An IOM-organized conference in the Belgian capital, Brussels, aimed
at raising awareness on the rights of unaccompanied minors (UAMs)
travelling to Europe is taking place on 25 October.

The conference, to be attended by 200 representatives from EU
Member States, diplomatic missions to the EU, EU institutions,
governmental bodies, civil society and migrant associations, will
look at how to tackle growing concern over UAMs.

In 2009, nearly 11,000 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum
in 22 EU Member States, an increase of 13 per cent from 2008. Under
the age of 18 and unaccompanied by an adult when on EU territory,
UAMs arrive from across the world using either regular or irregular
means.

Separated from family and communities of origin and without a
social support network, UAMs are highly vulnerable to exploitation
and abuse and are in special need of attention and care.

The disappearance of many UAMs from care centres where they are
hosted, placing them at great risk, is a major issue that will be
looked at during the conference through discussion of national
report findings on UAM rights and disappearances.

The conference will also serve as a platform to present
information on the latest policy and programme developments on
assistance to unaccompanied minors in the EU. This includes an EU
Council conclusion on UAMs adopted in June 2010, a European
Commission Action Plan on UAMs and an IOM programme focused on
raising awareness of UAMs rights in Europe.

The IOM programme, co-funded by the European Commission and the
Austrian, Belgian, Bulgarian, Czech, Polish and Romanian
governments, provides targeted information to UAMs residing in EU
reception centres. It also provides all those dealing with UAMs
with concrete tools such as a manual on best practices for the
reception, protection and treatment of UAMs.

"Unaccompanied minors don't know what rights they have as
children and as migrants. They also don't know the risks they take
when they leave the care centres, of what their reality could be.
Even though centres may not be the ideal solution, they offer them
the best protection," says Pascal Reyntjens, Head of Unit and UAM
specialist in the IOM Brussels Office.

Extracts of a documentary film, "My Name Is", produced by IOM to
show to UAMs in care centres, will also be shown during the
conference.

Similar events to the Brussels conference will be organized
throughout EU Member States during November.

For additional information, please contact:

Agnès Tillinac

Tel: +32-2-287-74-26

E-mail: "mailto:atillinac@iom.int">atillinac@iom.int

or

Pascal Reyntjens

IOM Brussels

Tel. +32-2-287-74-10

E-mail: "mailto:preyntjens@iom.int">preyntjens@iom.int