Brussels, 12/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 12 September, the European Commission was asked to propose strategic guidelines for ensuring the full protection of unaccompanied minors in Europe, for as long as no lasting solution is found for them.
By adopting the report by Nathalie Griesbeck (ALDE, France), the European Parliament has condemned the harsh and intrusive procedures which children sometimes have to face. The Parliament advocates the designation of a guardian for each child arriving alone in the EU. According to the Parliament, the EU member states should ensure adequate legal, social and psychological aid to minors when the minors enter a member state, so that their needs can be determined. Procedures of return to the country of origin should be doubly adapted for children so that they are not returned to a country where their life would potentially be in danger. Their return should be possible only after checking safety conditions in their country of origin, MEPs state. Lastly, unaccompanied minors should not end up in detention centres - as this is still the case and provided for by the European directive on reception conditions - nor should the unaccompanied minors be the subject of accelerated procedures, used when a request for asylum is considered unfounded, says the European Parliament. (SP/transl.fl)