On Friday 3 July, Drahoslav Štefánek, the Council of Europe Secretary General's Special Representative on Migration and Refugees, launched the handbook ‘Family reunification for refugee and migrant children – Standards and promising practices’. (http://bit.ly/2ByyOVW )
“In the absence of sustainable relocation agreements, family reunification remains a feasible legal pathway to decongest facilities in frontline countries and to promote effective asylum procedures throughout the continent”, said Mr Štefánek during the online presentation of the handbook, which aims to “encourage discussions in Member States on potential or already existing solutions to obstacles and challenges to restoring family links”.
“States should put family reunification at the centre of asylum and migration policies”, said the Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović. “Family reunification is indeed a key component for the protection of the rights of refugees and migrants, especially children, and for the promotion of inclusive societies”. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)