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
Relocation
Since several
Member States have been at the forefront of the reception of unaccompanied
children in the EU, persistently high number of arrivals have adversely
affected the reception of unaccompanied children in some countries of arrival
and transit. Relocating unaccompanied children inside the EU to Member States
that have more reception capacities is a solidarity measure, which aims at
providing unaccompanied children with a safe and legal route.
Relocations
are still an emerging practice subject to further regulation. The EU and Member
States have implemented thus far three types of relocation schemes, which
mainly concerned the transfer of asylum seekers from France, Greece, Italy and
Malta: through the European Emergency Relocation Mechanism, established in 2015
to relocate asylum applicants from Greece and Italy; bilateral arrangements for
unaccompanied children; and voluntary relocation for people rescued at sea.
The
role of the guardian in each step of the relocation process is fundamental:
notably in the initial stages of applying for asylum, assessing the best
interests of the child, supporting the child in the security interview,
assessing family links, supporting the child in understanding the relocation
decision and, finally, consenting to the actual relocation.[1]
As in
all other procedures concerning the child, the guardian acts as a link between
the child and the different state actors and services involved, promotes the
rights and best interests of the child in the relocation procedure and ensures
the views of the child are heard and given due weight.
See also:
Level 3: Transfer or relocation
References:
EU training and learning platform for guardians of
unaccompanied children Chapter 3: Session 3.2. . From arrival to durable solution: promoting the best interests of the child in decisions and proceedings
Handout 22: Transfer or relocation procedure
Literature:
FRA
(European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights) (2014), Guardianship for children deprived of
parental care, A
handbook to reinforce guardianship systems to cater for the specific needs of
child victims of trafficking, Luxembourg, Publications Office of the European Union
(Publications Office), pp. 103-105.
FRA
(European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights) and Council of Europe (2020), Handbook on European law relating to
asylum, borders and immigration, Edition 2020, Luxembourg, Publications Office of the European
Union (Publications Office), pp. 153-159.
FRA
(European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights), Relocating unaccompanied children: applying good practices to
future schemes, 2020,
Luxembourg, Publications Office of the European Union (Publications Office),
pp. 5-6; 22-24; 30-31.
European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), Asylum Information
Database (AIDA) (2018), Relocation of asylum seekers in Europe, A view from receiving
countries, Brussels,
May 2018.
[1] FRA (European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights), Relocating unaccompanied children: applying good practices
to future schemes, 2020, Luxembourg, Publications Office of the
European Union (Publications Office), pp. 22-24; 30-31.