On the 16th and 17th of September, during the 88th session of the United Nations, the Committee on the Rights of the Child hosted a Day of General Discussion on Children’s Rights and Alternative Care. Broadly, all children have the right to live in a protective,...
A cry for help: the repatriation of foreign children in North East Syria
For over a decade, Syria has been marred by civil war. This conflict – overwhelmingly tied to territorial battles between supporters of President Al-Assad, opposing rebels and Islamic State (ISIS) actors – has had debilitating effects on the lives of vulnerable...
An alarming rise in child marriage among Syrian refugees in Lebanon
The Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with the refugee and economic crisis in Lebanon has led to a staggering increase in child marriages amongst Syrian refugees in the country, where the rate of child marriage has increased four folds since the Syrian conflict...
Age-assessment of migrant children
In the past decade, migration and external displacement have become realities an increasing number of children face. Additionally, migrant children are one of the most vulnerable population groups and the inability to provide documentation confirming their age and...
The separation of migrant children from their families at the US-Mexico border
Every child has a right to safety and protection, regardless of where they come from or where they are going. This right, however, is not always upheld, and this is particularly visible when looking at the current migrant crisis at the US-Mexico border. Unaccompanied...
Children in Border and Asylum Procedures: Push Backs of Migrant Children at the Border
A lack of provisions regarding the issues of invisibility of children in asylum-procedures and the adult-focus of the migratory framework often results in the lack of protection of this, especially vulnerable group. At the Moroccan-Spanish border in Melilla and Ceuta...
Children in Border and Asylum Procedures: “The Best Interest of the Child” Principle in Migration
Children in the displacement cycle experience the significant issues of invisibility in asylum procedures and the adult-focus of the migratory framework. In his research on “The Child in International Refugee Law”, Jason Pobjoy applies a three-folded principle of “the...
Children in Border and Asylum Procedures: Invisibility and Adult-Focus
Children in border and asylum procedure face two significant issues (Pobjoy, 2017). On one hand, a child is still considered invisible in migration procedures, and on the other, an adult-focused legal framework is applied to children in these procedures. These...
Protective Custody of Unaccompanied Child Migrants in Greece: A Long-Standing Practice is Coming to an End
As announced on 18 November 2020 by Notis Mitarachi, Greek Migration and Asylum Minister, Greece is abolishing the long-standing scheme of protective custody of unaccompanied child migrants. This practice is not only endangering the physical and mental well-being of...








