Recent cases of unaccompanied children in legal limbo, have shed light on the systemic lack of a protection regime that ensures unhindered access to all children's rights such as housing, education, health, and equal treatment. The risk of unaccompanied children being deprived of their rights increases immediately after they reach adulthood, when the possibility of deportation from the country looms.
Considering that this problem makes unaccompanied children vulnerable to violence and exploitation, IRC among other 43 civil society organisations call on the Greek State to establish a special residence permit until the completion of the 21st year of age – along with the right to international protection – for unaccompanied children, including those who reach adulthood. The granting of a special residence permit is necessary to ensure a minimum protection framework for the rights of unaccompanied children, in line both with recent announcements by many institutional actors and the policies set out in the National Strategy for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors.

Available documents & links