Round table on the protection of unaccompanied and separated asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant children in Serbia

Belgrade, 12 March 2019.

Belgrade, 12 March 2019.

Among 4,500 refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants in Serbia, some 500 are unaccompanied and separated children. In the first two months of 2019, UNHCR and partners identified 276 new unaccompanied and separated children. Wishing to focus on this specific group, the UN Refugee Agency, UNICEF and the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs of the Republic of Serbia organised a round table “Protection of Unaccompanied and Separated Asylum-Seeking, Refugee and Migrant Children in Serbia -A Call for Action” on 12 March.

National professionals dealing with this important issue were joined by international experts from the European Asylum Support Office, UNICEF and UNHCR to discuss international standards and best practices in accommodation, appropriate care and other issues relevant to the protection of unaccompanied and separated children. Commending the efforts of  Serbia in protecting hundreds of unaccompanied refugee, migrant and asylum-seeking children, participants agreed to develop a multi-sectoral protocol and consider a concrete plan of actions to continue improving the response to the specific needs of unaccompanied children.