DDCP-YD/Sem. Refugees (2015)2Budapest, 28 August 2015
What Rights and Realities at 18?
Regional seminar to develop inter-sectorial cooperation in assisting
refugeesand 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]inMarch 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 2011[5] 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 addressingthe 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.
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 children[6]. 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 theirliving 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. Theyoung asylum-seekers 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 thatunaccompanied 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.
Theproposed 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.
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 Europecountriesto 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 Europe[7] who are:
-working on issues effecting unaccompanied and separated refugee and asylum-seeking 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 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 andUNHCR.
Working groupsto 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 asylum-seeking 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 countrygroups to identify:
- approaches to enhance inter-sectorial approach
- aplan of action to start improving the realities unaccompanied and separated refugee and asylum-seeking children in transition to adulthoodthrough inter-sectorial 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 seminarand that fit the profile of participants should complete the application form attached to this call and return it to Menno Ettema at by 18 September 2015.
Applicants will be informed about the decision concerning their application by 30 September.
The deadline for submitting applications is18 September 2015.
Further information regarding the regional seminar contact Menno Ettema, Youth Department of the Council of Europe at: . Or William Ejalu, UNHCR Regional Representation to Central Europe at: .
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 toby 18 September 2015.
[1]For the report see:
[2]For the resolution 1996 (2014) see:
[3]For the publication covering the seminar see:
[4]For the seminar report see:
[5] For the 2011 seminar report see:
[6] For the field study report see:
[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.