Advice: child protection for migrant care

luxembourg - The reception of unaccompanied child migrants on Italian and Greek islands is lacking. Therefore, a child protection official must be stationed at each shelter, the European Court of Auditors believes.

In a recommendation, the Court writes about the so-called migration hotspot where, since the migration wave in 2015, European support has been set up nine in islands like Lampedusa and Lesbos, with a total of around 7000 people.

In Greece, 2500 unaccompanied minor migrants and 20 000 are living in Italy. By the end of 2016, there were still insufficient facilities to accommodate them and handle their files properly, according to counting director Hans Gustaf Wessberg. 'This issue needs to be addressed urgently. 'Organizations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Save the Children have already been alarmed.

The 'hotspot approach' has led to better registration and identification of migrants, write the checkers. But in spite of the strong financial and personal support, including interpreters, asylum experts and security personnel, the shelter is still insufficient.

Also the follow-up procedures (asylum request, relocation or return) often run very slowly, causing the hotspots to be 'heavily overtaken'. In accordance with the European Commission, the EDPS points to the other EU Member States that they do not include too few asylum seekers from both 'frontline countries'.

In response to the report, the European Commission also said that it should continue to insist on the appointment of a child protection officer for each location.