diff --git "a/annotation_data/unhcr_extractions/doc_110/raw/doc_110_direct_judged.jsonl" "b/annotation_data/unhcr_extractions/doc_110/raw/doc_110_direct_judged.jsonl" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/annotation_data/unhcr_extractions/doc_110/raw/doc_110_direct_judged.jsonl" @@ -0,0 +1,682 @@ +[ + { + "input_text": "High Commissioner\u2019s Dialogue Distr. General\non Protection Challenges 28 November 2016\n_Children on the Move_ Original: English\nEnglish and French only\n\n\nBACKGROUND PAPER\n\n\nContents\n\n\n_Chapter_ _Paragraphs_ _Page_\n\n\nI. Introduction ................................................................................................. 1-6 2\n\n\nII. Understanding the phenomenon .................................................................. 7-18 3\n\n\nIII. Rights in principle versus rights in practice ................................................ 19-42 7\n\n\nIV. Thematic sessions ........................................................................................ 43-72 12\n\n\n", + "datasets": [], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 0 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": "I. Introduction\n\n\n1. The risks faced by children who move across international borders in search of protection\n(\u201cchildren on the move\u201d) [ 1] are significant. In early 2016, UNHCR reported that, on average, two children\nwere drowning every day trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. An untold number continue to\nperish in the Gulf of Aden and other regions. Children on the move have fallen prey to smugglers and\ntraffickers, and are at risk of recruitment into armed groups, sexual and gender-based violence,\nkidnapping, child labour and child marriage. Some are orphaned or separated from their parents and other\nfamily members. In some countries, children on the move are detained, at times for indefinite periods and\nin inhumane conditions. Millions of refugee children are not in school. [2] Disabled children and those in\nneed of medical treatment may go without care. Durable solutions have become elusive, with ever-larger\nnumbers of refugee children stranded in protracted displacement situations.\n\n2. At the same time, international law and standards identify children as deserving of special\nprotection and assistance. [3] The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is one of the most widely\nratified international treaties, and its provisions are to be applied \u201cwithout discrimination of any kind\u201d. [4]\nThe Executive Committee of the High Commissioner\u2019s Programme (ExCom) has stressed that all children\nof concern to UNHCR are entitled to protection of their rights, [5] and UNHCR published its first guidelines\non refugee children in 1988. Today, UNHCR\u2019s Framework for the Protection of Children is underpinned\nby its global strategies on education, detention, sexual and gender-based violence and a global plan to end\nstatelessness. [6] Most recently, in September 2016, the Member States of the United Nations reaffirmed\ntheir commitment to addressing the specific needs of children travelling as part of large movements of\nrefugees and migrants, especially children who are unaccompanied or separated from their families, in the\nNew York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants (New York Declaration). [7]\n\n3. Against this background, and in follow-up to the New York Declaration, this year\u2019s High\nCommissioner\u2019s Dialogue on Protection Challenges (the Dialogue) will explore some of these challenges,\nwith a view to narrowing the gap between States\u2019 commitment to international norms of child protection\nand the reality faced by children of concern to UNHCR who move across international borders.\n\n\n1 This paper uses the term \u201cchildren on the move\u201d to refer to children of concern to UNHCR (asylum-seeking,\nrefugee and stateless children) who move across international borders in search of protection and solutions, whether\naccompanied or alone. In other contexts, such the Inter-Agency Group on Children on the Move, this term has a\nbroader meaning. See, for example: [http://www.gmfc.org/en/action-within-the-movement/gmc-actions/actions-by-](http://www.gmfc.org/en/action-within-the-movement/gmc-actions/actions-by-imperatives/other-campaigns-a-actions/current-actions/90-international-conference-on-children-on-the-move)\n[imperatives/other-campaigns-a-actions/current-actions/90-international-conference-on-children-on-the-move.](http://www.gmfc.org/en/action-within-the-movement/gmc-actions/actions-by-imperatives/other-campaigns-a-actions/current-actions/90-international-conference-on-children-on-the-move)\n2 UNHCR, _[Missing Out: Refugee Education in Crisis](http://www.unhcr.org/missing-out-state-of-education-for-the-worlds-refugees.html)_, September 2016.\n3 [Article 1 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child defines a child as \u201c\u2026every human being below the age](http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx)\nof 18 years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier\u201d.\n4 [Convention on the Rights of the Child](http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx) _,_ Article 2.\n5 For ExCom conclusions concerning children of concern to UNHCR: see UNHCR, _[A Thematic Compilation](http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/5698c1224.pdf)_\n_[of Executive Committee Conclusions](http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/5698c1224.pdf)_, June 2014.\n6 UNHCR _[A Framework for the Protection of Children](http://www.refworld.org/docid/4fe875682.html)_, 26 June 2012; UNHCR, _[Action against Sexual and](http://www.refworld.org/docid/4e01ffeb2.html)_\n_[Gender-Based Violence: An Updated Strategy](http://www.refworld.org/docid/4e01ffeb2.html)_, June 2011; UNHCR, _[Education Strategy, 2012-2016](http://www.unhcr.org/protection/operations/5149ba349/unhcr-education-strategy-2012-2016.html)_, 28 February\n2012; _[Beyond Detention: A Global Strategy to support governments to end the detention of asylum-seekers and](http://www.refworld.org/docid/536b564d4.html)_\n_[refugees 2014 \u2013 2019](http://www.refworld.org/docid/536b564d4.html)_, 2014; _[Global Action Plan to End Statelessness,](http://www.refworld.org/docid/545b47d64.html)_ 4 November 2014.\n7 [New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, UN Doc. A/71/L.1, paras. 23 and 32.](http://www.refworld.org/docid/57ceb74a4.html)\n\n\n2\n\n\n", + "datasets": [], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 1 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": "4. The broad objectives of this year\u2019s Dialogue are:\n\n\n - to share good practices and lessons learned for the protection of children on the move;\n\n - to strengthen public policies affecting children on the move;\n\n - to seek renewed commitment to principles governing protection of, assistance to and\nsolutions for children on the move; and\n\n - to inform the revision and updating of relevant policies and guidelines concerning children.\n\n\n5. In addition to plenary sessions, the Dialogue will convene three thematic sessions that will focus\non:\n\n - pursuing regional approaches to protect children on the move;\n\n - operationalizing children\u2019s rights; and\n\n - securing solutions for children on the move.\n\n\n6. In addition to these broad objectives, the discussion at the Dialogue will inform the development\nof the comprehensive refugee response and the global compact on refugees to be adopted in 2018, as\noutlined in the New York Declaration \u2013 notably to ensure that these processes include a strong focus on\nthe protection of children. Accordingly, where relevant, this paper makes specific reference to State\ncommitments in the New York Declaration, and in the thematic sessions participants will be asked to\npropose how these commitments can result in improved protection outcomes for children on the move.\n\n\nII. Understanding the phenomenon\n\nData and data gaps\n\n7. Cross-border movements of children, including those who are alone and those accompanied by\nfamily members, take place on a large scale in all regions of the world. [8] A decade ago, UNHCR\u2019s\nExCom underlined the importance of the systematic collection and analysis of age- and sex-disaggregated\ndata on children of concern to UNHCR. [9] Despite this, there remains an urgent need for better\ncomparative data, including on the characteristics, capacities and needs of children on the move and on\ntheir success in securing durable solutions. As recognized by States in the New York Declaration,\nimproved data is essential for policy development and more effective responses. [10]\n\n8. UNHCR statistics show that 51 per cent of the world\u2019s refugees are children, with significant\nvariations between regions and countries. In Africa, for instance, 57 per cent of refugees registered with\nUNHCR are children, up to 70 per cent for certain nationalities. [11] There is also considerable disparity in\nthe availability of age-disaggregated data. UNHCR data is available for 90 per cent of refugees in Africa.\nHowever, age- and sex-disaggregated data is available only for 52 per cent of refugees in Asia, 27 per\n\n\n8 UNICEF, _[Uprooted: The Growing Crisis for Refugee and Migrant Children](http://www.unicef.org/emergencies/childrenonthemove/uprooted/)_, September 2016.\n9 See [ExCom Conclusion 107 (LVIII) 2007. A decade later, ExCom appealed for improved data concerning](http://www.refworld.org/docid/471897232.html)\n[youth of concern to UNHCR: see ExCom Conclusion 113 (LXVII) 2016.](http://www.refworld.org/docid/57f7b5a84.html)\n10 [New York Declaration, para. 40.](http://www.refworld.org/docid/57ceb74a4.html)\n11 For instance, 70 per cent of South Sudanese and Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan\nand Uganda are children: UNHCR et al, _[Updated Regional Framework for the Protection of South Sudanese and](http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.se/library/updated-regional-framework-protection-south-sudanese-and-sudanese-refugee-children)_\n_[Sudanese Refugee Children](http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.se/library/updated-regional-framework-protection-south-sudanese-and-sudanese-refugee-children)_, July 2015 - June 2017, p. 2.\n\n\n3\n\n\n", + "datasets": [], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 2 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": "cent of refugees in Latin America and the Caribbean, 20 per cent of refugees in Europe, and not at all for\nNorth America and Oceania.\n\n9. It is especially difficult to capture information about children at the height of emergencies and in\ntransit situations, as well as in the context of large-scale movements. [12] Children (and their parents) may\nseek to avoid detection by the authorities, while onward movements or repeated attempts to cross borders\ncan yield both double counting and reports of disappearances. [13] Information on the prevalence of risk\nfactors affecting children is also uneven, in particular for children travelling with family members. [14]\n\n10. There is no global tally of unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) who seek asylum or\nwho are recognized as refugees. [15] Countries use different definitions of such children and do not always\nrecord them separately from children who are present with their families \u2013 despite the fact that in all child\nprotection systems, children who are deprived of parental care or separated from their primary caregiver\nare considered particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, and entitled to special protection.\n\n11. Since 2006, UNHCR has sought to compile annual statistics of asylum applications presented by\nUASC, based on the information available to the Office. In 2015, UNHCR reported that 112,305 UASC\napplied for asylum in 83 countries \u2013 mainly Afghans, Eritreans, Somalis and Syrians. [16] However, this is\nan incomplete picture, as it did not include data from all countries, including three important asylum\ncountries: the Russian Federation, South Africa and the United States of America. Furthermore,\nUNHCR\u2019s data compiles asylum applications on an annual basis. It does not include UASC who are\nrecognized as refugees, nor does it reflect total numbers of both asylum-seeking and refugee UASC.\n\n\n12 On data collection challenges see: IOM\u2019s Global Migration Data Analysis Centre, _[Children and unsafe](https://publications.iom.int/books/global-migration-data-analysis-centre-data-briefing-series-issue-no-5-september-2016)_\n_[migration in Europe: Data and policy, understanding the evidence base](https://publications.iom.int/books/global-migration-data-analysis-centre-data-briefing-series-issue-no-5-september-2016)_, Data Briefing Series, Issue No. 5,\nSeptember 2016. On transit situations, see: Report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,\n_[The Situation of Migrants in Transit](http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/31/35)_, A/HRC/31/35, 27 January 2016.\n13 See: Missing Children Europe, _[Summit Report. Best practices and key challenges on interagency cooperation](http://missingchildreneurope.eu/summit)_\n_[to safeguard unaccompanied children from going missing](http://missingchildreneurope.eu/summit)_, 2016.\n14 [ExCom Conclusion 107 (LVIII) 2007 lists environmental and individual factors that may place children of](http://www.refworld.org/docid/471897232.html)\nconcern to UNHCR in situations of heightened risk. Environmental factors include lack of security, abject poverty\nand statelessness. Individual factors may include children who are: unaccompanied and separated; girl mothers and\ntheir own children; victims of trafficking and sexual abuse; survivors of torture and violence; married under the age\nspecified in national laws and/or in forced marriages; associated with armed forces or groups; in detention; suffering\nfrom social discrimination; mentally or physically disabled; living with or affected by HIV and AIDS or other\nserious diseases; and out of school.\n15 \u201cUnaccompanied\u201d children are those who have been separated from both parents and other relatives and are\nnot being cared for by an adult who, by law or custom, is responsible for doing so. \u201cSeparated\u201d children have been\nseparated from both parents, or from their previous legal or customary primary caregiver, but not necessarily from\nother relatives.\n16 Source: UNHCR and Eurostat (Eurostat data last updated on 21 September 2016). The 2015 data has been\nupdated since the publication of UNHCR\u2019s _[Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2015](http://www.unhcr.org/statistics/unhcrstats/576408cd7/unhcr-global-trends-2015.html)_, to include asylum\napplications made in Belgium and Italy, and to update the figure for Germany.\n\n\n4\n\n\n", + "datasets": [ + { + "dataset_name": { + "text": "global tally of unaccompanied and separated children", + "confidence": 0.6187738180160522, + "start": 129, + "end": 136 + }, + "dataset_tag": "vague", + "description": null, + "data_type": null, + "acronym": null, + "author": null, + "producer": null, + "geography": { + "text": "global", + "confidence": 0.6028651595115662, + "start": 129, + "end": 130 + }, + "publication_year": null, + "reference_year": null, + "reference_population": { + "text": "unaccompanied and separated children", + "confidence": 0.6540742516517639, + "start": 132, + "end": 136 + }, + "is_used": "False", + "usage_context": "background" + }, + { + "dataset_name": { + "text": "child\nprotection systems", + "confidence": 0.5644940733909607, + "start": 181, + "end": 184 + }, + "dataset_tag": "descriptive", + "description": null, + "data_type": null, + "acronym": null, + "author": { + "text": "UNHCR", + "confidence": 0.9872539639472961, + "start": 218, + "end": 219 + }, + "producer": null, + "geography": null, + "publication_year": { + "text": "2015", + "confidence": 0.6157478094100952, + "start": 242, + "end": 243 + }, + "reference_year": { + "text": "2006", + "confidence": 0.8728017807006836, + "start": 216, + "end": 217 + }, + "reference_population": { + "text": "UASC", + "confidence": 0.6211392879486084, + "start": 230, + "end": 231 + }, + "is_used": "False", + "usage_context": "background" + } + ], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 3 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": "UASC asylum applications 2006 \u2013 2015\n\n|Col1|Applications|# of reporting
countries|\n|---|---|---|\n|2006|9,900|64|\n|2007|11,300|58|\n|2008|16,600|68|\n|2009|18,700|71|\n|2010|15,600|69|\n|2011|17,700|69|\n|2012|21,300|72|\n|2013|24,700|77|\n|2014|34,300|82|\n|2015|112,305|83|\n\n\n\n_Note: Source UNHCR and government data (Eurostat data last updated 21 September 2016)_\n\n12. According to information available to UNHCR, many UASC remain in countries of first asylum\nin their regions of origin. For instance, of 1 million refugees from South Sudan, there were some\n44,600 unaccompanied or separated children, located primarily in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda in\n2016. UNHCR registration data indicates other large UASC populations in countries of first asylum as of\nOctober 2016 included children from Somalia (some 15,000), the Syrian Arab Republic (10,500), the\nDemocratic Republic of the Congo (9,700), Burundi (8,400), Sudan (6,800), Eritrea (6,000) and Myanmar\n(4,300). [17] Those who do move onwards to industrialized countries have a different profile from those\nwho remain in countries of first asylum. While UASC remaining in their regions of origin tend to include\nsignificant numbers of girls and children younger than 14 years, [18] in contrast, the majority of UASC who\nmove onward to Europe and apply for asylum are older boys. [19]\n\n13. There is also very little data on durable solutions achieved by refugee children. Some countries\npublish resettlement and asylum statistics that are disaggregated by age and sex, but there are no global\nnumbers on children \u2013 unaccompanied or who remain together with their families \u2013 who are able to\naccess one of the three durable solutions. Gathering and compiling such data would facilitate a much\nbetter understanding of the extent to which the protection needs of children of concern to UNHCR are\nbeing met in a sustainable manner.\n\n\n17 Source: UNHCR data, as of September 2016.\n18 In Africa, registration data for the major UASC groups in their first countries of asylum shows that 40 per\ncent of these children are female and 66 per cent are under age 14. In Asia, 41 per cent are female and 49 per cent\nare under age 14. In the Middle East, 42 per cent are female and 53 per cent are under age 14. Source: UNHCR\nregistration data as of October 2016 for countries of first asylum where UASC populations exceed 1,000 persons.\n19 According to European Union data, just 9 per cent of UASC asylum applicants in 2015 were female and just\n13 per cent were under age 14: based on Eurostat data, as at 21 September 2016. Similarly, although demographic\ndata is not publicly available for unaccompanied children who seek asylum in the United States of America, of those\napprehended at border crossings by the authorities during fiscal year 2015, 32 per cent were female and 17 per cent\nwere age 12 or under: _[Unaccompanied Immigrant Children \u2013 Demographic Data. Research on the Unauthorized](http://immigration.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=006411)_\n_[Minors arriving at U.S. Border Crossings](http://immigration.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=006411)_ .\n\n\n5\n\n\n", + "datasets": [ + { + "dataset_name": { + "text": "UASC asylum applications", + "confidence": 0.7580386996269226, + "start": 0, + "end": 3 + }, + "dataset_tag": "descriptive", + "description": null, + "data_type": null, + "acronym": null, + "author": { + "text": "UNHCR", + "confidence": 0.8492133617401123, + "start": 125, + "end": 126 + }, + "producer": null, + "geography": null, + "publication_year": { + "text": "2016", + "confidence": 0.638392448425293, + "start": 136, + "end": 137 + }, + "reference_year": null, + "reference_population": null, + "is_used": "False", + "usage_context": "background" + }, + { + "dataset_name": { + "text": "UNHCR registration data", + "confidence": 0.9963393211364746, + "start": 197, + "end": 200 + }, + "dataset_tag": "vague", + "description": null, + "data_type": null, + "acronym": null, + "author": { + "text": "UNHCR", + "confidence": 0.9300976991653442, + "start": 197, + "end": 198 + }, + "producer": null, + "geography": null, + "publication_year": { + "text": "2016", + "confidence": 0.5108119249343872, + "start": 213, + "end": 214 + }, + "reference_year": { + "text": "2016", + "confidence": 0.7608512043952942, + "start": 195, + "end": 196 + }, + "reference_population": { + "text": "UASC populations", + "confidence": 0.7726996541023254, + "start": 203, + "end": 205 + }, + "is_used": "False", + "usage_context": "background" + }, + { + "dataset_name": { + "text": "resettlement and asylum statistics", + "confidence": 0.9845188856124878, + "start": 367, + "end": 371 + }, + "dataset_tag": "vague", + "description": null, + "data_type": null, + "acronym": null, + "author": { + "text": "UNHCR", + "confidence": 0.7602670788764954, + "start": 433, + "end": 434 + }, + "producer": null, + "geography": null, + "publication_year": null, + "reference_year": null, + "reference_population": { + "text": "refugee children", + "confidence": 0.7715650796890259, + "start": 361, + "end": 363 + }, + "is_used": "False", + "usage_context": "background" + }, + { + "dataset_name": { + "text": "UNHCR data", + "confidence": 0.6160649657249451, + "start": 445, + "end": 447 + }, + "dataset_tag": "descriptive", + "description": null, + "data_type": null, + "acronym": null, + "author": { + "text": "UNHCR", + "confidence": 0.7248592376708984, + "start": 433, + "end": 434 + }, + "producer": null, + "geography": { + "text": "Africa", + "confidence": 0.6822665333747864, + "start": 455, + "end": 456 + }, + "publication_year": null, + "reference_year": null, + "reference_population": { + "text": "major UASC groups", + "confidence": 0.5410264730453491, + "start": 461, + "end": 464 + }, + "is_used": "False", + "usage_context": "background" + }, + { + "dataset_name": { + "text": "registration data", + "confidence": 0.599700927734375, + "start": 457, + "end": 459 + }, + "dataset_tag": "descriptive", + "description": null, + "data_type": { + "text": "registration data", + "confidence": 0.5665046572685242, + "start": 457, + "end": 459 + }, + "acronym": null, + "author": { + "text": "UNHCR", + "confidence": 0.9222023487091064, + "start": 527, + "end": 528 + }, + "producer": null, + "geography": { + "text": "countries of first asylum", + "confidence": 0.8809282779693604, + "start": 535, + "end": 539 + }, + "publication_year": null, + "reference_year": { + "text": "2016", + "confidence": 0.7505066990852356, + "start": 451, + "end": 452 + }, + "reference_population": { + "text": "UASC groups", + "confidence": 0.7502896785736084, + "start": 462, + "end": 464 + }, + "is_used": "False", + "usage_context": "supporting" + }, + { + "dataset_name": { + "text": "Eurostat data", + "confidence": 0.881206750869751, + "start": 579, + "end": 581 + }, + "dataset_tag": "named", + "description": null, + "data_type": null, + "acronym": null, + "author": null, + "producer": null, + "geography": { + "text": "European Union", + "confidence": 0.7982047200202942, + "start": 551, + "end": 553 + }, + "publication_year": { + "text": "2015", + "confidence": 0.5055197477340698, + "start": 622, + "end": 623 + }, + "reference_year": { + "text": "2015", + "confidence": 0.8781638741493225, + "start": 564, + "end": 565 + }, + "reference_population": { + "text": "UASC asylum applicants", + "confidence": 0.7467185854911804, + "start": 560, + "end": 563 + }, + "is_used": "False", + "usage_context": "supporting" + } + ], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 4 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": "Why are children on the move?\n\n14. Studies show that armed conflict and violence are among the most frequent drivers of\ndisplacement of children, [ 20] but children face many types of violations of their fundamental rights. The\nrefugee definition therefore:\n\n\n\u2026must be interpreted in an age- and gender-sensitive manner, taking into account the particular motives\nfor, and forms and manifestations of, persecution experienced by children. Persecution of kin; under-age\nrecruitment; trafficking of children for prostitution; and sexual exploitation or subjection to female genital\nmutilation, are some of the child-specific forms and manifestations of persecution\u2026 [21]\n\n15. Child-specific forms of persecution are often interconnected with other factors, including the loss\nof parents to war or disease, acute poverty and food insecurity, and lack of educational and economic\nopportunity. The particular discrimination and barriers stateless children encounter make them especially\nvulnerable to forced displacement, trafficking and the worst forms of child labour.\n\n16. Many UASC remain in countries of asylum in their region of origin. But others move onward,\nfrequently with the involvement of smugglers, risking multiple forms of exploitation, including by human\ntraffickers. In many cases, these children are trying to join parents or relatives located in other countries.\nChildren also cite the lack of legal documentation and absence of educational prospects in their first\ncountries of asylum as key reasons for their onward movement. They further identify discrimination,\npunitive measures such as detention, limited access to food, shelter, health care and jobs, and, above all,\nthe lack of prospects for the future as \u201cpush\u201d factors. [22]\n\n17. When children move alone it is often because the family can only afford to send one child, not\nnecessarily the eldest, to seek protection elsewhere. This tendency may be bolstered by a \u201cculture of\nmigration\u201d that has developed over time, backed by a strong diaspora, and sometimes by misconceptions\nabout immigration and refugee policies of destination countries. Families have usually invested heavily\nin their child\u2019s journey and for these children, failure is not an option; the responsibility to reach the\nintended country or region and to repay their family\u2019s debt weighs heavily on them.\n\n18. There has been considerable research concerning the motives and journeys of specific groups of\nUASC arriving in Europe and North America, in particular those from Afghanistan and Eritrea, as well as\nfrom Central America, but there is much less information with respect to children on the move in other\nregions and from other countries of origin. More diverse research would provide a stronger evidence base\nfor policymakers and practitioners and could support the development of more holistic responses,\n\n\n20 In a recent survey, Afghan UASC in Sweden referenced violence and insecurity as their primary reasons for\nleaving their country. See: UNHCR and the Joint IDP Profiling Service, _This is Who We Are_ . _[A study of the profile,](http://www.unhcr-northerneurope.org/news-detail/this-is-who-we-are-afghan-study-launched/)_\n_[experiences and reasons for flight of unaccompanied or separated children from Afghanistan seeking asylum in](http://www.unhcr-northerneurope.org/news-detail/this-is-who-we-are-afghan-study-launched/)_\n_[Sweden in 2015](http://www.unhcr-northerneurope.org/news-detail/this-is-who-we-are-afghan-study-launched/)_, October 2016.\n21 UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, _[General Comment No. 6 (2005) \u2013 Treatment of Unaccompanied](http://www.refworld.org/docid/42dd174b4.html)_\n_[and Separated Children Outside Their Country of Origin](http://www.refworld.org/docid/42dd174b4.html)_, CRCGC/2005/6, September 2005, para. 74. See also:\nUNHCR, _[Guidelines on International Protection No. 8: Child Asylum Claims under Articles A(1)(2) and 1(F) of the](http://www.refworld.org/docid/4b2f4f6d2.html)_\n_[1951 Convention and/or 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees,](http://www.refworld.org/docid/4b2f4f6d2.html)_ HCR/GIP/09/08, 2009.\n22 See for example: UNHCR and the Joint IDP Profiling Service, _[This is Who We Are](http://www.unhcr-northerneurope.org/news-detail/this-is-who-we-are-afghan-study-launched/)_, October 2016; UNHCR,\n_[Live, learn and play safe. Regional Initiative 2014 \u2013 2016.](http://www.refworld.org/docid/53bbc6314.html)_ _Protecting Children at Risk in Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan_\n_and Yemen._\n\n\n6\n\n\n", + "datasets": [], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 5 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": "including ways to respond to the protection needs of children who do not apply for asylum, and who tend\nto be \u201cinvisible\u201d within large and mixed movements. [23]\n\n\nIII. Rights in principle versus rights in practice\n\nA solid normative framework at international level\n\n19. At the international level, there is broad consensus concerning children\u2019s rights. International\nhuman rights law identifies children as a particular category of rights holders. The CRC enjoys nearuniversal ratification and applies to all children within the jurisdiction of a State Party [24] without\ndiscrimination of any kind \u2013 including with respect to the child\u2019s legal status. [25] States reiterated their\ncommitment to the obligations in the CRC in the New York Declaration. [26] Article 22 of the CRC\nreiterates that the rights set out in the CRC extend, without exception, to asylum-seeking and refugee\nchildren.\n\n20. Beyond Article 22, many parts of the CRC have particular salience for children on the move, for\ninstance: the right to birth registration and to acquire a nationality (Article 7), respect for family unity\n(Article 9) and the facilitation of family reunification (Article 10), special protection for children deprived\nof their family environment (Article 20), the avoidance of detention (Article 37) and the importance of\nmeasures to promote psychological recovery and social reintegration (Article 39).\n\n21. The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (1951 Convention) and its 1967 Protocol\nmake no distinction between children and adults, and for many years were interpreted largely from the\nvantage point of adult experiences. In 2007, UNHCR\u2019s ExCom drew attention to the need for States to\nrecognize children of concern to UNHCR as \u201cactive subjects of rights\u201d and to the fact that persecution\nmay take child-specific forms. [27] In 2008, UNHCR issued guidelines on international protection specific\nto children\u2019s asylum claims. [28]\n\n22. Regional human rights law, including child protection law and regional refugee law, in particular\nin Africa, the Americas and Europe, bolsters this protective framework, as do the 1954 Convention\nrelating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.\n\n\n23 One example of recent research into children on the move is: Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat and\nSave the Children, _[Young and on the Move. Children and youth in mixed migration flows within and from the Horn](http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.se/library/young-and-move-children-and-youth-mixed-migration-flows-within-and-horn-africa)_\n_[of Africa](http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.se/library/young-and-move-children-and-youth-mixed-migration-flows-within-and-horn-africa)_, September 2016. This study reviews what is known about children on the move in the Horn of Africa: the\nroutes and means they use, their motivations, the protection risks they face, and the legal and institutional\nframeworks that respond to them. The report makes eight important recommendations, including to ensure that\nchildren and youth are visible in monitoring and programme data.\n24 The Committee on the Rights of the Child has stated that this includes children who are attempting to enter\nthe State\u2019s territory. See: UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, _[General Comment No. 6 (2005). Treatment of](http://www.refworld.org/docid/42dd174b4.html)_\n_[Unaccompanied and Separated Children outside their Country of Origin](http://www.refworld.org/docid/42dd174b4.html)_, para. 12.\n25 A number of countries maintain reservations that have the effect of limiting their application of the CRC with\nrespect to non-national children, while others (Germany and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern\nIreland, for instance) have removed reservations that pertained to non-national children.\n26 [New York Declaration, para. 32.](http://www.refworld.org/docid/57ceb74a4.html)\n27 [ExCom Conclusion 107 (LVIII) 2007.](http://www.refworld.org/docid/471897232.html)\n28 UNHCR, _[Guidelines on International Protection No. 8: Child Asylum Claims under Articles A(1)(2) and](http://www.refworld.org/docid/4b2f4f6d2.html)_\n_[1(F) of the 1951 Convention and/or 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees,](http://www.refworld.org/docid/4b2f4f6d2.html)_ HCR/GIP/09/08, 2009.\n\n\n7\n\n\n", + "datasets": [], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 6 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": "What do children identify as their major protection challenges?\n\n23. Despite the strong protective framework at the level of international and regional law, children on\nthe move report that they face many acute protection challenges. Consultations undertaken in numerous\ncontexts, including the 2016 Global Refugee Youth Consultations, yield a consistent picture of what\nchildren and youth identify as the main protection gaps they encounter. [29] The following paragraphs\nhighlight key protection problems that children and youth themselves pinpoint, and relate these to the\ngoals of UNHCR\u2019s Framework for the Protection of Children.\n\n_A safe, inclusive and enabling environment_\n\n24. Across all regions, children of concern to UNHCR articulate concerns that relate to the broad\nenvironment in which they live. These correlate to the first two goals of UNHCR\u2019s Framework for the\nProtection of Children: children should be safe where they live, learn and play; and children should be\nconsulted and enabled to participate in matters of concern to them.\n\n25. Violence, exploitation and abuse are paramount fears of asylum-seeking and refugee children\nacross a wide range of settings, in countries of transit and destination, in and outside of camps, in rural\nand urban areas, and in designated reception centres. This includes significant risk of sexual and genderbased violence. Concerns about police harassment and violence are frequently articulated, especially by\nadolescents living in urban areas, along with a lack of recourse when they are subject to such treatment.\nChildren, both alone and travelling with their families, speak of the traumatic effects of being detained in\ncountries where they are seeking safety.\n\n26. Many children report little positive contact with host communities in their countries of asylum\nand experiences of xenophobia, racism and discrimination. There is evidence that such experiences,\ncoupled with other hardships of forced displacement, can increase young refugees\u2019 vulnerability to\nrecruitment by or victimization at the hands of gangs, other criminal groups and radical extremists. [30]\n\n27. Children on the move in various parts of the world call for more transparency from governments\nand international organizations, and for enhanced two-way communication enabling them to participate in\nmatters of concern to them and to have their views heard and given due weight. Limited channels of\ncommunication, including lack of access to technology, are identified as problems by refugee children\nand youth, especially those living in remote areas.\n\n\n29 This section draws, inter alia, from: UNHCR and Women\u2019s Refugee Commission, _[We Believe in Youth.](http://reliefweb.int/report/world/we-believe-youth-global-refugee-youth-consultation-final-report-september-2016)_\n_[Global Refugee Youth Consultations Final Report,](http://reliefweb.int/report/world/we-believe-youth-global-refugee-youth-consultation-final-report-september-2016)_ September 2016 and individual reports on consultations in Chad,\nEcuador, Jordan, Uganda and elsewhere; UNHCR and the Joint IDP Profiling Service, _[This is Who We Are,](http://www.unhcr-northerneurope.org/news-detail/this-is-who-we-are-afghan-study-launched/)_ October\n2016; UNHCR, _[I Am Here, I Belong: The Urgent Need to End Childhood Statelessness,](http://www.refworld.org/docid/563368b34.html)_ 3 November 2015; UNHCR\nparticipatory assessments with children conducted by various offices worldwide; Save the Children and UNICEF,\n_[Consultation with Children in East Africa for the World Humanitarian Summit. Messages from Children Affected by](http://www.unicef.org/somalia/resources_16942.html)_\n_[Emergencies,](http://www.unicef.org/somalia/resources_16942.html)_ July 2015; and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights report of December 2010, entitled\n_[Separated, asylum-seeking children in European Union Member States](http://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2012/separated-asylum-seeking-children-european-union-member-states)_ . For the purposes of this paper, we have\nincluded concerns expressed by youth, who were in many cases displaced when they were still children, and who\nprovided information about their experience of being displaced children.\n30 UNHCR and Women\u2019s Refugee Commission, _[We Believe in Youth. Global Refugee Youth Consultations](http://reliefweb.int/report/world/we-believe-youth-global-refugee-youth-consultation-final-report-september-2016)_\n_[Final Report,](http://reliefweb.int/report/world/we-believe-youth-global-refugee-youth-consultation-final-report-september-2016)_ September 2016, p. 11. [UN Security Council Resolution 2250](http://www.refworld.org/docid/56ebfd654.html) (2015) stresses the importance of\naddressing conditions that contribute to the radicalization of young people.\n\n\n8\n\n\n", + "datasets": [], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 7 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": "_Concerns related to access to rights_\n\n28. UNHCR\u2019s Framework for the Protection of Children (goals 3, 4 and 5) calls for children to have\naccess to child-friendly procedures, to obtain legal documentation, and to receive targeted support,\nincluding education and health care. [31] Across a broad range of consultations, children and adolescents\nappeal for better information about their rights and for programmes to help them to access their rights.\nChildren with specific needs, such as child survivors or children at risk of sexual and gender-based\nviolence, and children with disabilities, may face particular challenges in accessing information and\nservices, or in having their voices heard, highlighting the importance of ensuring that procedures and\nservices are inclusive, taking into consideration the age, gender and diversity of individual children.\n\n29. Children frequently report that they lack clear information about the asylum process, especially if\nthey do not have access to legal aid and are not supported by guardians. Children who have to navigate\nthe asylum process alone often perceive it as adversarial and manipulated against them. Many find age\nassessment procedures to be arbitrary, inaccurate and unfair. The appointment of qualified guardians is\nkey to ensuring that UASC are able to exercise their rights, but many report that they do not have a\nguardian, do not know who he or she is, have never met their guardian or have done so only rarely.\n\n30. In virtually every consultation, refugee children and youth speak passionately about the\nconsequences of not being in possession of personal documents that attest to their status as asylumseekers or refugees, pointing out that the lack of legal documentation impedes their access to rights and\nservices, in particular to education and health care.\n\n31. Refugee children and young people consistently place educational opportunity at the very top of\ntheir concerns, reflecting the reality that only 50 per cent of the world\u2019s refugee children attend primary\nschool, only 22 per cent attend secondary school and just 1 per cent go on to university. [32] Many children\non the move have never been to school at all or have seen their education interrupted, often for years.\nWhere schooling is theoretically accessible to them, refugee and asylum-seeking children and youth often\ncite non-recognition of educational credentials from their countries of origin, cost, language barriers and\nsafety issues as obstacles \u2013 along with the need to work to support their families. In addition to formal\neducation, older children seek a wide range of opportunities to learn and build their skills.\n\n_Concerns related to prospects for the future_\n\n32. The sixth goal of UNHCR\u2019s Framework for the Protection of Children reads: \u201cGirls and boys\nachieve durable solutions in their best interests\u201d. A durable solution allows the child \u201cto acquire, or to\nreacquire, the full protection of a State\u201d. [33] Refugee children are deeply concerned about their future\nprospects. In a wide variety of contexts, they express frustration that they are not permitted to integrate in\ntheir country of residence \u2013 in many cases the only country they have ever known. For such children,\n\n\n31 Refugee youth highlighted the importance of access to comprehensive and quality health care as a major\nconcern. They particularly highlighted the importance of access to information about sexual and reproductive health\nand appropriate services as well as access to psychosocial and psychological support. UNHCR and Women\u2019s\nRefugee Commission, _[We Believe in Youth. Global Refugee Youth Consultations Final Report,](http://reliefweb.int/report/world/we-believe-youth-global-refugee-youth-consultation-final-report-september-2016)_ September 2016, pp.\n19-20.\n32 UNHCR, _[Missing Out: Refugee Education in Crisis](http://www.unhcr.org/missing-out-state-of-education-for-the-worlds-refugees.html)_, September 2016. These figures compare refugee\ndata for the 2015 \u2013 2016 school year and to global enrolment data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics referring\nto 2014. The comparable global figures are 91 per cent, 84 per cent and 34 per cent respectively.\n33 UNHCR and UNICEF, _[Safe & Sound: what States can do to ensure respect for the best interests of](http://www.refworld.org/docid/5423da264.html)_\n_[unaccompanied and separated children in Europe](http://www.refworld.org/docid/5423da264.html)_, October 2014, p. 22.\n\n\n9\n\n\n", + "datasets": [ + { + "dataset_name": { + "text": "age\nassessment procedures", + "confidence": 0.8348320722579956, + "start": 202, + "end": 205 + }, + "dataset_tag": "vague", + "description": null, + "data_type": null, + "acronym": null, + "author": null, + "producer": null, + "geography": null, + "publication_year": null, + "reference_year": null, + "reference_population": null, + "is_used": "False", + "usage_context": "background" + }, + { + "dataset_name": { + "text": "refugee\ndata", + "confidence": 0.9660137295722961, + "start": 679, + "end": 681 + }, + "dataset_tag": "descriptive", + "description": null, + "data_type": { + "text": "Report", + "confidence": 0.5854861736297607, + "start": 646, + "end": 647 + }, + "acronym": null, + "author": { + "text": "UNHCR", + "confidence": 0.7918593287467957, + "start": 626, + "end": 627 + }, + "producer": null, + "geography": { + "text": "Global", + "confidence": 0.8467987179756165, + "start": 641, + "end": 642 + }, + "publication_year": { + "text": "2016", + "confidence": 0.842219889163971, + "start": 652, + "end": 653 + }, + "reference_year": null, + "reference_population": null, + "is_used": "False", + "usage_context": "supporting" + }, + { + "dataset_name": { + "text": "global enrolment data", + "confidence": 0.6452009081840515, + "start": 690, + "end": 693 + }, + "dataset_tag": "descriptive", + "description": null, + "data_type": null, + "acronym": null, + "author": { + "text": "UNHCR", + "confidence": 0.541297197341919, + "start": 626, + "end": 627 + }, + "producer": null, + "geography": { + "text": "Global", + "confidence": 0.7681518197059631, + "start": 641, + "end": 642 + }, + "publication_year": null, + "reference_year": { + "text": "2014", + "confidence": 0.9294379949569702, + "start": 701, + "end": 702 + }, + "reference_population": null, + "is_used": "False", + "usage_context": "supporting" + }, + { + "dataset_name": { + "text": "and separated children in Europe", + "confidence": 0.5117783546447754, + "start": 750, + "end": 755 + }, + "dataset_tag": "vague", + "description": null, + "data_type": null, + "acronym": null, + "author": null, + "producer": null, + "geography": { + "text": "Europe", + "confidence": 0.8857600092887878, + "start": 754, + "end": 755 + }, + "publication_year": { + "text": "2014", + "confidence": 0.8202697038650513, + "start": 759, + "end": 760 + }, + "reference_year": null, + "reference_population": null, + "is_used": "False", + "usage_context": "background" + } + ], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 8 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": "\u201crepatriation\u201d does not mean returning home but, rather, moving to a country where they have never\nlived. Children and youth are also concerned about the scarcity of resettlement places and what they view\nas the lack of transparency of the resettlement process.\n\n33. For UASC, finding solutions is even more of a challenge. The Committee on the Rights of the\nChild has pointed out that the \u201cultimate aim in addressing the fate of unaccompanied and separated\nchildren is to identify a durable solution that addresses all their protection needs [\u2026.] and, wherever\npossible, leads to overcoming the situation of the child being unaccompanied or separated\u201d. [34] Family\nreunion is a major concern for many of these children, who face heightened risks and integration\ndifficulties due to separation from their families. In many countries, restrictive policies limit the\nprospects of reunification, even with nuclear family members, for UASC who have been resettled or\ngranted asylum.\n\nWhy is there a gap between principles and practice _?_\n\n34. Despite the solid international legal framework governing child protection, and the fact that it has\nbeen translated into national law in many countries, children on the move still face many protection\ngaps. [35] Four intersecting sets of reasons can be identified for this.\n\n35. The first set of reasons relates to the relative strength or weakness of national child protection\nsystems. Effective child protection systems are integrated systems in which all actors are engaged around\nthe common goal of child protection. [36] They are built on a foundation of laws, policies and social norms\nthat protect children from abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence. The implementation of effective\nnational child protection systems depends on awareness of children\u2019s rights and needs, on adequate\nhuman and financial resources to provide the necessary government services, on political commitment,\nand on the support of civil society.\n\n36. Where the ability to protect national children is limited, non-national children, including children\nof concern to UNHCR, are likely to be at greater risk of abuse and neglect. They may face\ndiscrimination, racism and xenophobia. Adolescents may be ignored, not considered as children, or even\nseen as a threat. [37] The ability to protect non-national children may also be compromised in situations of\nsudden influx, and countries situated along transit or destination routes who have engaged in preparedness\nand contingency planning exercises may be better equipped to respond to child protection needs.\nInternational assistance can play an important part in helping to strengthen national child protection\nsystems. A \u201csystems mapping\u201d exercise can help to measure the strength of child protection systems for\nboth national and non-national children, and to identify steps that need to be taken to enhance these\nsystems. [38]\n\n34 UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, _[General Comment No. 6 (2005). Treatment of Unaccompanied](http://www.refworld.org/docid/42dd174b4.html)_\n_[and Separated Children outside their Country of Origin](http://www.refworld.org/docid/42dd174b4.html)_, para. 79.\n35 A simple restatement of protection principles relevant to children on the move can be found in _[Recommended](http://principlesforcom.jimdo.com/)_\n_[principles to guide actions concerning children on the move and other children affected by migration](http://principlesforcom.jimdo.com/)_, 2016,\ndeveloped by Jacqueline Bhabha and Mike Dottridge.\n36 See: UNICEF, _[Adapting a Systems Approach to Child Protection: Key Concepts and Considerations,](http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.se/library/adapting-systems-approach-child-protection-key-concepts-and-considerations)_ 2009.\n37 See: Committee on the Rights of the Child, _[General Comment on the Rights of Adolescents](http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRC/Pages/CallRightsofAdolescents.aspx)_, (forthcoming).\nThis general comment is intended to address the relative invisibility of, and unique challenges faced by adolescents,\nwhile emphasizing the need to respect and nurture their evolving capacities in the realization of their rights.\n38 For example, UNHCR and Columbia University\u2019s CPC Learning Network are working to test a child\nprotection index in refugee settings. See: CPC Learning Network, _[Measuring Impact through a Child Protection](http://www.cpcnetwork.org/resource/measuring-impact-child-protection-index/)_\n_[Index. Report of Uganda Baseline Study](http://www.cpcnetwork.org/resource/measuring-impact-child-protection-index/)_ (by Sarah Meyer, Mara Steinhaus and Lindsay Stark), September 2015.\n\n\n10\n\n\n", + "datasets": [], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 9 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": "37. A second set of reasons for shortcomings in the protection of children on the move is rooted in\nthe tension between immigration enforcement and child protection imperatives. As a result of this\ntension, even robust national child protection systems may not extend to refugee and asylum-seeking\nchildren, [39] or there may be frequent changes in the way State actors respond to these and other nonnational children, including changes in the legal and policy framework.\n\n38. UASC are particularly affected by inconsistent responses, often encountering skepticism about\ntheir claimed age and reasons for seeking protection, and sometimes facing outright hostility from\nofficials or the general public. A fear that high child protection standards, including the possibility of\nfamily reunification, will influence children\u2019s choice of destination may lead to the inappropriate\nsubordination of the best interests of the child to the interests of immigration control. Ultimately, where\nchildren are concerned, an \u201cethic of care\u201d should take precedence over an \u201cethic of enforcement\u201d.\n\n39. A third set of reasons relates to the implementation of international refugee law. Not all countries\nhave ratified the 1951 Convention or operate a national refugee status determination process. Some may\ntreat children on the move simply as irregular migrants. Where national asylum procedures exist, they are\nnot necessarily well equipped to respond to children, and may become overwhelmed in situations of\nincreased arrivals or influx.\n\n40. UNHCR and its ExCom have called on States to develop asylum procedures that are adapted to\nchildren, including through appropriate evidentiary requirements, prioritized processing of UASC,\nqualified free legal or other representation for UASC, the appointment of qualified guardians, and an ageand gender-sensitive application of the 1951 Convention. ExCom has also called on States to carry out\nage assessments in a scientific, safe, child- and gender-sensitive and fair manner. [40]\n\n41. Finally, it can be hard for even the best-resourced child protection services and other State\nauthorities to identify and reach out to UASC. In some cases, the children themselves may resist this\ncontact because they fear interruption of their journeys, detention and deportation. In other cases, this\nmay be due to a lack of information about asylum procedures; or because the children are determined to\nwork, whether legally or not, in order to support their families or to reimburse the debt their family\nincurred to send them abroad; or because they are under the control of traffickers.\n\n42. This underscores the importance of protection-sensitive entry systems, and close cooperation\nbetween law enforcement personnel, who may first encounter at-risk children at the border, and child\nprotection actors. Both groups need to be properly trained and resourced to respond to the needs of\nchildren on the move. Whatever the context, identification, registration and documentation of children is\nthe first step to protection.\n\n\n39 Jacqueline Bhabha, [\u201cMinors or Aliens? Inconsistent State Intervention and Separated Child Asylum-](http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/ejml3&div=28&g_sent=1&collection=journals)\n[Seekers\u201d,](http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/ejml3&div=28&g_sent=1&collection=journals) _European Journal of Migration and Law_, Vol. 3 (2001), pp. 283-314.\n40 [ExCom Conclusion No. 107 (VLIII) 2007, para. g (viii and ix). See also: Separated Children in Europe](http://www.refworld.org/docid/471897232.html)\nProgramme, _[Position Paper on Age Assessment in the Context of Separated Children in Europe](http://www.refworld.org/docid/4ff535f52.html)_, 2012, for more\ninformation on the use of age assessments in asylum proceedings. It is UNHCR\u2019s position that age assessment\nprocedures should be undertaken as a measure of last resort, where a) there are grounds for serious doubt; and\nb) other approaches (such as attempts to gather documentary evidence) have failed to establish the individual\u2019s age.\n\n\n11\n\n\n", + "datasets": [], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 10 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": "IV. Thematic sessions\n\n43. Against this background the purpose of the thematic sessions at the Dialogue is to offer an\nopportunity to deepen the analysis and generate fresh thinking and forward-looking recommendations.\n\n44. Participants in the thematic sessions are invited to keep in mind the overarching imperative of\nstrengthening national child protection systems, and enabling these systems to work in an integrated way\nto reach all children within the territory of a State, including children of concern to UNHCR. Participants\nare also asked to reflect on how to apply the central principles articulated in the CRC to children on the\nmove, in particular the principles of non-discrimination, the primacy of the best interests of the child and\nfamily unity. Given the importance of data and evidence to designing effective responses and solutions,\nparticipants are asked to consider opportunities for strengthening data and evidence on children on the\nmove.\n\n**Thematic session 1: Pursuing regional approaches to protect children on the move**\n\n45. There are a number of ongoing, large-scale movements of UASC that have broad regional and\ncross-regional dimensions. These include:\n\n\n - children mainly from Afghanistan and Myanmar moving toward Australia, via countries of\nSouth-East Asia;\n\n - Afghan children moving from or through the Islamic Republics of Iran and Pakistan and into\nTurkey, and then onwards to Greece and other parts of Europe;\n\n - the movement of Eritrean children into Ethiopia, Sudan and onward through Egypt and Libya\ntoward Europe; and of Somali and Ethiopian children on this same route;\n\n - children from the Horn of Africa, mainly Ethiopia and Somalia, moving across the Gulf of\nAden to Yemen, and onward to Saudi Arabia;\n\n - children from the Horn of Africa and from Central Africa moving along the eastern route\ntoward South Africa;\n\n - Nigerian and other West and Central African children travelling through Niger into Libya and\nacross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy and other European countries; and\n\n - the movement of children from the Northern Triangle of Central America through Mexico to\nthe United States of America, as well as to other countries in Central America.\n\n\n46. The New York Declaration explicitly recognizes the centrality of international cooperation to the\nrefugee protection regime, and commits to more equitable sharing of responsibility. [41] In line with this,\nmovements of UASC have been the subject of discussion by regional fora dealing with international\nmigration and asylum in various parts of the world [42] Regional legal and policy frameworks, especially in\n\n\n41 [New York Declaration, para. 68.](http://www.refworld.org/docid/57ceb74a4.html)\n42 [They have been highlighted for instance in the Brazil Declaration and Plan of Action](http://www.refworld.org/docid/5487065b4.html) of December 2014, the\n[San Jos\u00e9 Action Statement](http://www.refworld.org/docid/57a8a4854.html) [of July 2016, the Abuja Action Statement](https://data.unhcr.org/SahelSituation/download.php?id=2027) following the Regional Protection Dialogue on\n[the Lake Chad Basin of June 2016, the Action Plan of the Valletta Summit on Migration](http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/international-summit/2015/11/ACTION_PLAN_EN_pdf/) of November 2015 and the\n[Bali Declaration on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime of March 2016.](http://www.refworld.org/docid/5799ef3c4.html)\n[Resolution 2136 (2016)](https://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/Xref-XML2HTML-EN.asp?fileid=23179&lang=en) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe sets out the broad protection needs\nof UASC moving toward, into and through Europe. The [New York Declaration](http://www.refworld.org/docid/57ceb74a4.html) also highlights the importance of\n\n\n12\n\n\n", + "datasets": [], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 11 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": "Africa, Europe and Latin America have been enhanced in recent years in order to provide a stronger\nfoundation for actions to protect children on the move. [43] Regional courts are also playing a key role in\nguiding authorities and in ensuring their respect for the best interests of children. [44] Regional\norganizations and States have increased practical cooperation, in particular in the area of capacity\nbuilding, [45] while regional organizations are contributing to the body of knowledge about children on the\nmove through research, including with the participation of children and youth, and country-specific\nhuman rights studies. [46]\n\n47. Much work has been done to strengthen national child protection systems and services so that\nStates can meet their international obligations, and ensure non-discriminatory access to all children under\ntheir jurisdiction, including refugee, stateless and displaced children. However, strategies developed for\nlargely stable asylum situations are not necessarily adequate to address the needs of highly mobile\nchildren, particularly where smuggling and trafficking are involved or where the children move within\nlarge mixed flows. As such, new initiatives based upon regional approaches and regional cooperation\nmay be needed to supplement national child protection systems strengthening efforts.\n\n48. There are also a number of good examples of regional cooperation between States, international\norganizations and non-governmental organizations to promote cross-border child protection systems.\nThese include:\n\n\n - Cross-border coordination groups, supported by Save the Children, between Mozambique\n\nand South Africa, South Africa and Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and between\nZambia and Zimbabwe. [47] The working groups, chaired by governments but also involving\nnon-governmental actors, seek to establish effective communication between social workers\nand law enforcement agencies; strengthen coordination to identify the best solution for an\nindividual child; improve protocols and guidelines for family tracing and reunification; and\nensure the provision of psychosocial support both for children in shelters and for those who\nhave recently returned to their families.\n\n\nbilateral, regional and international cooperation in responding to large movements of refugees and migrants,\nincluding the importance of international responsibility-sharing, paras. 26 and 38.\n43 Important legislative measures include recognition of child-specific persecution as a basis for refugee status\nand the creation of forms of complementary protection status for children at risk, such as trafficked children.\n44 OHCHR and UNICEF, _[Judicial Implementation of Article 3 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in](http://www.refworld.org/docid/5135ae842.html)_\n_[Europe: The case of migrant children including unaccompanied children](http://www.refworld.org/docid/5135ae842.html)_, June 2012; Inter-American Court of\nHuman Rights, [Advisory Opinion OC-21/14,](http://www.refworld.org/docid/54129c854.html) 19 August 2014 (on \u201cRights and guarantees of children in the context\nof migration and/or in need of international protection\u201d).\n45 [For instance, a regional workshop under the auspices of the EU/ICMPD \u201cMigration EU eXpertise (MIEUX)\u201d](https://www.icmpd.org/our-work/capacity-building/multi-thematic-programmes/mieux-iii/)\nproject was organized in June 2016 in Mexico City to strengthen the protection of UASC from Central America.\nOther capacity-building examples are set out in: UNICEF\u2019s written submissions to the 2012 Day of General\nDiscussion of the Committee on the Rights of the Child ( _[Access to Civil, Economic and Social Rights for Children](http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRC/Pages/WSDGD2012.aspx)_\n_in the Context of Irregular Migration_, Annex II, \u201cPromising legislation and practices across five regions\u201d); and in\nHuman Rights Council, _[Technical cooperation and capacity-building to promote and protect the rights of all](http://www.refworld.org/docid/56f1785e4.html)_\n_[migrants, including women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities](http://www.refworld.org/docid/56f1785e4.html)_, A/HRC/31/80, 25 January 2016.\n46 Extensive work on children\u2019s rights in the context of migration and asylum has been undertaken by the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, the\nEuropean Union\u2019s Fundamental Rights Agency and the African Commission on Human and People\u2019s Rights, among\nothers.\n47 Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa, _[Addressing Mixed and Irregular Migration in the SADC Region:](http://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/our_work/ICP/RCP/English-Final-Report-MIDSA-2015.pdf)_\n_[Protection of the Unaccompanied Migrant Child](http://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/our_work/ICP/RCP/English-Final-Report-MIDSA-2015.pdf)_, 2015.\n\n\n13\n\n\n", + "datasets": [ + { + "dataset_name": { + "text": "country-specific\nhuman rights studies", + "confidence": 0.9171140193939209, + "start": 106, + "end": 110 + }, + "dataset_tag": "vague", + "description": null, + "data_type": null, + "acronym": null, + "author": null, + "producer": null, + "geography": null, + "publication_year": null, + "reference_year": null, + "reference_population": { + "text": "children and youth", + "confidence": 0.8069285154342651, + "start": 101, + "end": 104 + }, + "is_used": "False", + "usage_context": "background" + } + ], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 12 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": " - UNHCR developed its \u201cLive, learn and play safe\u201d regional initiative (2014 \u2013 2016) [ 48] in\n\nresponse to the protection challenges facing children from the Horn of Africa in Egypt,\nEthiopia, Sudan and Yemen. This initiative involves actions in all of these countries to\nachieve better outcomes for children, and to attempt to reduce dangerous onward movements,\nincluding encouraging regional cooperation for the exchange of information on onward\nmovements, efforts to trace and reunify families, and the sharing of knowledge and best\npractices.\n\n - UNHCR, the United Nations Children\u2019s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Committee of\n\nthe Red Cross (ICRC) have promoted child and family protection support hubs, also known\nas \u201cBlue Dots\u201d, in several countries. The hubs are drop-in centres that provide a safe, childfriendly space for children and families. At the hubs, people with specific needs are\nidentified, provided with information and services such as psychosocial support and legal\ncounselling, and are referred to other services such as medical support and safe overnight\nshelters.\n\n - In the Americas, countries of origin, transit and resettlement are cooperating with UNHCR\n\nand the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to enable eligible children at risk in\nEl Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to be processed for resettlement in the United States of\nAmerica from a place of safety in Costa Rica. [49]\n\n49. Against this background, participants in this thematic session are invited to consider how to\nstrengthen regional cooperation, potentially involving countries of origin, transit and destination, in order\nto improve the protection of children on the move. Participants are encouraged to share other examples of\nregional cooperation, and to propose new forms of cooperation.\n\n50. In particular, participants are invited to consider the following questions:\n\n\n - How can country-level efforts to strengthen national child protection systems, ensuring nondiscriminatory access for all children, inform regional efforts to strengthen the protection of\nchildren on the move? Can strategies developed for largely stable asylum situations be\nadapted to address the needs of highly mobile children?\n\n - What policies and actions of regional organizations or regional processes have strengthened\nprotection of children on the move? Have any regional policies or actions put children in\nfurther jeopardy?\n\n - What role can regional courts play in guiding State authorities to respect the best interests of\nchildren on the move, including with regards to more protective asylum systems and the\nidentification of solutions in their best interests?\n\n - What types of issues and activities lend themselves to effective regional cooperation? What\nexamples of transnational good practice (programmes and tools) can participants bring\n\n\n48 UNHCR, _[Live, learn and play safe. Regional Initiative 2014-2016. Protecting Children at Risk in Egypt,](http://www.refworld.org/docid/53bbc6314.html)_\n_[Ethiopia, Sudan and Yemen](http://www.refworld.org/docid/53bbc6314.html)_, 2014. The initiative focuses on children from the Horn of Africa moving along two\nroutes: from Eritrea to Ethiopia, Sudan and onward to Egypt and Libya (in an effort to reach Europe), and from\nSomalia and Ethiopia across the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to Yemen and onward (towards Saudi Arabia and\nother Gulf States).\n49 Department of Homeland Security, _[U.S. Expands Initiatives to Address Central American Migration](https://www.dhs.gov/news/2016/07/26/us-expands-initiatives-address-central-american-migration-challenges)_\n_[Challenges](https://www.dhs.gov/news/2016/07/26/us-expands-initiatives-address-central-american-migration-challenges)_, Press Release, 26 July 2016.\n\n\n14\n\n\n", + "datasets": [], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 13 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": "forward? What suggestions can participants make for new regional programmes and tools?\nNotably:\n\n - How can regional initiatives help to strengthen child protection systems in countries\nof origin, transit and destination? Can State commitments in the New York\nDeclaration support regional cooperation in this regard?\n\n - How can regional cooperation support preparedness and response to sudden influxes\nof children on the move, including UASC?\n\n - How can regional cooperation help to address the reasons behind children\u2019s\nmovements? Do efforts to dissuade children from dangerous onward movement\nwork? Do they reduce or increase risks?\n\n - Can regional cooperation support efforts to collect accurate data and to monitor\nchildren\u2019s movements, taking data protection imperatives into account?\n\n - Can children be supported to engage in peer-to-peer exchanges of information within\nand across regions?\n\n\n**Thematic session 2: Operationalizing children\u2019s rights**\n\n51. Refugee children have been described as being \u201cat the intersection of two particularly vulnerable\npopulations \u2013 refugees and children\u201d. [50] The CRC emphasizes the principle of non-discrimination, making\nclear that a child\u2019s immigration status cannot be used to justify discrimination against the child.\nTranslating this into national practice has proven to be a challenge however, and there are many gaps\nbetween the rights and principles set out in the CRC and the experiences of children who move across\ninternational borders. The New York Declaration reiterates States\u2019 commitment to comply with their\nobligations under the CRC, [51] with specific reference to the best interests of the child.\n\n52. A key to operationalizing children\u2019s rights is to ensure cooperation between national authorities\nresponsible for child welfare and those for immigration. Participants in this thematic session are\nencouraged to bring forward examples of cooperation between these authorities to meet the protection\nneeds of children on the move. Participants are also invited to focus on operationalizing children\u2019s rights\nin two critical areas, identified by children themselves as vital: the right to a legal identity and the right to\nliberty.\n\n_The right to a legal identity: birth registration, nationality and documentation_\n\n53. Under international law, every child has the right to birth registration, to a name and to acquire a\nnationality, [52] yet persons of concern to UNHCR often still face significant barriers to registering the birth\n\n\n50 Jacqueline Bhabha, \u201cMinors or Aliens? Inconsistent State Intervention and Separated Child AsylumSeekers,\u201d _European Journal of Migration and Law_, Vol. 3 (2001), p. 284.\n51 [New York Declaration, para. 32.](http://www.refworld.org/docid/57ceb74a4.html)\n52 [Convention on the Rights of the Child](http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx) _,_ [Article 7(1). See also, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights](http://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Pages/UDHRIndex.aspx)\n(Article 15), the [International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights](http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr.aspx) (Article 24), the [1961 Convention on the](http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b39620.html)\n[Reduction of Statelessness, and relevant human rights instruments in Africa, the Americas, Europe and the Middle](http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b39620.html)\nEast.\n\n\n15\n\n\n", + "datasets": [], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 14 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": "of their children. [53] Birth registration provides evidence of a child\u2019s age and legal identity that is critical to\nthe enjoyment of rights and child-specific protections and can help to prevent statelessness by\ndocumenting parentage and place of birth. [54] Gaps in nationality laws are a major cause of statelessness, as\nare discriminatory rules with respect to who can and who cannot pass on their nationality.\n\n54. Sustainable Development Goal 16(9) sets the target of \u201clegal identity for all, including birth\nregistration,\u201d by 2030. [55] Considerable progress has been made since 2006, when ExCom adopted\nConclusion 106 (LVII) on \u201cIdentification, prevention and reduction of statelessness and protection of\nstateless persons\u201d. This has since been reinforced by ExCom Conclusion 111 (LXIV) of 2013 on \u201cCivil\nregistration\u201d, ExCom Conclusion 113 (LXVII) of 2016 on \u201cYouth\u201d and by UNHCR\u2019s global campaign to\nend statelessness launched in 2014.\n\n55. Growing awareness of the importance of birth registration has resulted in legal reforms and\nefforts to improve birth registration systems in many countries. To cite just one example, UNHCR has\nsince 2010 worked with the Ministry of the Interior in Thailand to support the issuing of birth certificates\nto babies born to registered refugees in camps on its border with Myanmar, and the Government has\ncommitted to issuing birth certificates to babies born to unregistered refugees residing in the camps.\nThese measures contribute to ensuring a legal identity for refugee children and may help to establish their\ncitizenship upon future return, preventing the risk of statelessness.\n\n56. At the same time, whether or not they are in possession of birth certificates, asylum-seeking and\nrefugee children frequently draw attention to their need for documentation of their legal status. Youth\ntaking part in the 2016 Global Refugee Youth Consultations stressed the serious implications of not\nhaving legal documents in their countries of residence, including the risk of arrest and detention, and\nbarriers to access services. Stateless children consulted by UNHCR have illustrated the many\nimplications of not having nationality documentation. [56]\n\n57. Against this background, participants are invited to consider the following questions:\n\n\n - What further measures can be taken to ensure birth registration for children of concern to\nUNHCR who move across international borders?\n\n - What other good practices can help to prevent statelessness for children on the move?\n\n - What can be done to ensure that the absence of personal documentation does not impede\naccess to basic rights for refuge and asylum-seeking children?\n\n\n53 The [New York Declaration](http://www.refworld.org/docid/57ceb74a4.html) also highlights the importance of birth registration and the prevention of\nstatelessness \u2013 see particularly, paras. 71 and 72 \u2013 and includes a commitment from States to register all births on\ntheir territory (para. 32).\n54 See the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in _[Case of the Yean and Bosico children v. The Dominican](http://www.refworld.org/docid/44e497d94.html)_\n_[Republic](http://www.refworld.org/docid/44e497d94.html)_ for discussion of how the lack of identity documents restricts access to other rights, such as education.\n55 The meaning of \u201clegal identity\u201d has been the subject of much discussion among experts. One helpful\ndefinition is \u201cthe recognition of a person\u2019s existence before the law, facilitating the recognition of specific rights and\n[corresponding duties\u201d: Lucia Gonzalez Lopez et al, \u201cCivil Registration, Human Rights, and Social Protection in](http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/population-and-demography/civil-registration-human-rights-and-social-protection-in-asia-and-the-pacific_ba046677-en)\n[Asia and the Pacific,\u201d](http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/population-and-demography/civil-registration-human-rights-and-social-protection-in-asia-and-the-pacific_ba046677-en) _Asia-Pacific Population Journal_, Vol. 29, No. 1 (November 2014), p. 77.\n56 UNHCR, _[I Am Here, I Belong: The Urgent Need to End Childhood Statelessness](http://www.refworld.org/docid/563368b34.html)_, 3 November 2015.\n\n\n16\n\n\n", + "datasets": [ + { + "dataset_name": { + "text": "Birth registration", + "confidence": 0.9937771558761597, + "start": 7, + "end": 9 + }, + "dataset_tag": "descriptive", + "description": null, + "data_type": null, + "acronym": null, + "author": null, + "producer": null, + "geography": { + "text": "global", + "confidence": 0.6760176420211792, + "start": 175, + "end": 176 + }, + "publication_year": null, + "reference_year": null, + "reference_population": null, + "is_used": "False", + "usage_context": "background" + } + ], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 15 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": "_The right to liberty_\n\n58. The detention of children, even if they are not separated from their families, has a severe impact\non children\u2019s physical, emotional and psychological development. [57] There is a growing consensus that\ndepriving a child of liberty for reasons related to that child\u2019s migratory status \u201ccan never be understood as\na measure that responds to the child\u2019s best interest\u201d. [58] The Committee on the Rights of the Child has\ncalled on States to cease the immigration detention of children. [59]\n\n59. For this reason, the first goal of UNHCR\u2019s global strategy to end the detention of asylum-seekers\nand refugees is to end the detention of children. Most States do not provide data on children detained on\nimmigration grounds, making it difficult to measure progress toward eliminating the practice. At the end\nof 2015, UNHCR was aware of more than 140,000 children detained for immigration-related reasons in\nthe 12 focus countries of its \u201cBeyond detention\u201d project, 14 per cent fewer than at the end of 2014. [60] In\nDecember 2014, the United Nations General Assembly requested that a global study on children deprived\nof liberty be carried out. When completed, that study should provide a more extensive evidence base\nincluding both statistics and good practices, along with recommendations for action. [61]\n\n60. In the interim, rights-based, child-friendly reception and care arrangements for children on the\nmove remain an urgent priority. [62] The global campaign to end immigration detention of children,\nlaunched in 2012, urged States to adopt alternatives that are in the best interests of the child, and allow the\nchild to remain with family members or guardians in non-custodial, community-based settings while their\nimmigration status is being resolved. A number of States have begun to do this. For example, in\nIndonesia there are five shelters (with two more being opened in coming months) that are available for\nUASC who are refugees or who have applied for asylum. The Government collaborates with UNHCR\nand its partners, Church World Service and IOM, to ensure that children have access to basic necessities,\nhealth and psychosocial care, language and computer classes, and recreational activities. Also notable are\nthe reforms that some States have taken to adopt legislation ending the detention of children on\nimmigration grounds or their pledges to do so. [63]\n\n61. Participants in this thematic session are invited to consider the following questions:\n\n\n - What good practices can participants share with respect to alternative reception and care\narrangements to ensure that children, including children at risk such as UASC and trafficked\nchildren, are not detained and to respect their rights?\n\n\n57 UNHCR, _[Beyond Detention. A Global Strategy to support governments to end the detention of asylum-](http://www.refworld.org/docid/536b564d4.html)_\n_[seekers and refugees 2014 \u2013 2019](http://www.refworld.org/docid/536b564d4.html)_, 2014, p. 5. On the effects of immigration detention on children see also: _[Report](http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?m=103)_\n_[of the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, Juan E.](http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?m=103)_\n_[M\u00e9ndez](http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?m=103)_, A/HRC/28/68, 5 March 2015, paras. 16 and 59 \u2013 62.\n58 Inter-American Court of Human Rights, _[Advisory Opinion OC-21/14 of August 19, 2014 on Rights and](http://www.refworld.org/docid/54129c854.html)_\n_[Guarantees of Children in the Context of Migration](http://www.refworld.org/docid/54129c854.html)_, para. 154.\n59 UN Committee on the Rights of the Child _[, Report of the 2012 Day of General Discussion: The Rights of All](http://www.refworld.org/docid/51efb6fa4.html)_\n_[Children in the Context of International Migration](http://www.refworld.org/docid/51efb6fa4.html)_, November 2012, para. 79.\n60 UNHCR, _[Progress Report mid-2016. Beyond Detention. A Global Strategy to support governments to end](http://www.refworld.org/docid/57b850dba.html)_\n_[the detention of asylum-seekers and refugees \u2013 2014 \u2013 2019](http://www.refworld.org/docid/57b850dba.html)_, August 2016, p. 31.\n61 United Nations General Assembly, _[Rights of the Child](http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/C.3/69/L.24/Rev.1)_, A/C.3/69/L.24/Rev.1, 17 November 2014, para.\n51 (d).\n62 United Nations General Assembly, _[Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children. Resolution adopted by](http://www.refworld.org/docid/4c3acd162.html)_\n_[the General Assembly](http://www.refworld.org/docid/4c3acd162.html)_, A/RES/64/142, 24 February 2010.\n63 See: International Detention Coalition, _[There are Alternatives: A handbook for preventing unnecessary](http://www.refworld.org/docid/57d022a24.html)_\n_[immigration detention](http://www.refworld.org/docid/57d022a24.html)_, 13 May 2011.\n\n\n17\n\n\n", + "datasets": [], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 16 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": " - What good practices can participants share to ensure that families with children are not\ndetained, thereby respecting the right to family unity?\n\n - Which child protection measures can be taken to reduce the chance of children (and families)\nabandoning asylum and migration procedures, while still respecting their right to liberty?\n\n\n**Thematic session 3: Securing solutions for children on the move**\n\n62. The proportion of refugees who have been able to find a durable solution in recent years is\nalarmingly low. In 2015, voluntary repatriation and resettlement together provided solutions for just 2 per\ncent of all refugees (adults and children combined) registered with UNHCR at the start of that year. [64] The\nextent to which children find solutions through local integration is harder to measure. No comprehensive\nfigures exist for grants of asylum to children (unaccompanied or in families) by countries operating\nindividual refugee status determination procedures, and while definitions of local integration vary, most\nagree that it is a gradual process that culminates when a refugee acquires the nationality of the host\nsociety. [65]\n\n63. While the absence of durable solutions affects all children, [66] it has an especially concerning\nimpact on those who are already at risk for other reasons. The absence of solutions leads many children \u2013\nalone and in families \u2013 to face enormous dangers in an effort to move onward from their first countries of\nasylum to a country that offers the prospect of a more secure future. The New York Declaration\ndocuments important State commitments to increasing access to solutions from the outset of a refugee\nsituation, including through expanded legal pathways, resettlement programmes and humanitarian\nadmission programmes. [67] The New York Declaration also commits States to improving protection and\nassistance programmes for refugees in countries of first asylum through community-based development\nprogrammes that benefit both refugees and host communities and to developing national strategies for the\nprotection of refugees within the framework of national social protection systems. It also encourages host\ngovernments to consider opening their labour markets to refugees. [68]\n\n64. In line with this, significant efforts have been made in recent years to develop new approaches. [69]\nIt is important to articulate more fully what this means for children who constitute more than half of the\nworld\u2019s refugees. The 2016 Global Refugee Youth Consultations provided a platform for dialogue with\nyoung people about solutions, recognizing that today\u2019s children and youth will play an important role in\ndecision-making in their communities in the future. In these consultations, youth stressed the vital\nimportance of education to their future prospects. Whether refugee children return home, resettle or\nremain in the country of first asylum, education in particular is key to their protection and to equipping\nthem to live productive lives.\n\n\n64 UNHCR, _[Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2015](http://www.unhcr.org/statistics/unhcrstats/576408cd7/unhcr-global-trends-2015.html)_ .\n65 In one notable example, the United Republic of Tanzania granted citizenship to Burundian refugees who had\nbeen in the country since 1972, as well as their children who had been born in the country. By May 2016, some\n162,000 former refugees had been naturalized.\n66 Three quarters of all refugees under UNHCR\u2019s mandate live in protracted situations. More than half of all\nrefugee children under UNHCR\u2019s mandate in 2016 come from just three countries: Afghanistan, Somalia and the\nSyrian Arab Republic.\n67 [New York Declaration, paras. 75-79.](http://www.refworld.org/docid/57ceb74a4.html)\n68 [New York Declaration, paras. 80, 83-84.](http://www.refworld.org/docid/57ceb74a4.html)\n69 See: UNHCR, _[Solution strategies](http://www.unhcr.org/5596446f9.pdf)_, EC/66/SC/CRP.15, 8 June 2015; UNHCR, _[New approaches to solutions](http://www.unhcr.org/excom/standcom/575a74597/solutions-575a74597.html#_ga=1.10718263.207510732.1474025027)_,\nEC/67/SC/CRP.14, 7 June 2016.\n\n\n18\n\n\n", + "datasets": [], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 17 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": "65. The international community has set the goal of ensuring \u201cinclusive and quality education for\nall\u2026\u201d by 2030. [70] Yet in 2015, nearly two-thirds of the refugee children of primary and secondary school\nage under UNHCR\u2019s mandate were not in school. [71] Many good practices in ensuring \u201cinclusive and\nquality education\u201d can nonetheless be highlighted, beginning with the growing number of countries that\ngive refugee children access to their national education systems, and the multiplication of scholarship\nopportunities for refugee students. [72] More flexible learning environments such as accelerated\nprogrammes for children and youth who have had their education interrupted or who have missed out on\nschool altogether and the development of connected or e-learning opportunities are other positive\ndevelopments. [73]\n\n66. With respect to access to education for children on the move, participants in this thematic session\nare invited to consider the following questions, and to provide examples of good and innovative practices:\n\n\n - How can refugee education be systematically included in national development plans and in\neducation sector planning, and refugees included in national education systems?\n\n - How can the educational needs of children who have missed many years of schooling be met\nby national education systems? What good practice initiatives exist for adolescents who\narrive in countries of asylum after the age of compulsory schooling?\n\n - What good practices exist to address the reasons for low primary and secondary school\nenrolment among refugee children (limited capacity of local schools; cost; distance;\ndiscrimination; safety concerns; language; and other social, cultural and economic factors,\nincluding the need for children to work to contribute to their family\u2019s survival)?\n\n - What are the opportunities for increasing access to tertiary education as well as to non-formal\neducation, skills-building and job training for older adolescents?\n\n - Can improved educational and vocational training opportunities in countries of first asylum\nhelp to reduce onward movements?\n\n - What strategies can be used to help States meet their commitments with regard to refugee\neducation under the New York Declaration?\n\n\n67. While education enables refugee children to be productive members of the communities in which\nthey live, expanding access to timely and durable solutions depends on broader and sustained\ninternational cooperation. [74] This includes support for voluntary repatriation through rehabilitation,\nreconstruction and development in countries of origin, as well as efforts to foster reconciliation and\n\n\n70 [Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 reads in full: \u201cEnsure quality education for all and promote lifelong](http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/)\n[learning\u201d. States also made important commitments with regard to refugee education in the New York Declaration,](http://www.refworld.org/docid/57ceb74a4.html)\nparas. 81-82.\n71 UNHCR, _[Missing Out: Refugee Education in Crisis](http://www.unhcr.org/missing-out-state-of-education-for-the-worlds-refugees.html)_, September 2016, p. 4.\n72 [UNHCR\u2019s scholarship programme, known as DAFI, plays an integral role in enabling refugees worldwide to](http://www.unhcr.org/dafi-scholarships.html)\naccess higher education. Since its inception in 1992, the DAFI programme has grown considerably, enabling over\n2,240 refugee students annually to study at universities and colleges in 41 countries of asylum in 2014. Over the\nnext four years, [Germany will offer 1,700 scholarships for Syrian students \u2013 1,000 of these will be in Turkey,](http://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2016/4/5702722a6/german-funded-scholarships-give-young-refugees-hope-education.html)\nmaking it the country with the most DAFI scholars.\n73 UNHCR, _[Missing Out: Refugee Education in Crisis](http://www.unhcr.org/missing-out-state-of-education-for-the-worlds-refugees.html)_, September 2016, p. 18. Sixty-four out of 81 refugee\nhosting countries analysed by UNHCR do not place formal restrictions on refugees accessing national systems.\n74 UNHCR, [ExCom Conclusion No. 112 (LXVII) 2016 on \u201cInternational cooperation from a protection and](http://www.refworld.org/docid/57f7b5f74.html)\nsolutions perspective\u201d.\n\n\n19\n\n\n", + "datasets": [], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 18 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": "dialogue, including with the participation of adolescents and youth. Repatriation programmes will be\nmost effective when they are tailored to take account of children\u2019s needs and to prepare them for the\nprofound impact that repatriation, especially to fragile regions and societies, may have on them.\n\n68. UNHCR has also encouraged governments to increase resettlement opportunities, including for\nchildren at risk. [75] In order for resettlement to be a durable option for children and families, they should be\nprovided with access to a long-term, ideally permanent, residence status ultimately leading to\nnaturalization. For UASC who are resettled, foster placements with families from the children\u2019s\ncommunities of origin should be prioritized whenever possible. Complementary pathways to protection\nsuch as private sponsorships, expanded family reunification, scholarships schemes and/or admissions\ndirectly from the country of origin can benefit children. [76]\n\n69. In particular where UASC and other children at risk are concerned, the search for sustainable\nsolutions needs to be informed by a consideration of what will be in the best interests of the child. The\nresponsibility to implement the best interests principle is first and foremost that of States, stemming from\ntheir international legal obligations. [77] Where a State process is not available, UNHCR, in the exercise of\nits protection mandate, will take steps to ensure consideration of the best interests of children. The\ngreater the impact of a decision on a child, the stronger the procedural safeguards attached to this process\nneed to be. [78]\n\n70. UNHCR and partners have worked to institutionalize best interests procedures and to extend them\nto larger numbers of children at risk, whether in the form of formal best interests determinations (BID) or\nless formal best interest assessments (BIA). While significant progress has been made in\ninstitutionalizing best interests procedures within UNHCR operations, BIDs continue to be used by\nUNHCR and partners primarily to determine which durable solution is in the best interests of an\nunaccompanied or separated child, in particular for resettlement. [79] Significant work has also been done\nto support States to incorporate best interests procedures within their asylum and border processes. [80]\n\n\n75 On 21 April 2016, for instance, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland announced the\nestablishment of programme to resettle children at risk from the Middle East and North Africa, including UASC as\nwell as others at risk, such as child carers, those at risk of child labour, child marriage or other forms of neglect,\nabuse or exploitation. Statement by James Brokenshire, Minister of State for Immigration, [House of Commons](https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2016-04-21/HCWS687/)\n[Written Statement 687, 21 April 2016.](https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2016-04-21/HCWS687/)\n76 The [Central American Minors Programme in the United States of America is one such example. The](https://www.uscis.gov/CAM)\nprogramme was established in 2014 and expanded in 2016 and seeks to provide qualified children in El Salvador,\nGuatemala and Honduras a safe, legal and orderly alternative to the dangerous overland journey.\n77 [ExCom Conclusion No. 107 (LVIII) (2007) recommends that States \u201c\u2026utilize appropriate procedures for the](http://www.refworld.org/docid/471897232.html)\ndetermination of the child\u2019s best interests which facilitate adequate child participation without discrimination; where\nthe views of the child are given due weight in accordance with age and maturity; where decision makers with\nrelevant expertise are involved; and where there is a balancing of all relevant factors in order to assess the best\noption.\u201d\n78 UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, _[General Comment No. 14 on the right of the child to have his or](http://www.refworld.org/docid/51a84b5e4.html)_\n_[her best interests taken as a primary consideration (art. 3, para 1)](http://www.refworld.org/docid/51a84b5e4.html)_, CRC/C/GC/14, 2013, para. 20.\n79 A formal BID may also be required in other situations, such as unresolved custody cases or where a child\nneeds to be removed from parental custody owing to abuse or neglect. See: _[UNHCR Guidelines on Determining the](http://www.refworld.org/docid/48480c342.html)_\n_[Best Interests of the Child](http://www.refworld.org/docid/48480c342.html)_, May 2008, pp. 22, 30 \u2013 31 and UNHCR, _[Field Handbook for the Implementation of](http://www.refworld.org/docid/4e4a57d02.html)_\n_[UNHCR BID Guidelines](http://www.refworld.org/docid/4e4a57d02.html)_, November 2011, pp. 8, 54 \u2013 55.\n80 UNHCR and UNICEF, _[Safe & Sound](http://www.refworld.org/docid/5423da264.html)_, 2014; Separated Children in Europe Programme, _[Statement of Good](http://www.refworld.org/docid/415450694.html)_\n_[Practice](http://www.refworld.org/docid/415450694.html)_, 4 [th] Revised Edition, March 2010.\n\n\n20\n\n\n", + "datasets": [], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 19 + ] + } + }, + { + "input_text": "71. Consideration of solutions also needs to take the principle of family unity into account. Adopting\na flexible, culturally-sensitive definition of what constitutes a family is usually in the best interests of the\nchild. In principle, tracing of family members should begin as soon as such a child is identified as\nunaccompanied or separated, as long as such measures do not carry a risk of harm for the child or his or\nher family. Providing information and counselling to the child can help to build trust and to prepare him\nor her for the possible outcomes of tracing and next steps that may lead to family reunification. [81] UASC\nwho are resettled and those granted asylum should be able to be joined by family members if they are\nsubsequently located.\n\n72. Participants in this thematic session are invited to consider what additional steps can be taken to\nfind solutions for children, especially for children at risk, and to provide examples of good practice. The\nfollowing questions are proposed for discussion:\n\n - What is the relationship between BIDs and solutions? In identifying a durable solution, what\nweight is to be given to the views of the child?\n\n - What is the relationship between family tracing, family assessment and solutions? What\ngood practice exists regarding family assessments?\n\n - What can be done to improve family reunification processes in order to bring families\ntogether as quickly as possible?\n\n - What are the main impediments to the local integration of children, particularly of those born\nand raised in countries of first asylum, and how can they be addressed?\n\n - How can more resettlement of children at risk be achieved? What new pathways for\nadmission of children at risk to third countries can be identified?\n\n - What needs to be in place in countries of destination, before children at risk are resettled?\n\n - What are the main impediments to voluntary repatriation of children, both UASC and in\nfamilies? How can these be addressed?\n\n\n81 UNHCR and UNICEF, _[Safe & Sound](http://www.refworld.org/docid/5423da264.html)_, 2014, p. 32.\n\n\n21\n\n\n", + "datasets": [], + "document": { + "source": "https://reliefweb.int/attachments/73f318bd-9f7e-35e6-b9aa-fd1b1ffc2e47/583d8e597.pdf", + "pages": [ + 20 + ] + } + } +] \ No newline at end of file