In front of walls and behind bars: How children at the borders of the European Union are illegally pushed back and imprisoned
More than 43 million children and adolescents are fleeing worldwide. Some are trying to find protection in Europe: 222,100 minors in 2022 put an initial application for asylum in the EU. Every fifth was unaccompanied.
The UN Convention on the Rights of Children applies to all of them. They have basic rights - which are ruthlessly violated in practice. Children on the flight are rejected violently at the EU external borders ("pushbacks") and have to experience how they are abused themselves or accompanying persons. They are separated from their families or taken into migration.
- Children's rights are systematically violated at the external borders of the EU.
- Children with violence are withheld the right to fair asylum procedures.
- States at the external borders of the EU arrest children on the run.
report
video
Terre des Hommes demands: A child rights-compliant asylum and migration policy!
Children and adolescents have the right to look for protection in the EU. They must never be stopped from that. Terre des Hommes calls for a comprehensive and independent human rights monitoring at the EU external borders.
Migration in children and adolescents always violates the convention of children's rights. They have to be accommodated in a child -friendly manner - this can never happen behind barbed wire, not even in border processes.
Inadequate procedures lead to children's rights violations. The careful and extensive content examination of each individual protective application in the EU is therefore needed with the supply of child protection specialists.
Terre des Hommes is committed to adequate legal protection for minors and other child law procedural guarantees in registration, asylum and return procedures.
The temporary suspension of guarantees within the framework of emergency stands paves the way to persistent legal violations. Child law guarantees must remain independent of geopolitical strategies.
Become active
Your campaign for children on the run
We are very happy if you come up with and implement your own campaign. You can find ideas and suggestions in our action guidelines.
The actions require a different level of organizational and preparation effort. The aim of all aims to make the results of the new terre of the Hommes report and information from our exhibition "Children's rights at the EU external borders" accessible to the public. We want to draw public attention to the injuries to children's rights at the external borders of Europe! We would be happy to answer any questions you may have and support you in planning your campaign: region-europa@tdh.de
Important: everyone should find out about it! That is why we look forward to reports and photos for our website. Send a small selection of your action photos and a few lines with the facts about the campaign to Tina Böcker-Eden, member communication: T.Boecker-Eden@ tdh.de
Materials
Inform
- Report »in front of walls and behind bars. How children and adolescents are illegally pushed back and imprisoned at the external borders of the EU « (PDF version), Art. No. 301.1421.00, can be ordered free of charge at logistik@tdh.de
- Handout with short information on the report "In front of walls and behind bars"
- Handout with short information on the situation on the Border Poland - Belarus
- Short film "In front of walls and behind bars" on YouTube
Be active
- Action guidelines
- Event handout , DIN A4, customizable to advertise for your events
- Event poster , DIN A3, customizable to advertise for your event
- Preliminary view of the banner exhibition "Children's rights at the EU external borders", Art. No.: 810.2799.00-Borrowing at logistik@tdh.de
- FAQ (questions and answers)
- Photo attachment for events
- Notes on organizing events with young refugees
Your contact person
Annika Schlingheider
Speaker flight and migration