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Canary Islands propose a European protocol to assist migrant minors

by AI | 15.May 2024 | Europe in brief AI

The Canary government has proposed to the European Commission a protocol with 18 measures to attend to unaccompanied minor migrants, among which is the creation of a European bank of host families.

A canoe arrives at La Restinga Pier with 156 people on board, including children and women. Photo: Europa Press 15/12/2023

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – The Canary Islands’ Counselor for Social Welfare, Equality, Youth, Childhood, and Families, Candelaria Delgado, presented to the European Commission a protocol of 18 measures to attend to minor migrants.

Among the measures proposed by the Government of the Canary Islands, one of the European regions most affected by immigration, highlights the creation of a European bank of host families for unaccompanied minor migrants to “improve their integration” and enable them “to leave the institutions”.

The representative of the Government of the Canary Islands met on Tuesday with the Director of Horizontal Issues, Migration and Asylum, Michael Shotter, to whom she presented the document, which was framed in the implementation of the EU’s Migration and Asylum Pact.

In her opinion, the initiative has been very well received by the Director-General of Migration, because “the measures are in line with what they are addressing for the implementation of the pact” and because “the creation of a network of first reception resources must be stable and cover all the needs of the minor migrants.”

The 18 measures that the Canary Islands propose to Europe include creating a network of first reception resources in border areas, the enabling of community and multiannual financing funds, and the declaration of social emergency in border territories, as reported by the Government of the Canary Islands in a statement.

The proposal also includes speeding up the determination of majority or minority age, attention to diversity and mental health with a focus on childhood, the creation of training itineraries for foreign minors and a bank of host families, specialized training for the detection and action in sexual violence, and legal coverage for minors.

Similarly, it proposes the creation of programs for the attention to young people formerly under guardianship; training plans for staff in matters of child care, as well as programs for returns with guarantees and family reunifications within the EU; official development assistance (oda) with a perspective on childhood and youth; an integrated information system; a plan against racism and xenophobia; the creation of mechanisms of identification and the accompaniment to the victims. (May 14th)