them In Europe

Geneva - In a joint statement to the UN Human Rights Council’s 52nd session, Euro-Med Monitor and Youth Parliament for SDG said that young migrants and asylum seekers in the European Union countries are unable to identify their basic rights due to the various restrictions imposed on them.

Young migrants and asylum seekers, as well as unaccompanied minors in EU countries, face significant difficulties in accessing educational facilities. In the majority of cases, the statement said, they “do not have access to education, and are exposed to living environments such as detention centres and foster care services where they are unable to access human rights institutions”.

Delivering her statement to the Council, Euro-Med Monitor’s Partnerships and Communications Coordinator Lara Hamidi called these minors’ cases “especially concerning as they are already suffering from previous trauma, discriminatory treatment, unequal educational opportunities, and often lack civic engagement whilst in the process of receiving refugee status in completely foreign territories”.

Hamidi added that, “In 2021 alone, EU Member States received 23,255 asylum applications from unaccompanied minors, most of whom had been forced to flee their home countries due to political persecution, child labour, underage military recruitment, trafficking, sexual exploitation, unequal living standards, and violence.” She emphasised the importance of enabling the subset of migrants and refugees in European countries who are young victims of human rights violations to communicate with policymakers and relevant international organisations in order to ensure their concerns and needs are well understood and addressed.

Euro-Med Monitor calls for prioritising the voices of young migrants and refugees in decision-making processes when it comes to strengthening the implementation of the United Nations Youth Strategy, to ensure that they receive equal opportunities. In addition, the UN must guarantee the safety of these vulnerable youths, in an effort to encourage them to involve themselves in this important work.

Full statement

Mr President,

Euro-Med Monitor and Youth Parliament for SDG would like to highlight the difficulties that young migrants and refugees encounter when it comes to accessing educational facilities and proper political guidance.

In 2021 alone, EU Member States received 23,255 asylum applications from unaccompanied minors, most of whom had been forced to flee their home countries due to political persecution, child labour, underage military recruitment, trafficking, sexual exploitation, unequal living standards, and violence.

In most cases, unaccompanied minors who are seeking asylum do not have access to education, and are exposed to living environments such as detention centres and foster care services where they are unable to access human rights institutions.

Due to these restrictions, young migrants are either unable to identify their basic rights, or fear political persecution, which hinders their ability to advocate for their rights in institutions such as the United Nations. The cases of these minors are especially concerning as they are already suffering from previous trauma, discriminatory treatment, unequal educational opportunities, and often lack civic engagement whilst in the process of receiving refugee status in completely foreign territories.

These young migrants and refugees are at the heart of human rights violations in Europe, and should have access to a platform to be able to engage with policymakers, Member States, and international organisations, to address the concerns they have.

Euro-Med Monitor and Youth Parliament SDG stress that in the process of strengthening the implementation of the United Nations Youth Strategy, young migrants are given priority in decision-making to ensure that they receive equal opportunities, and are provided with the attention and safety assurances needed to integrate these youths with the work of the United Nations.

Thank you.

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