The refugee crisis faced by the EU in recent years has demonstrated many weaknesses in the EU Immigration Policy. In particular, the protection offered to vulnerable groups, specifically unaccompanied minors, has been inconsistent and often not adapted to the children’s needs. The Commission’s 2016 Proposals promising a major revamp of the CEAS system are not fully satisfactory, improving some guarantees for unaccompanied minors but also removing some existing ones. This contribution attempts to answer the question why despite the numerous initiatives aiming at strengthening the position of children in Europe, unaccompanied minors are somehow overlooked. I will first discuss the place of children in the EU Law, the interpretation of the principle of best interests of a child by the European Courts. Secondly, I will consider the problem areas using Italian and Greek examples. Then, I will look at the strengths and ambiguities of the CEAS system and its proposed reform concluding with a reflection on the Italian Proposal to tackle immigration, the European Council Conclusions in June 2018, and its impact on unaccompanied minors.
Vicissitudes of Unaccompanied Minors in the EU. In the best interests of a child: one step forward two steps back
gromek
2018-01-01
Abstract
The refugee crisis faced by the EU in recent years has demonstrated many weaknesses in the EU Immigration Policy. In particular, the protection offered to vulnerable groups, specifically unaccompanied minors, has been inconsistent and often not adapted to the children’s needs. The Commission’s 2016 Proposals promising a major revamp of the CEAS system are not fully satisfactory, improving some guarantees for unaccompanied minors but also removing some existing ones. This contribution attempts to answer the question why despite the numerous initiatives aiming at strengthening the position of children in Europe, unaccompanied minors are somehow overlooked. I will first discuss the place of children in the EU Law, the interpretation of the principle of best interests of a child by the European Courts. Secondly, I will consider the problem areas using Italian and Greek examples. Then, I will look at the strengths and ambiguities of the CEAS system and its proposed reform concluding with a reflection on the Italian Proposal to tackle immigration, the European Council Conclusions in June 2018, and its impact on unaccompanied minors.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
