DDCP-YD/Sem. Refugees (2015)2
Budapest, 28 August 2015
What Rights and Realities at 18?
Regional seminar to develop inter-sectorial cooperation in assisting
refugees and asylum-seekers in transition to adulthood.
2-3 November 2015
European Youth Centre Budapest, Hungary
Call for Participants
Background
Policies and practices in Council of Europe member states governing the transition to
adulthood for unaccompanied and separated asylum-seeking and refugee children have
been identified as a major concern by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, Youth
Department and the UNHCR.
The Parliamentary Assembly Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons
presented the report ‘Migrant Children: What Rights at 18?’1 in March 2014. In May that year
the Parliamentary Assembly endorsed the report and adopted during their plenary session
the resolution 1996 (2014)2 under the same title.
Work on the report and resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly has been supported by the
efforts of the Youth Sector of the Council of Europe and the UNHCR for the rights of Young
Refugees and Asylum-seekers in Europe since 2006. The first joint seminar ‘Being a Young
Refugee in Europe Today’3 from 5 to 12 December 2006 at the European Youth Centre
Strasbourg contributed to the establishment of the European Youth Network of Young
refugees and Asylum-seekers ‘Voices of Young Refugees Europe’ (VYRE). Various
seminars and training courses followed.
From 2 to 4 March 2010, the two organisations held a seminar on working with young
refugees and the ways forward, which aimed at developing a common approach for
promoting young refugees within the agenda of the Council of Europe. That meeting
underlined, amongst other things, the need to "recognise young refugees, asylum seekers
and other youths in need of humanitarian protection aged 18-30 years old as a group with
specific needs within European society"4.
In 20115 and 2012 the Youth Department organised two consultative meetings on the
‘challenges faced by young refugees and asylum seekers in accessing their social rights and
their integration, while in transition to adulthood’. Shared experiences in those meetings
made it very clear that policies addressing the needs of refugees and asylum seeking
children do not correlate with other refugees and asylum-seekers policies in a given country.
The challenges of unaccompanied and separated refugee and asylum-seeking children are
generally acknowledged and national policies are in line with international treaties such as
the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Young Refugees and Asylum seekers
between 18 and 25 are however not acknowledged as a group with specific needs and the
transition from one legal regime to the other can be particularly harsh.
1
For the report see: http://website-pace.net/documents/19863/168397/20140313-MigrantRights18EN.pdf/ea190a6e-1794-4d30-b153-8c18dc95669f.
2 For the resolution 1996 (2014) see:
http://assembly.coe.int/ASP/Doc/XrefViewPDF.asp?FileID=20926&Language=EN
3 For the publication covering the seminar see:
https://www.coe.int/t/dg4/youth/Source/Resources/Publications/2008_Raising_young_refugees_voices.pdf
4 For the seminar report see:
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/youth/Source/Resources/Documents/2010_Consultative_mtg_Young_Refugees.pdf
5 For the 2011 seminar report see:
https://www.coe.int/t/dg4/youth/Source/Resources/Documents/2011_Report_CM_Young_Refugees_Asylum_See
kers_en.pdf
The Council of Europe Youth Sector and the UNHCR Representation to the European
Institutions in Strasbourg conducted in 2014 a field study on European State practice
regarding transition to adulthood of unaccompanied and separated asylum-seeking and
refugee children6. The study provides four clear examples of the existing challenges State
agencies, NGO’s and young refugees and asylum-seekers are confronted with. The
identified challenges lead to major anxieties among young refugees and asylum-seekers and
to the deterioration of their living situation and human and social rights. The lack of access to
decent housing, education and/or employment prevents them from acquiring (financial)
independence and exposes them to the risks of falling victim to criminal organisations
involved in drug trafficking, prostitution and trafficking in human beings. The problem is
European wide but in each country different practices, some successful, some detrimental to
the well-being of young refugees and asylum-seekers, have evolved.
The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly report ‘What Rights at 18?’ and the field
study of the Youth Department and UNHCR have identified areas of particular concern that
should be addressed.
- Clear and transparent information about the consequences of reaching the age of
adulthood should be provided, in particular regarding the rights and responsibilities
they will have after that age.
- Special guarantees in the asylum procedures for unaccompanied and separated
children should be extended after reaching the age of adulthood to ensure the
procedure of submission and examination of the claim is not undermined.
- Age assessment should be conducted following clear procedure. The young asylumseekers need to understand the procedure and consent to it. The results of the
assessment should be adopted by all state agencies the child is in contact with.
- Administrative procedures should be harmonised between agencies for young
asylum-seekers and refugees in transition to adulthood. The harmonisation should
ensure that unaccompanied and separated refugee and asylum-seeking children in
transition to adulthood can:
- Complete their educational degree after turning eighteen.
- Have access to appropriate accommodation
- Have access to appropriate support and counselling to access decent
employment including traineeships.
- Have access to health care
- Family reunification procedures that started before reaching adulthood should be
completed.
The proposed regional seminar ‘What Rights and Realities at 18?’ provides an opportunity to
reflect on the findings of the field study and see how the recommendations of resolution 1996
(2014) could be implemented together with state agencies, NGO’s young refugees and
asylum-seekers. The meeting will help develop inter-sectorial cooperation at national and
regional level and strengthen good practices that assist unaccompanied and separated
refugee and asylum-seeking children in transition to adulthood in Central Europe.
6
For the field study report see:
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/youth/Source/Resources/Documents/2014_UNHCR_and_Council_of_Europe_Report_Tr
ansition_Adulthood.pdf
Aim and Objectives
The regional seminar aims to develop inter-sectorial cooperation between state agencies,
NGO’s. young refugees and asylum-seekers from seven Central Europe countries to support
unaccompanied and separated refugee and asylum-seeking children in transition to
adulthood.
The seminar objectives are:
- To review national practices in Central Europe as regards unaccompanied and
separated refugee and asylum-seeking children in transition to adulthood and identify
key problems.
- To compare findings from other Central European countries with those identified in
four countries covered by the CoE-UNHCR joint report.
- To identify areas of cooperation between stakeholders working with young refugees
and asylum-seekers for improving the situation of the persons concerned.
- To review the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly recommendation 1996
(2014) and identify starting points for implementation in practices and policies at
national level.
- Compile good practices/ concrete measures and consider the relevance of the
recommendations set out in the joint report of the Youth Department and UNHCR in
Central Europe.
- To develop a plan of action that would include implementation of good practices and
necessary legal changes as regards key problems addressed in the joint report and
other possible issues raised in the context of the seminar. The plan of action will list
concrete measures that should be implemented to improve inter alia access to
accommodation, to employment, etc.
The seminar will focus on seven countries in Central Europe, Austria, Czech Republic,
Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. These countries, in the preparation of the
joint field study, had expressed interest and relevance of the work on Young refugees in
transition to adulthood for their national realities.
Profile of participants
The regional seminar will invite representatives of state agencies, representative of NGO’s
and young refugees and asylum-seekers from Central Europe7 who are:
- working on issues effecting unaccompanied and separated refugee and asylumseeking children in transition to adulthood.
- committed to seek cooperation with other stakeholders working for unaccompanied
and separated refugee and asylum-seeking children in transition to adulthood
- in a position to disseminate the outcomes of the seminar among the colleagues in
their organisation, agencies and networks and other stakeholders.
- available for the full duration of the 2 day seminar 2-3 November 2015.
The regional seminar will also be attended by representatives of the Council of Europe’s
Parliamentary Assemble and Youth Department and the UNHCR representation to the
7
For this seminar the focus will be on seven countries: Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania,
Slovakia and Slovenia, and potentially UNHCR representatives from Bulgaria and Moldova.
European Institutions in Strasbourg, their regional office in Central Europe and UNHCR
national offices.
Draft Programme
The programme will be structured according to the objectives of the regional seminar.
Special attention will be given to providing space for the development of cooperation
between the various stakeholders and a plan of action. The methodological approach will
include discussions in plenary and smaller group as also group work that should facilitate the
exchange of ideas and practices between participants. Short inputs from experts will provide
a common framework and understanding of the work of the Council of Europe and the
UNHCR on the topic.
Sunday 1 November
Arrival of participants
Monday 2 November
Official opening of the seminar
Introductions to the seminar’s participants, programme and working methods
Presentation of the work done on unaccompanied and separated refugee and
asylum-seeking children in transition to adulthood by the Council of Europe and
UNHCR.
Working groups to analyses the existing realities in Central Europe. The session will
build on the findings of the reports and the field study of 2014 of the Council of
Europe and UNHCR.
Presentation of a good practice of inter-sectorial cooperation addressing specific
challenges of unaccompanied and separated refugee and asylum-seeking children in
transition to adulthood.
Working groups, the different stakeholders from one country map together existing
practices that aim to assist unaccompanied and separated refugee and asylumseeking children in transition to adulthood and identify issues not addressed yet.
Tuesday 3 November
Presentation of tools and examples of projects that encourage inter-sectorial
approach from other sectors working with youth on access to social rights, for
example on Youth Policy development, youth juvenile programmes, homelessness
etc.
Working groups in country groups to identify:
o approaches to enhance inter-sectorial approach
o
a plan of action to start improving the realities unaccompanied and separated
refugee and asylum-seeking children in transition to adulthood through intersectorial cooperation.
presentation of the plans of action by country and discussion on possible support
from the Council of Europe and UNHCR that can assist the partners at national level.
Evaluation of the seminar and closing reception.
Wednesday 4 November
Departure of Participants
Financial and administrative conditions for participation
Accommodation and meals will be provided to all participants, by the Youth Department of
the Council of Europe at the European Youth Centre in Budapest.
Travel expenses of participants, on presentation of tickets and invoices, will be reimbursed in
full by the Council of Europe according to the Council of Europe travel rules.
The regional seminar is organised and financed in joint cooperation between the UNHCR
Regional Representation to Central Europe and the Youth Department of the Council of
Europe, in coordination with the Parliamentary Assembly committee on Migration, Refugees
and Displaced Persons of the Council of Europe.
Procedure for applications
All those interested to attend the regional seminar and that fit the profile of participants
should complete the application form attached to this call and return it to Menno Ettema at
menno.ettema@coe.int by 18 September 2015.
Applicants will be informed about the decision concerning their application by 30 September.
The deadline for submitting applications is 18 September 2015.
Further information regarding the regional seminar contact Menno Ettema, Youth
Department of the Council of Europe at: menno.ettema@coe.int. Or William Ejalu, UNHCR
Regional Representation to Central Europe at: ejalu@unhcr.org.
What Rights and Realities at 18?
Regional seminar to develop inter-sectorial cooperation in assisting
refugees and asylum-seekers in transition to adulthood.
2-3 November 2015, European Youth Centre Budapest, Hungary
Application Form
INFORMATION ON THE APPLICANT *
1. Surname:
2. First name:
3. Sex:
Male
Female
Other
4. Age:
5. Nationality/ies:
6. Country of residence:
Contacts - Please note all correspondence will be sent to this address – please ensure
it is complete
7. Postal address (street, number, city, postal code, country):
8. Telephone:
9. Mobile telephone:
10. E-mail:
11. Do you have any special needs or requirements (e.g. dietary, disability, etc.)?
12. Visas - If you are accepted as a participant in this seminar, will you require assistance in
obtaining a visa to Hungary? If yes, please indicate:
Yes
No
13. Date of birth:
14. Place of birth:
15. Passport No.:
16. Date of Issue of passport:
17. Date of Expiry of passport:
18. Passport issued at (place):
19. Citizenship as in passport:
INFORMATION ON THE ORGANISATION
24. Name of sending organisation/ institution/ formal or informal group/network:
25. Postal address:
26. Telephone:
27. E-mail:
28. Internet address:
29. Please describe briefly the aims of your organisation/ institution/ formal or informal group
/network, target groups and main activities related to the topic of the project:
30. What is your role in your organisation/ institution/ formal or informal group/network?
MOTIVATIONS AND INTEREST IN THE SEMINAR
31. Why would you like to attend the seminar?
32. What are your expectations towards the seminar?
33. How do you think you can follow-up on the seminar?
Return the form to menno.ettema@coe.int by 18 September 2015.