Here is a link to QCEA’s Sept 2018 report Child Immigration Detention in Europe: http://www.qcea.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/CID-report_2018.pdfExecutive summary:
This report explores aspects of child immigration detention in Europe. After briefly describing the legal framework and standards at international and European level, the report gives an overview of the situation in Europe by addressing three main questions:
• How many children are detained in the context of migration?
• What laws and policies regulate the practice?
• What are the existing alternatives to child immigration detention?
The report also discusses the impacts of detention, giving special
attention to the different impacts on girls and boys.
The report concludes by reasserting that detention is never in the best
interests of a child, having a detrimental impact on health and wellbeing.
While there is a growing international consensus on the need
for alternatives to detaining children, European countries appear to
continue doing so.
As some alternatives to child detention already exist, and others
are being developed, our report insists on the need to implement
alternative care arrangements that would ensure that children are
protected from a seemingly costly, ineffective and harmful approach.
Detention is not the solution and there are other ways to manage
migration in line with a child’s best interests.
The Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) is grateful to the
many governments and civil society organisations that responded to
our requests for information.
Sylvain Mossou
QCEA Human Rights Programme
September 2018