On Wednesday 20 March, the Council of Europe’s European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) published its “Conclusions 2023” concerning the articles of the “European Social Charter” relating to children, families and migrants.
Broken down by country (34, including 19 EU Member States), the report highlights “numerous cases of non-compliance” with regard to the supervision of accommodation facilities for children in irregular migration situations, whether they are isolated or not.
It also deplores the lack of alternatives to detention for these children.
In many countries, the rate of children at risk of poverty “is and remains too high”, warns the Committee.
Also examined are the rights of employed women to maternity leave and employment benefits, equality of treatment between nationals and citizens of other States parties to the Convention as regards the payment of family benefits, the conditions for the allocation of social housing and the conditions for work life balance.
There have been positive developments with regard to the possibility of bringing perpetrators of domestic violence to justice.
The ECSR has also published its “Findings 2023” concerning eight States that have accepted the “Collective Complaints Procedure” (Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy and Portugal).
Progress is still imperative, particularly in the areas of equal pay for men and women, housing for Roma and Travellers, equal access to healthcare and inclusive education for children with intellectual disabilities.
Link to the website of the European Committee of Social Rights: https://aeur.eu/f/bgm
Link to the ‘Findings 2023’: https://aeur.eu/f/bgn (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)