Supporting the integration of refugee and migrant children in host EU countries
UNICEF and Swiss Government launch a new project
This week, the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and the Swiss Government kicked off the project “Supporting integration of refugee and migrant children in host EU countries,” with a technical meeting between the six participating countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic. Through its country teams in these six target countries, UNICEF, with the support of the Swiss Government Rapid Response Fund, will build on its existing partnerships with national and sub-national authorities and stakeholders to strengthen mechanisms, system, services and infrastructure to better respond to the needs and rights of refugee and migrant children from Ukraine and other countries. With the technical support and oversight of UNICEF, the project will target the most vulnerable children to ensure they are integrated into EU host countries’ national child protection systems, have their needs timely assessed and met through effective case management and be granted access to high-quality support, care and protection services.
Children arriving in host countries are in need of protection, accommodation and care.
The war in Ukraine, which started in February 2022, triggered one of the fastest-growing humanitarian and child protection emergencies in recent history, placing unprecedented pressure on the child protection structures of host countries, many of which were already grappling to provide support to migrant and refugee children and families from other countries. . As a result of the war, many children from Ukraine have been arriving in the EU unaccompanied or separated from their families, sometimes finding themselves in different countries than their caregivers. Children without parental care or those travelling without an adult, and children with disabilities are at high risk of family separation, violence, abuse and exploitation. Women and girls traveling alone, pregnant women, adolescent girls and unaccompanied girls are particularly vulnerable to gender-based violence at every stage of their displacement. “Children travelling with adults who are not their parents may not be identified as being separated from their primary caregivers, and procedures need to be put in place to ensure that every child remains safe,” explains Senior Child Protection in Humanitarian Action Coordinator for UN Protection Specialist, Anna Knutzen. Many children aged 16-18 were permitted by the Ukrainian authorities to leave Ukraine on their own and may avoid contact with the child protection system in their first country of reception, fearing that they may become blocked from moving onwards.
"We are working closely with local authorities across these countries to address some of the critical challenges in the reception conditions and provision of services for unaccompanied and separated children, including Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, access to specialized support, hygiene, provision of community spaces, and support to ensure personal safety and security of these vulnerable children and their families."
Despite the untiring generosity of the hosting countries, a coordinated humanitarian response at regional, national and local levels is needed to adequately address the risks facing vulnerable migrant and refugee children. With the support of the Swiss Government Rapid Response Fund, UNICEF will leverage its partnerships with national and sub-national authorities and stakeholders to strengthen and expand the capacity of existing systems to respond to the needs and rights of refugee and migrant children from Ukraine and other countries. “We are working closely with local authorities across these countries to address some of the critical challenges in the reception conditions and provision of services for unaccompanied and separated children (UASCs), including Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, (MHPSS), access to specialized support, hygiene, provision of community spaces, and support to ensure personal safety and security of these vulnerable children and their families," she explained.
Supporting the strengthening of national child protection systems is the most sustainable way forward.
Below is a snapshot of some of the ways the project countries are working with UNICEF to strengthen national child protection systems:
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In Poland, the initiative will be based on a systems-strengthening approach and will expand the existing child protection and alternative care system to include Ukrainian children currently residing in Poland who are in need of care and protection.
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In Romania, the project design is grounded in a strong partnership with the National Authority for the Protection of Child's Rights and Adoption NAPCRA and the county child protection authorities, General Department for Social Assistance and Child Rights (DGASPC) General Directorates of Social Assistance and Child Protection DGASPCs. All procedures, methodologies, capacity building programmes, etc. are contributing to strengthening the national system at all levels and will translate into improved daily practices.
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In Slovakia, the project strengthens the systems and capacities of governmental stakeholders and creates an education hub focusing on migration and displacement in social work.
Bulgaria
Situation overview
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Over 1.1 million people have crossed from Ukraine into Bulgaria since 24 February 2022, with 589 unaccompanied children being registered.
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20,407 asylum seekers applied for international protection in 2022 (including 5,114 children), marking an 86% increase in arrivals compared to 2021.
Key areas of intervention
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Strengthen the migration management systems and structures, with a focus on asylum seeking children, including UASC; families whose applications are pending or have been rejected; refugee children; families who have been granted temporary / permanent protection status.
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Strengthen the national and local authorities’ capacity to provide appropriate support, care and protection to refugee and migrant children.
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Strengthen infrastructure including social services for accommodation of refugee, migrant and asylum-seeking children.
Targets
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Up to 6 facilities, including existing social services and reception centres, supported to provide quality accommodation and services to refugee, migrant and asylum-seeking children, including UASCs.
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200 frontline workers trained to increase their understanding of the rights and needs of UASC, accompanied refugee children and their caregivers.
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5,500 accompanied children, their caregivers and UASC supported directly with quality protection and integration measures and community-based services.
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6,000 refugees and migrants reached indirectly via capacity building activities of social workforce on child protection, children rights and gender-based violence, best interest assessment/determination analysis and operationalization of the national database for UASCs.
Croatia
Situation overview
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22,498 persons from Ukraine, including 7,471 children, have been identified in Croatia as of 2 April 2023.
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12,872 asylum seekers from countries other than Ukraine, including 436 UASC were registered in 2022.
Key areas of intervention
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Ensure that the most vulnerable children from Ukraine and their caregivers, including UASCs, have access to integrated and high-quality child protection and family support services that enable prevention, early identification, referral and provision of services in accordance with the child’s best interest.
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Develop a high-quality curriculum and professional capacities for the implementation of training for professionals in the social welfare system, including family outreach workers, on supporting the most vulnerable children and their caregivers in migrations, including those from Ukraine and UASC. Strengthen professional capacity in the social welfare system, including family outreach workers to support the most vulnerable children and their caregivers from Ukraine, including UASC.
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Develop a high-quality curriculum and professional capacities for identifying and supporting foster families providing services to UASC, including children from Ukraine as well as develop conditions for high-quality foster care and integration measures for UASC under temporary or other forms of international protection (asylum, subsidiary protection etc.)
Targets
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Directly reach: 7,600 of the most vulnerable children in migration, including 7,100 children from Ukraine who reside in Croatia, as well as 515 UASC; 200 of the most vulnerable parents and caregivers from Ukraine who reside in Croatia; 976 social service workforce professionals.
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Indirectly reach: 17,080 children at risk, including 7,650 children and caregivers in migrations in Croatia; 7,997 social service workforce professionals.
Hungary
Situation overview
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2.1 million persons have crossed the border from Ukraine into Hungary since 24 February.
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Hungary is typically a transit country, with those remaining primarily being Hungarian Roma from Zakarpattia region.
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34,238 Ukrainian refugees were registered for temporary protection or a similar national protection scheme as of February 2023.
Key areas of intervention
- Improve the accommodation infrastructure for refugees in the municipalities of Budapest and Debrecen.
- Provide support to local government in winterization of collective sites with inappropriate insulation and heating.
- Support improving conditions in designated accommodation sites for the most vulnerable groups of refugee children and women, including those with disability and of Roma ethnic minority.
- Provide financial means to designated accommodation sites to cover the heating costs during the winter season.
Targets
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Directly support 3,000 beneficiaries, including refugee children living on the territory of municipalities Budapest and Debrece.
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2,000 adults and children with Roma background will benefit from improved services at the community-based level.
Poland
Situation overview
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Over 1.5 million refugees have been registered for temporary protection and out of those registered, over 40% are children.
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According to UNHCR, nearly 2000 children evacuated from institutions in Ukraine are currently registered in Poland.
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Over 9 000 000 people have crossed from Ukraine into Poland since 24 February, approx. 90% are women and children.
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Over 30,000 temporary guardians have been appointed.
Key areas of intervention
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Provide family-type and family-based accommodation for children evacuated from institutions in Ukraine, by supporting the rental and redecoration of family type homes and apartments for current and potential foster families and supporting the daily operation of the homes, foster families and basic needs of children and caregivers.
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Ensure adequate care and protection for evacuated children and their caregivers, by recruiting and deploying additional Ukrainian caregivers and social workers who can provide support in the facilities hosting evacuated children, providing capacity building for Ukrainian and Polish social workers on the child protection and legal systems in Poland and strengthening the local government capacity to monitor and support facilities hosting evacuated children and their caregivers.
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Integrate UASC as well as children evacuated from institutions into the national child protection and alternative care system, by undertaking advocacy on the local and central government levels and establishing service referral pathway and Standard Operating Procedures for placing Ukrainian children in foster families.
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Prepare a return and reintegration plan together with the Ukrainian and Polish authorities, be means of advocacy on the local and central government levels and provision of the technical support to the development of the return and reintegration plan.
Targets
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Nearly 2,000 children and caregivers provided with family-type accommodation.
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2,000 children provided with individual case management.
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300 social workers and specialists recruited and capacitated.
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Make available a monitoring system, a referral pathway and standard operating procedures for relocation, and a plan for return and reintegration.
Romania
Situation overview
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Approximately 2.5 million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania, of which approximately 90,000 are staying in the country.
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Over 72 000 have obtained temporary protection, and approximately 38,000 children are currently residing in Romania.
Key areas of intervention
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Improve access to and quality of social inclusion programmes for UASC and Ukrainian children and adolescents evacuated from institutions and protected in the childcare system.
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Strengthen child protection systems to identify, document and assess refugee children and refer them to services.
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Strengthen child protection systems for early intervention and response in GBV and child protection matters for all children.
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Increase access to day care and community-based services for all children and adolescents in the community, also facilitating the inclusion of Ukrainian children, as well as children with disabilities.
Targets
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Provide social inclusion activities to at least 100 children.
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Build capacity of 1,000 social workers to use the pathways for early intervention and guiding beneficiaries.
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Support functioning in 10 counties of 119 child hotline and mobile intervention units.
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Increase capacity of 1,000 social workers on applying the best interest of the child principle.
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Identify and register at least 80% Ukrainian children (out of 40,000 residing in Romania).
Slovak Republic
Situation overview
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According to the Slovak Migration Office, 834,514 people entered the Slovak Republic from Ukraine between 24 February 2022 and 03 October 2022, and 97 831 temporary protection requests have been made.
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45 unaccompanied children are identified in the child protection system.
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1,400 separated children have been appointed a guardian.
Key areas of intervention
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Address immediate capacity and service provision needs: Gaps in the national asylum system, its current workforce and services to provide child and disability-sensitive case management and integration approaches for Ukrainian refugees and other third country nationals.
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Address overall and sustainable systems strengthening needs: Issues in asylum management, childcare, as well as refugee/migrant integration approaches that were further exacerbated by the Ukraine refugee response and caseload.
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Support systems strengthening overall.
Targets
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Support directly 1,500 Ukrainian children and families, including those with disabilities residing in asylum facilities and accommodation centres benefiting from improved case management and access to safe spaces.
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Support directly 1,500 Ukrainian children and families, including those with disabilities, living in communities, benefiting from integration focused community based services in at least one city in Slovakia.
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Build the capacity of 500 staff of the Migration Office, Social Service Workforce and allied professionals in asylum and accommodation centers and staff of municipalities and Integration Center leadership responsible for designing and implementation of integration programmes in communities.
