Two new summaries on migrant children in Europe

EMN has recently published two comparative summaries on on migrant children. One summary provides an overview of the support measures implemented at national level to facilitate migrant children’s adaptation to their new cultural environment in primary and secondary schools. The other examines how EMN Member Countries deal with children separated from their parents outside their country of origin.

EMN summary “Access to education for migrant children”

The EMN summary “Access to education for migrant children” provides an overview of the support measures implemented at national level by 25 EMN Member and Observer Countries to facilitate migrant children’s adaptation to their new cultural environment in primary and secondary schools. The summary covers developments up to March 2025. The majority of responding EMN Member Countries and Serbia implement targeted support measures. The most common measures include support for learning the new language, preparatory or transition courses, psychosocial support, and the involvement of parents as reference individuals to help migrant children adapt to their new educational environment.

The report also describes initiatives aimed at teachers to illustrate how they can support the adaptation of migrant children. Cyprus, France and Greece have launched networks to promote the exchange of information and experience between teachers. Finland, Luxembourg and Spain have methods for monitoring how migrant children are performing at school compared to other pupils across the country. Sweden also offers mother-tongue instruction and welcomes support initiatives for teachers. The summary also highlights challenges and good practices.

EMN Summary “Separated migrant children”

The EMN Summary “Separated migrant children” aims to provide a comparative overview of how the reception and protection of separated children – a specific group of unaccompanied children – works in EMN Member Countries. It has been carried out in 24 EMN countries and provides an up-to-date picture of legal frameworks and practical application prior to the entry into force of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s General Comment No. 6 (2005) concerns the treatment of unaccompanied children and separated children outside their country of origin. These groups are not defined in EU asylum law.

France, Greece and Spain have specific provisions in their respective legislation for separated children , meaning that they are accompanied by neither adult other than their parents nor legal guardians. Half of the responding countries have specific legislation in place which may allow an accompanying adult to be formally designated as responsible for the child. The regulatory framework varies across EMN countries.

In eighteen EMN countries, legislation de facto provides possibilities for accompanying adults to be formally recognised as representatives for an accompanied separated child. Most countries collect general statistics on unaccompanied children, but only Greece indicates that it collects and/or holds specific data about the number of separated children who have arrived in their territory to apply for asylum over the last five years.

As a rule, an accompanying adult is not appointed as a guardian in Sweden, but exceptions may be made based on an assessment of the child’s best interests. This assessment is carried out by the local authority social services and the Municipal Chief Guardian.