Publication date: 14 November 2025
This ad hoc query maps the legislation and current practices in EMN Member and Observer Countries regarding the issuance of authorisations to stay for study purposes granted to minors. This mapping includes eligibility criteria, procedural requirements, and information on who assumes responsibility for the minor during their stay in the receiving country.
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Main theme: Study § Training
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: residence permit, authorisation to stay, minor, education
Publication date: 15 October 2025
This ad hoc query maps the specific provisions concerning separated migrant children in the legislation of the Member States, including the possibility for the accompanying adult to be recognised as responsible for, or as the representative of, the accompanied separated child. It also covers the arrangements in place to preserve the relationship between the separated child and the accompanying adult, as well as the monitoring of separated children.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: separated child, migrant child, care, representation, family member
Publication date: 20 June 2023
The Belgian authorities are looking to improve/review the special residence procedure for unaccompanied foreign minors, known as the Best Interest Procedure. In this context, Belgium launched three ad hoc queries to seek information from other Member States on (i) similar residence procedures specifically for UAMs, (ii) procedures followed in case return to the country of origin is considered and (iii) steps taken to implement return decisions.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups, International Protection
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: residence procedure, unaccompanied minors
Publication date: 24 September 2020
24 Member States provided information on national laws and practices regarding the detention of families with children in migration procedures, the possibility to detain one of the parents and detention in the context of the age assessment process.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups, Return & Readmission
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: detention, families
Publication date: 04 June 2015
This Report presents the main findings of the 2014 EMN Study "Policies, practices and data on unaccompanied minors (UAMs)". The study aims to update the findings of the 2008-2009 EMN study on UAMs.
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Main theme: Reception, International Protection, Vulnerable groups, Data & Statistics
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: unaccompanied minors
Publication date: 18 February 2015
18 (Member) States provided detailed national information and available statistical data on the detention and removal of unaccompanied and accompanied minors. This query was launched by the Belgian EMN national contact point.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups, Return & Readmission
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: detention, minor, removal, unaccompanied minors
Publication date: 31 January 2015
This is the Belgian Contribution to the EMN focused study on policies, practices and data on unaccompanied minors. Other EMN National Contact Points (NCP’s) produced a similar report on the topic for their (Member) State.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups, Data & Statistics
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: unaccompanied minors, guardianship, age assessment
Publication date: 25 July 2012
16 Member States have responded to an ad hoc query on unaccompanied minors, providing an overview of statistical data and procedures regarding unaccompanied minors.
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Publication date: 21 April 2011
Study on unaccompanied minors, carried out by the Risk Analysis Unit of FRONTEX. Amongst others, EMN and the Belgian organisation "Payoke" contributed to this study
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Publication date:
On 4 November 2025, two EMN Belgium colleagues met with the General Delegates for Children’s Rights, Caroline Vrijens (Flanders) and Souleymane Laqdim (French Community), accompanied by two of Ms Vrijens’ team members. The meeting was highly cordial and provided an opportunity for open discussion and in-depth dialogue on shared concerns and potential avenues for cooperation. Key topics included the challenges faced by migrant children in Belgium.
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Publication date:
Fedasil has announced a further reduction in the number of reception places for unaccompanied foreign minors (MENA), with 279 places set to be withdrawn from the network by 1 September 2025. The measure, approved in April, comes in response to the continuing decline in arrivals observed since 2023. Most of the places concerned will be converted into generic reception places.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: reception place, unaccompanied foreign minor
Publication date:
Eurostat released data on unaccompanied minors granted temporary protection in 21 EU Member States and all EFTA countries between March 2022 and September 2024. Austria, the Netherlands and Lithuania have granted the most temporary protection statuses, in absolute terms, to unaccompanied minors since March 2022. Belgium has granted temporary protection status to 1600 unaccompanied minors during the same period.
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Main theme: Data & Statistics, Temporary protection
Keywords: temporary protection, beneficiary of temporary protection, unaccompanied minors, Ukraine
Publication date:
This meeting will bring together the Ombudspersons for children as well as children welfare and guardianship authorities of EU Member States and other countries to have an open discussion on the specific aspects of the rights of third-country national unaccompanied minors.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups
Keywords: migration of children, unaccompanied minors, guardianship
Publication date:
The organisation reports a huge increase in the number of vulnerable young asylum seekers who disappear in Belgium. The number of disappearances could double this year, compared to 2022 which had 136 cases.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups
Keywords: unaccompanied minors, disappearance
Publication date:
Today, the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor, the Minister of the Interior Annelies Verlinden, Fedasil, Child Focus, the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons, and the Guardianship Service presented together a guide aimed at preventing and resolving the disappearance of unaccompanied foreign minors.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups
Keywords: unaccompanied minors, disappearance
Publication date:
The European Migration Network (EMN) Glossary is an essential resource, which offers an EU-wide multidisciplinary vocabulary of approximately 500 terms and concepts related to asylum and migration. Let's focus today on the term "unaccompanied minor" to make sure we have a common understanding and use of the term!
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups
Keywords: unaccompanied minors
Publication date:
Fedasil increases the reception capacity for unaccompanied minors. Mid-April 2023, a new center will be set up in the former hotel ‘Lambermont 322’, located along Boulevard Lambermont in Schaerbeek.
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Main theme: Reception
Keywords: unaccompanied minors, reception centre
Publication date:
You are from Liège and you want to give your time to unaccompanied foreign minors? Caritas is looking for volunteers who want to meet them and exchange, either by doing activities or by supporting them at school.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups
Keywords: unaccompanied minors, volunteer
Publication date:
As from 26 March 2015, unaccompanied foreign minors can also qualify for the special protection status when other protection, admission or residence procedures are ongoing.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups
Keywords: guardianship, protection, unaccompanied minors
Publication date:
In the light of a recent judgment of the Court of Justice of the EU, the Commission is proposing to clarify which Member State is responsible for examining applications made by unaccompanied minors.
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Main theme: International Protection, Vulnerable groups
Keywords: Dublin Regulation, unaccompanied minors
Publication date:
The UVCW and El Paso invite actors working with unaccompanied foreign minors in various structures (public centres for social welfare, reception centres etc.) to participate in a multidisciplinary training aimed at providing them with adequate knowledge and skills to assist and enpower this group.
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Main theme: Vulnerable groups
Keywords: unaccompanied minors
Publication date:
The Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) together with Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), invite you to join a discussion on how the European Union can ensure the rights of undocumented migrant children and their families.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration, Vulnerable groups
Keywords: unaccompanied minors, undocumented migrants
Publication date:
On 23 October, Maggie De Block answered many questions inter alia related to the European platform for the repatriation of unaccompanied minors (ERPUM).