First contact
Registration
Identification
Accommodation
First assistance
Age assessment
Family tracing
Relocation
Case assessment
Care planning Life project
Education and training
Work
Health care
Residence permit
Asylum procedure
Best interests determination
Identification of a durable solution
Implementation of a durable solution
Family reunification
Preventing Immigration detention
Turning 18: Leaving care
Aftercare
Ending guardianship
Identification
The guardian represents the child and advocates for
the rights and the best interests of the child in the context of
identification.
In
the identification phase, state officials check the child’s identity documents,
if and as available, and interview the child to establish their identity, in
particular name, date and place of birth, sex, nationality and place of
residence. Passports, identity cards and birth certificates are typically
considered proof of identity, although national approaches differ from country
to country. In cases where state officials have reasonable doubts about the
child’s identity, further measures may be taken. The child may be asked, for
instance, to produce additional documents, state officials may gather
information concerning the child, and the child may be referred to age
assessment.
Where
a child is travelling together with family members or unrelated adults, service
providers may assess these relations to understand their nature and quality as
this may be relevant for deciding whether the child should be registered and
referred as an unaccompanied child. Identification measures also aim at establishing
whether the child is a victim of any form of violence or exploitation, or at
risk and in need of special protection services.
States
have an obligation and a legitimate interest in identifying the persons who are
entering their territories. The correct identification of unaccompanied
children is a precondition for States to comply with their obligations towards
children under international, European and national law, for instance to devise
the necessary follow-up measures, such as appropriate referral and, where
relevant, family tracing and reunification, transfer or relocation.
Measures
for the identification and registration of unaccompanied children should be
closely coordinated with the child protection system for children and relevant
referral mechanisms.
See also:
Level
1: The child
Level 3: Arrival
Level
4: Age and evolving capacities of the child
Literature:
European
Law Blog (2021), Eurodac: Biometrics, facial recognition, and the fundamental rights of minors.
FRA (European Agency for Fundamental Rights) (2018), Age assessment and fingerprinting of children in asylum procedures,
Minimum age requirements concerning children’s rights in the EU, Luxembourg, Publications Office of the
European Union (Publications Office).