CHILDREN
Spain: 4,500 young people have applied for residence permits under recent reform
Since the October 2021 reform of the national immigration law, more than 4.500 young people have applied for residence and work permits in Spain. Spain’s reform aims to both prevent unaccompanied children becoming undocumented when they turn 18, and provide a pathway to regular stay for those who already have. The government estimates that approximately 15,000 children and young people will benefit from the reform.
Spain ordered to bring back unaccompanied children deported to Morocco
A judge in Ceuta, Spain, has ordered the Spanish government to bring back to Spain 20 unaccompanied children who were deported in the summer of 2021 to Morocco. The judge recognised that the authorities had violated the children’s rights to physical integrity and the prohibition to subject them to inhumane treatment as recognised in the Spanish Constitution, since "there is no evidence that anyone is going to take care of them once they are repatriated to their country of origin". The government has 15 days to appeal the decision.
Belgian ombudsman calls for residence permits for parents of refugee children
The Belgian federal ombudsman has called for a specific residence permit for the parents of refugee children to ensure they remain documented, together and well taken care of. Since April 2019, the Belgian Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRA/CGVS) no longer automatically issues a residence permit to the parents of children who are recognised as refugees because of child-specific forms of persecution (including under-age recruitment, child trafficking and female genital mutilation) that don’t apply to parents. According to the CGRA/CGVS, because the parents do not fear persecution as understood by the Refugee Convention, they should apply for regularization on humanitarian grounds. This process presents various obstacles, including the need for identity documents, proof of filiation and the payment of a 366€ fee. During the application process, the parents remain undocumented, cannot work, have no income and have limited access to services.
CHILDREN
Spain: 4,500 young people have applied for residence permits under recent reform
Since the October 2021 reform of the national immigration law, more than 4.500 young people have applied for residence and work permits in Spain. Spain’s reform aims to both prevent unaccompanied children becoming undocumented when they turn 18, and provide a pathway to regular stay for those who already have. The government estimates that approximately 15,000 children and young people will benefit from the reform.
Spain ordered to bring back unaccompanied children deported to Morocco
A judge in Ceuta, Spain, has ordered the Spanish government to bring back to Spain 20 unaccompanied children who were deported in the summer of 2021 to Morocco. The judge recognised that the authorities had violated the children’s rights to physical integrity and the prohibition to subject them to inhumane treatment as recognised in the Spanish Constitution, since "there is no evidence that anyone is going to take care of them once they are repatriated to their country of origin". The government has 15 days to appeal the decision.
Belgian ombudsman calls for residence permits for parents of refugee children
The Belgian federal ombudsman has called for a specific residence permit for the parents of refugee children to ensure they remain documented, together and well taken care of. Since April 2019, the Belgian Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRA/CGVS) no longer automatically issues a residence permit to the parents of children who are recognised as refugees because of child-specific forms of persecution (including under-age recruitment, child trafficking and female genital mutilation) that don’t apply to parents. According to the CGRA/CGVS, because the parents do not fear persecution as understood by the Refugee Convention, they should apply for regularization on humanitarian grounds. This process presents various obstacles, including the need for identity documents, proof of filiation and the payment of a 366€ fee. During the application process, the parents remain undocumented, cannot work, have no income and have limited access to services.