With Europe facing a serious refugee crisis for the second time in less than a decade, the Lanzarote Committee published on Wednesday 13 April ten compliance reports assessing the legislation and measures in place to protect migrant children in 41 Council of Europe Member States.
The experts in charge of the follow-up of the “Council of Europe Convention on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse” focussed on data collection mechanisms, the protection of child victims, the prosecution of perpetrators, the coordination of operators and authorities, information for children, child-friendly procedures, hotlines for victims, and measures concerning cross-border disappearances of children.
The Lanzarote Committee notes that significant efforts have been made, including the European 116 000 hotline for missing children in 29 of the States party to the Convention and the protocols for identification, documentation, tracing and family reunification in Austria, Turkey and the Netherlands.
“These are useful examples of promising practices that can be replicated elsewhere”, which “illustrate how the Council of Europe helps Member States improve their responses to current challenges”, according to Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees, Leyla Kayacik.
Among the shortcomings, the Committee calls on States party to the Convention to improve their legislation and programmes, data collection mechanisms and international cooperation in relation to offences committed outside their territory. It also asks them to ensure that proceedings can be initiated or continued if the victim does not file a complaint or withdraws it. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)