7. PROMOTE EQUITY OF CARE AND INCLUSION
IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
Around a million people arrived in Europe
seeking protection and a future in 2015. People
were transiting quickly and different actors,
including civil society, responded providing
basic support to migrants and refugees en route.
Although the situation remains appalling in
several locations in Europe 22 where support is
still necessary for basic needs to be met, both
those who reached their destination and those
who were left stranded on the way after the legal
migration channels towards Western Europe
were closed, need support, beyond emergency
assistance, to rebuild their lives. Many of
these people are and will remain members of
our societies. They cannot be left behind. In
particular, children need to regain a sense of
normality to be able to develop appropriately,
which includes going to school and when they
lack the care of their parents, being provided
with appropriate care.
The social inclusion of refugee and migrant
children and young people is a long-term
process that can bring social, cultural and
economic value to local societies when properly
supported. Refugee and migrant children
should be supported to thrive and be fully
included in social, economic and political life,
for their benefit, that of the communities in
which they live and the communities of origin.
The label of ‘refugee’ or ‘migrant’ cannot be
used to downgrade the rights that all children
have regardless of their migration status or that
of their parents, including the right to care. This
means that children’s best interests must be
given priority over Europe’s migration agenda 23 .
The development of social networks and social
relationships with peers and members of the
local community is extremely important for
the integration of newcomers into society
and for local communities to benefit from
the contributions of refugees and migrants.
Measures to unlock the potential of diversity
include access to the labour market for parents
and other adult family members, the provision
of accommodation in the local community,
integration into mainstream services (e.g.
schools, health care) and leisure activities.
How can this be achieved?
• By establishing integrated child protection
systems, where all duty-bearers (namely
the state authorities represented by law
enforcement, judicial authorities, migration
authorities, social services, child protection
agencies, etc.) and system components
(e.g. laws, policies, resources, procedures,
processes, sub-systems) work together
to form a protective and empowering
environment for all children 24 .
• By ensuring that migrant and refugee children
have full access to mainstream services
such as education, training and health
care. Legislation should guarantee access to
services on an equal basis with children who
are nationals, and proactive and targeted
measures should address the particular
challenges faced by migrant and refugee
22 _ See ECRE, Conditions on Greek islands remain critical, as arrivals continue (October 2017),
https://www.ecre.org/conditions-in-greek-islands-remain-critical-as-arrivals-continue/; and UNHCR, UNHCR Aegean Islands Factsheet, 1-31
October 2017 (31 October), https://reliefweb.int/report/greece/unhcr-aegean-islands-factsheet-1-31-october-2017.
23 _ See Joint statement Let’s work to end child immigration detention (November 2017)
http://destination-unknown.org/wp-content/uploads/JointStatement_Child_Immigration_Detention_FINAL.pdf.
24 _ 9th European Forum on the rights of the child. Coordination and cooperation in integrated child protection systems Reflection paper
(30 April 2015), http://ec.europa.eu/justice/fundamental-rights/files/2015_forum_roc_background_en.pdf.
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