President of Malta and Patron of Missing Children Europe Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca delivered the keynote address at a conference organised by Missing Children Europe and The President’s Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society in Brussels, entitled ‘Lost in Migration: Working Together to protect children from disappearance – from European priorities to local realities’.
The President said that this conference provides an ideal setting “to find new ways to address the concerns of children and families, many of whom are fleeing from situation of persecution, violence and precarity”, adding that the great uncertainty which is currently being faced by thousands of children who go missing as a result of migration can be meaningfully addressed if the authorities and the civil society organisations work together in synergy.
Data demonstrates a protection gap which has been growing over the past months
According to indicators from the Italian Ministry of the Interior, by 1 December 2017, there were 15,540 unaccompanied children who had arrived in Italy.
In total, this marks a 4% increase compared to the same period in 2016, according to the 2017 report on international protection in Italy.
In Greece, as of 30 November, according to the National Centre for Social Solidarity, some 3,300 unaccompanied children were estimated to be in the country.
Furthermore, a total of 2,201 children were on waiting lists for appropriate shelter. These also includes 425 children in reception identification centres, and a further 80 children in protective custody.
“I believe that protective custody should not be considered adequate, dignified, and truly appropriate accommodation for children”, the President said, whilst stating that the above data demonstrates a protection gap – a protection gap which “demands an immediate and effective response on behalf of our governments and authorities.”
President Coleiro Preca appealed to governments, authorities and European institutions to take immediate action to address this protection gap, whilst also quoting Europol which estimates that 27% of last year’s migrant arrivals, who were fleeing situations of war, environmental devastation, and extreme poverty, were children.
The President also quoted UNICEF which estimated that, in 2015, there were globally “no fewer than 100,000 unaccompanied migrant and refugee children.” Furthermore, Europol has stated that, in the same year, at least 10,000 unaccompanied child refugees went missing after arriving in Europe.
“As we all know, this is merely the tip of the iceberg”
President Coleiro Preca said that unaccompanied children are more exposed to harm and exploitation, and they are often targets of sexual violence and contemporary forms of slavery.
“In order to more effectively address the dangers and challenges faced by unaccompanied children and families, we must speak loudly, with one voice, to end, once and for all, the dehumanising situations created by policies of detention”, the President added.
On detention, President Coleiro Preca said that this is especially traumatic for children and creates added tensions for families who are already struggling with great psychosocial challenges. It was here that the President appealed to the authorities to shift their mentalities, to focus on offering shelter and protection, rather than detention.
“We must create a spirit of solidarity and welcome that responds in the most humane ways possible to the traumatic and often life-threatening journeys endured by children”, the President said, adding that it would be ideal to emphasise the benefits of creating systems of guardianship, where migrating children are immediately provided with adequate protection and consistent care.
“Rather than creating ghettos of exclusion, at the peripheries of our societies, we must encourage our authorities, and support civil society activists, to cultivate innovative pathways for inclusion within our communities”, the President stated.
President Coleiro Preca said that the immediate appointment of suitable guardians would not only reduce the risks of children going missing, but it would also facilitate their inclusion within the surrounding community, further stating her belief that “everyone, regardless of age or ethnicity, gender or cultural background, has the capacity to be a valuable contribution to the wellbeing and prosperity of our societies.”
“This is what inclusion is all about. This is what human rights exist for”, the President stated.
“Diversity is a fact, inclusion is a choice” – Justin Trudeau
The President stated that diversity is a reality in European countries “and will only become more widespread as processes of globalisation bring our peoples into closer contact”, adding that it is up to us, even as individual citizens, to ensure that authorities are responding to such historical socio-economic changes.
“We must demand that our politicians, policy-makers, and members of the media celebrate human diversity, so that it becomes a strength, a source of enrichment, and a pathway of positive peace”, President Coleiro Preca said.
“We must insist that our authorities spread a message of universal human rights and fundamental freedoms when it comes to the specific ways in which our authorities respond to the needs of unaccompanied children and families”
In light of the above statement, the President repeated the findings of the European Agency for Fundamental Rights, issued in its report on the impact of the proposal for a revised Eurodac Regulation on fundamental rights, which states that:
“Children, suspected victims of torture, sexual or gender-based violence, victims of other serious crimes, as well as traumatised people should not be coerced into giving fingerprints, nor should other people usually considered to be vulnerable.”
Therefore, President Coleiro Preca stated that the proposed introduction of mandatory fingerprinting for migrants and refugees, especially children, must be treated as a topic of utmost sensitivity and concern, adding that “we must never allow a rhetoric of securitisation or fear-mongering to distract us from our basic commitment to the intrinsic dignity of the human person, and our duty to uphold that dignity, always, and in all ways.”
Furthermore, the President also said that we cannot stand idly by while even a single child is exposed to increased danger as a result of the fragmented responses of our current systems, and that we cannot accept the status quo, which is failing to deliver the protection and the wellbeing of all children, in a much-needed spirit of equality, equity and justice.
The President stated that “we must do more” to listen to the first-hand experiences of unaccompanied children and ensure that their narratives will inform our thoughts and actions, and lead to more meaningful legislation and policies.
“Now is the time for us to show strong leadership, by boldly imagining a future where children can be safely prevented from being lost in migration”
The President said that children often go missing because of underlying protection problems, which include poor reception conditions, lack of information, and unwieldy procedures for family reunification, further saying that each of these issues must be addressed by motivating the political will and prompting the social conscience of our peoples.
President Coleiro Preca said that as people of good will, it is our responsibility to demand from our authorities, and from ourselves, a positive and construction change.
“I believe that we must commit ourselves to increase the relevant training for professionals at all levels, so that they can effectively identify and mitigate risks faced by children who go missing”, the President said, adding that this is especially important in the area of psycho-social care and protection, to address the mental health needs and the holistic wellbeing of all children.
The President also called for increased collaboration at both national, regional and cross-border levels, implementing our good practices consistently and efficiently, whilst appealing for greater participation at grassroots level, encouraging the work of civil society alongside national and transnational authorities.
Lastly, President Coleiro Preca appealed for a united European strategy that can produce sustainable and consistent results across nations, “ensuring that each member state is working in a coordinated way to achieve our shared objective.”