CHILDREN Greece: new draft law hinders access to residence permits for young migrants The Greek government released a first draft of the new Migration Code that would make it harder for migrant children and young adults to access a secure residence permit. The current text includes a new 10-year residence permit for young adults who had come to Greece as unaccompanied children, only if they completed three years of schooling in Greece before turning 21. Civil society is worried that this will exclude many (former) unaccompanied children as many do not have access to the Greek education system in practice. The proposal may also hinder access to a secure status for children born to undocumented parents. Netherlands: report denounces living conditions of undocumented children and families The Dutch Inspectorate for Education published a report denouncing the unsafe environment for children who have been refused asylum but cannot be deported for legal or practical reasons. These children and their parents are housed in semi-open centres, often for many years. The lack of privacy, frequent unforeseen moves and a constant fear of deportation significantly impact these children’s psychological wellbeing and ability to learn. Child rights organisations, municipalities, paediatricians and child psychologists are demanding urgent and systemic changes to the housing and migration policy. EU court rules child’s best interests must be protected in all stages of a return procedure The EU Court of Justice confirmed that a child’s best interests must be protected at every stage of a return decision, including in the proceedings before it is issued. The case concerned a Nigerian child born in Germany to a mixed status family who had been issued a deportation order. The ruling rejects Germany’s argument that the best interests of the child could be considered after the return decision is issued, when a court could decide to suspend its enforcement.