The role of local authorities in protecting and integrating migrant and refugee unaccompanied minors : best practices and challenges

The study showcases how EU cities and regions put into practice innovative solutions to address diverse challenges in receiving, protecting and integrating unaccompanied migrant and refugee minors. While migration procedures and decisions generally fall under the competence of national governments, the study highlights that in practice, local and regional authorities (LRAs) undertake multiple tasks in the reception and integration of unaccompanied migrant and refugee minors and play an important role in ensuring their rights and needs. The study also identifies the main challenges faced by LRAs in integrating and protecting unaccompanied migrant and refugee minors into the local communities, as well as best practices that can address these challenges. Regions and cities explored in this study are the Canary Islands in Spain, the Bouches-du-Rhône département in France, the city of Athens in Greece and the city of Łódź in Poland. They represent a wide variety of practices, being located in different parts of the European Union and in countries that face different challenges regarding the integration and protection of unaccompanied migrant and refugee minors. Based on the findings and assessment of the case studies presented, the key recommendations of the study highlight the importance of timely identification and registration of unaccompanied migrant and refugee minors to ensure their access to essential services. It also emphasizes the need for dedicated financial resources to support service providers, such as cultural mediators, teaching assistants and other educational professionals. Additionally, the study underscores the importance of providing holistic care within reception facilities and efficient tailored-made guidance. Finally, it recommends the development of comprehensive contingency plans at local and regional level to deal with surges in arrivals as a necessary preparedness measure. Acknowledging that the overarching challenge faced by LRAs is the need for funding, the study shows that in situations of crisis, EU and international funds can greatly help LRAs create or adapt their systems to receive and provide services to unaccompanied migrant and refugee minors. Nevertheless, considering future prospects, the study also highlights the importance of empowering LRAs to make better use of EU funding and to provide technical assistance and capacity building, along with more structural funding mechanisms to ensure the sustainability of the measures taken to successfully address the needs of unaccompanied migrant and refugee minors.