The second Includ-EU national dialogue organized online by IOM Slovenia in collaboration with the Government Office for Support and Integration of Migrants on 8 March 2023 addressed care arrangements for unaccompanied and separated children. Good practices developed in Greece and Cyprus have been presented at the dialogue.

Unaccompanied and separated children are among most vulnerable migrants. In 2021, unaccompanied and separated children represented 41.6% of asylum-seeking children and 14.75% of all asylum claims lodged in Slovenia. The Slovenian Government has been developing a multi-tier system of accommodation and care for unaccompanied and separated children from 2016, when the accommodation for unaccompanied and separated children in a student dormitory has been established as a pilot project and continued as a project in following years.

Following introductory remarks by Tina Kotar, Head of the Reception and Support Division from the Government Office for Support and Integration of Migrants who outlined the current state of play of care arrangements for unaccompanied and separated children in Slovenia, Daniel Redondo, Senior Migrant Protection Specialist, Regional Office for the European Economic Area, the European Union and NATO presented the regional perspective of care arrangements for unaccompanied and separated children. The introductory part was followed by presentations of unaccompanied and separated children’ initiatives in Greece – by Kelly Namia, Project Coordinator, IOM Greece; and in Cyprus by Natasa Xenophontos Koudouna, Head of Office, IOM Cyprus. Both presentations focused on various residential options for unaccompanied and separated children, including semi-independent living units, the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration and coordination to ensure implementation of the principle of child’s best interests, and on operational challenges faced by the Country Offices.

The discussion focused on practical aspects of organization of daily lives of unaccompanied and separated children in care arrangements, transition to adulthood, implementation of safeguards, schooling possibilities, and collaboration with the local community to ensure early integration of unaccompanied and separated children. The participants welcomed open discussion and valuable insight into practical challenges in implementation of versatile care arrangements for unaccompanied and separated children, and recognized the applicability of good practices in development of the multi-tier care system for unaccompanied and separated children in Slovenia.

The national dialogue was organized in the framework of the Includ-EU project, implemented by IOM and funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund of the European Union (DG HOME).