IOM, the International Organization for Migration, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and UNICEF, the UN Children’s Fund today welcomed the relocation of 12 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children from Greece to Luxembourg.
The children, who had been living in overcrowded reception and identification centers for several months on the islands of Lesvos, Samos and Chios, arrived safely in Luxembourg this afternoon. Germany is in the process of relocating another group of unaccompanied children from Greece, who are due to arrive this weekend.
These are the first relocations under a European Union initiative for 1,600 unaccompanied children in which ten Member States have pledged to participate.
The three UN agencies greeted the arrival as an encouraging start in a larger effort to relocate vulnerable children from Greece in the coming weeks. The Agencies highlighted that the progress made by Greece, Luxembourg and Germany to relocate unaccompanied children is in line with the children’s best interests, considers their international protection needs and takes into account existing family ties.
The relocation efforts are humane, concrete demonstrations of European solidarity. The European Commission’s coordination role has also been crucial to help find Region-wide durable solutions for these particularly vulnerable children. The Agencies noted that there is a need to move beyond one-off relocation exercises and establish more predictable arrangements for relocation within the EU, for longer-term impact.
The relocation of one girl and 11 boys, two of them Syrian and ten Afghans aged 11 to 15, has been led by the Governments of Greece and Luxembourg, with the support of the European Commission, UNHCR and IOM.
IOM conducted standard health assessments and medical examinations. Each child was tested for COVID-19, with all test results returning negative.
IOM organized the flights and “predeparture orientation sessions” for each child. Children were provided with information on what to expect during their journey and on arrival in Luxembourg. IOM escorts accompanied the children on the flight from Greece and ensured a safe handover of the children to relevant authorities and partners in Luxembourg.
As of early April, there were more than 5,200 unaccompanied and separated children in Greece in urgent need of durable solutions, including expedited registration, family reunification and relocation. Among them, over 1,600 are exposed to severe risks, including exploitation and violence, and facing precarious conditions in over-crowded reception and identification centers on the Aegean islands. EU and Member State support is crucial to ensure their immediate protection in Greece, as well as their longer-term health and well-being including through relocation.
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