On the 23rd of May, the European project “FA.B! – Family based care for children in migration” arrives in Brussels to talk about family foster care for minors who have arrived alone in five European countries: Italy, Malta, Cyprus, Spain, and Greece. The event will be an opportunity to share project results and outcomes, alongside with a panel discussion on future prospects for the benefit of young foreign minors.
The final conference of the FA.B! project will be held at the headquarters of the Umbria Regions’ Representation. The event will be a unique moment of sharing of results and outputs of the project with the European partners and with testimonies of young migrants’ foster care. The event will give an insight into the work done in the different national contexts and promotes discussion on future challenges.
According to international data, in 2021, 24,147 children accessed the EU through Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, and Spain. Of these, 17,185 (71%) were unaccompanied or separated children (UASC). Child arrivals increased by 44% in 2021 compared to 2020 (16,700) (IOM-UNHCR-UNICEF). The majority are boys, and almost 70% are between 16 and 17 years old. With regards to nationalities, Egypt, Bangladesh, and Albania are the top three in the statistics.
On 23rd February 2022, the Council of Europe adopted the Strategy for the Rights of the Child for the period 2022- 2027, in which migrant children are repeatedly mentioned as having the same rights as their European peers. The European Commission recalls that “every child in Europe and in the world should enjoy the same rights and be able to live without discrimination, recrimination or intimidation of any kind. It is a social, moral and human imperative”. Many young migrants who arrived alone end up in reception centers and when they reach the age of majority find themselves without a mentor or a structured path to follow.
Within this framework, FA.B! Together aimed at supporting the improvement and expansion of the alternative family reception system for unaccompanied migrant minors. Over the course of three years of the project, starting from the good practices of the territories and with the involvement of the main public institutions and private organizations with proven experience, the partnership has experimented with innovative approaches and tools and sensitized the community on this issue. Family-based care systems are recognized – and many studies confirmed it -, as the best way to facilitate integration and promote the well-being of young migrants arriving alone.
Despite this, only a few of them are able to experience foster care and family-based care. FA.B! has worked at various levels to support at European level this form of reception alternative. The event will be a step forward towards a common European approach.
To register for the event and participate – in the presence or online – fill in the form available HERE by 17 May 2023.
The translation of the meeting will be available in Italian and English.
📢 Download the program HERE.
