UN experts urge the European Union to ban the detention of migrant children
ARK New… Independent UN experts called on European Union members to ban the detention of migrant children as they prepare to implement the newly adopted Migration and Asylum Charter, and called on the European Commission to develop specific guidelines on the reception and care of children that focus on their rights.
The experts said, in a press statement, that European Union member states should explicitly prohibit the detention of child migrants in their national legislation, in the absence of a unified regional ban, and ultimately put an end to this practice against all other migrants.
They stressed that detaining children because of their or their parents’ immigration status “never serves the child’s interests and always constitutes a violation of their rights,” according to the United Nations News website.
Experts warned of the risk that detention of adult migrants could become an established practice at the EU's external borders, "which would make EU migration management worryingly reactionary." They noted that alternatives to deprivation of liberty "are not only necessary to protect people's dignity, humanity, health and well-being, but are also much less expensive."
The experts welcomed the future establishment of independent mechanisms aimed at monitoring strict respect for human rights during border inspection procedures implemented at the national level, stressing the importance of integrating human rights protection into all procedures and conducting meaningful consultations with civil society organizations.
The independent experts called on the European Union and its members to expand and diversify regular migration and resettlement pathways, with the aim of preventing and addressing the risks to which refugees and migrants are exposed, including human trafficking and other gross human rights violations.
The EU Charter on Migration and Asylum is expected to enter into force in 2026 after its adoption by the European Parliament, pending approval by the Council of the European Union.
33
