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A. Draft resolution
(open)
Report | Doc. 16192 | 04 June 2025
The challenges and needs of public and private actors involved in migration management
Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons
A. Draft resolution 
(open)1. The Parliamentary Assembly
is convinced that co-operation between public and private actors
is one of the crucial aspects for successfully managing migration
in Europe and for responding to one of the challenges faced by Council
of Europe member States, in particular regarding the first assistance,
the reception, and the inclusion of migrants, refugees, and asylum
seekers.
2. Such challenges emerge in particular at the borders of some
Council of Europe member States, as well as in congestion points,
which are places where people live in formal and informal contexts.
3. The Assembly recalls the importance of the international and
regional treaties as well as customary international humanitarian
law protecting migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, in particular:
the European Convention on Human Rights (ETS No. 5), the 1951 United
Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, the Geneva
Conventions, the United
Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child, the European Convention on the Exercise of Children’s
Rights (ETS
No. 160), the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection
of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (CETS
No. 201).
4. Celebrating the 20th anniversary
of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking
in Human Beings (CETS
No. 197), the Assembly draws the attention of member States
to the importance of this convention, and to the Council of Europe’s
expertise in combating trafficking in human beings, with migrant populations
being particularly targeted by this phenomenon.
5. The Assembly invites member States to make use of the Council
of Europe’s standards and expertise on migration issues, including:
the thematic
work on migration of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human
Rights; the standards developed by the European Committee for the Prevention
of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT)
on “Safeguards for irregular migrants deprived of their liberty”; General
Policy Recommendation N°16 on safeguarding irregularly present migrants from discrimination issued
by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI)
as well as its 2024 factsheet, “Integration and Inclusion of migrants”; and the Council
of Europe Programme on Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals
(HELP).
6. The Assembly recalls the Reykjavík
Declaration adopted during the 4th Summit
of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe held on
16 and 17 May 2023, during which the Heads of State and Government
reiterated “the necessity to fight against trafficking and smuggling
of migrants”, “while continuing to protect the victims and respect
the human rights of migrants and refugees”.
7. With regard to civil society, the Assembly refers to Recommendation CM/Rec(2018)11 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
to member States on the need to strengthen the protection and promotion of
civil society space in Europe. It also refers to Appendix III of
the Reykjavík Declaration, the “Reykjavík Principles
for Democracy”, which reaffirms that “civil society is a prerequisite
for a functioning democracy”.
8. On age assessment in the context of migration, the Assembly
refers to Resolution 2195 (2017) “Child-friendly age assessment for unaccompanied migrant
children”, promoting the development of a child-sensitive, comprehensive
model of age assessment that would enable member States to meet
the needs of unaccompanied or separated children. The Assembly also
refers to Recommendation
CM/Rec(2022)22 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on human
rights principles and guidelines on age assessment in the context
of migration, underlining the importance of the principle of presumption
of minority for persons undergoing age assessment, and the requirement
for member States to implement multidisciplinary and evidence-based
age assessment procedures.
9. The Assembly underlines the responsibility of its members,
in their capacity as both national lawmakers and members of the
Assembly, to act at European and domestic levels to promote the
Council of Europe instruments, standards and expertise, and to align
national legislation and practice with the recommendations made
hereafter, in particular regarding arrival, reception, and inclusion
of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
10. To ensure that the public and private actors involved in migration
management exercise their tasks with respect for the human rights
of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers at first arrival at borders
and in congestion points, the Assembly invites the Council of Europe
member States to:
10.1. ensure that
minimal standards be established for a dignified assistance, with
a particular attention to vulnerable people, especially women, children,
unaccompanied minors, and victims of trafficking, ensuring their
safety in transit and reception facilities, as well as separate
and safe spaces;
10.2. ensure adequate medical assistance, both at first arrival
and in the long term, including access to psychological and psychiatric
support;
10.3. establish clear procedures for the identification of persons
with specific needs, including a safe and child-sensitive age assessment
for unaccompanied minors, in line with Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)22
of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe;
10.4. ensure enough staff and adequate resources to the authorities
involved, and a sufficient staff rotation in order to avoid risks
of traumas and burnouts;
10.5. train civil servants on legal information and assistance
to be provided to migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers to overcome
legal and administrative obstacles, and on up-to-date country-of-origin information;
10.6. provide financial support to municipalities, and local
government bodies overall, affected by recurrent arrivals of migrants
on their territory;
10.7. ensure full and clear information to migrants, refugees,
and asylum seekers on current legislation on immigration and asylum,
and facilitate their access to international protection procedures;
10.8. ensure effective and timely access to the national reception
system for people claiming international protection;
10.9. support a closer co-operation between these actors and
European agencies, such as the European Union Agency for Asylum,
Frontex, and Europol, as well as international organisations, such as
the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees;
10.10. establish independent human rights monitoring mechanisms
at European and domestic borders, where they do not exist already.
11. To respond to the challenges and needs of public and private
actors involved in the reception and the inclusion of refugees and
asylum seekers, the Assembly encourages member States to promote
inclusion and further social cohesion within host communities and
invites them to:
11.1. strengthen
the co-operation between public and private actors supporting refugees
and asylum seekers, including local government bodies, local communities,
and civil society actors;
11.2. favour decentralised decision making by empowering local
government bodies and local communities to design and implement
integration programmes, encouraging participation in community life;
11.3. establish coherent, locally-driven inclusion policies
and ensure assistance to refugees and asylum seekers in overcoming
legal and administrative obstacles;
11.4. support public and private actors involved in reception
to provide medical care, legal aid, language courses, vocational
training, and access to public services, in co-operation with local government
bodies, local communities, and civil society actors;
11.5. ensure predetermined and reasonable timeframes for examining
applications for international protection, avoiding prolonging the
over-reliance on reception centres;
11.6. support the transition from reception to community inclusion,
with specific accompanying measures to favour autonomy and independence.
12. To facilitate the way in which public and private actors contribute
to the inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers, the Assembly calls
on member States to:
12.1. end reliance
on large-scale reception facilities and prioritise smaller reception
facilities, such as houses and apartment units, by investing in
dignified small-scale community accommodation, disseminated throughout
the national territory;
12.2. adopt the model of “integrated reception” going beyond
the mere distribution of food and accommodation, and providing individual
programmes designed to enable people to regain a sense of independence
and effective involvement in life in the community, in terms of
employment, housing, and access to local services and social interaction,
through the development of solid relationships with local government
bodies, local communities, and local networks;
12.3. ensure dedicated reception facilities for unaccompanied
minors, victims of trafficking, and persons with special needs;
12.4. ensure an independent monitoring mechanism of the different
reception facilities, including by offering accessible complaint
procedures to people.
13. The Assembly also encourages public-private co-operation in
places where informal situations are observed, and where the humanitarian
situation is very concerning. National authorities and local government bodies
should put in place specific measures to assist people living in
informal settlements, to respond to their basic needs and orient
them to local services, including the provision of suitable reception
facilities and protective measures for minors, women, victims of
trafficking, and other vulnerable people.
B. Explanatory memorandum by Ms Sandra Zampa, rapporteur
(open)1. Introduction
1. The Committee on Migration,
Refugees and Displaced Persons of the Parliamentary Assembly carried out
a fact-finding visit to Calais, Dunkirk, and their surrounding areas
in France on 25-26 October 2023. The visit was aimed at examining
the situation of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, and the
role of the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in providing assistance
to them in these areas. The report presented by Ms Stephanie Krisper
(Austria, ALDE), who chaired the delegation, raised the numerous
challenges and needs of both public and private actors regarding
migration management. Its
conclusions led, inter alia,
to tabling a motion for a resolution.
Its
conclusions led, inter alia,
to tabling a motion for a resolution.2. The motion for a resolution tabled on 11 December 2023 entitled
“The challenges and needs of public and private actors involved
in migration management” (Doc.
15882) recalls the multiplicity of actors involved in the
reception and protection of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
The text raises the questions at stake about the sharing of roles
and competences in the upholding of reception systems, the efficiency
of the existing procedures, and the responsibility of the respective
institutions and actors involved.
3. This report is also based on an information memorandum presented
by Mr Paul Gavan (Ireland, UEL) following a fact-finding visit that
the committee carried out in Sicily and Lampedusa, Italy, on 16-18 September 2024.
4. I carried out a fact-finding visit in London, Dover, and Canterbury,
in the United Kingdom, from 24 to 26 March 2025, in the context
of the preparation of the present report.
5. The observations made on the basis of the visits in these
three member States made it possible to delineate a general overview
of the various migration routes in Europe and at Europe’s borders.
Various institutions of the Council of Europe have observed highly
precarious conditions for migrants, particularly regarding formal
reception facilities and informal contexts, exacerbated by a structural
lack of essential means and services, at borders of several of Council
of Europe member States. The situations observed in these various
congestion points raise the issue of how to uphold international
commitments and norms in such sensitive places.
6. Public actors are the national and local public authorities,
administrations, or agencies dealing with the first arrival, the
reception and the management of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers
within the institutional reception system, and sometimes in the
informal reception context. Regarding the private actors, there
are two different types: on the one hand, there are those that have
contracts with public authorities and are sub-contracted to manage
or co-manage, with public authorities, reception facilities at a
number of stages of the reception system. On the other hand, there
are private actors such as charities, foundations, or NGOs, which
work in close co-operation with the public sector, most of the time
at different stages of reception, from the very first arrival to
the integration policies in host communities. International institutions,
such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) or the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), also play
an important role in assisting public and private actors in migration
management.
7. With such a variety of actors involved in migration management,
and taking into account their roles, interactions, and co-operation,
the focus of the report is to better understand: the relationships
between all actors at the various stages of the migration management
systems; the positive outcomes of such relationships or partnerships
observed in different States; and which legal framework, methods,
and reception systems can be used as good practices in the Council
of Europe member States to ensure a better inclusion of refugees and
asylum seekers in host communities.
2. First arrival and vulnerabilities identified
8. When migrants, refugees, and
asylum seekers arrive in Europe, they have several immediate needs
and require first-instance assistance to ensure their safety, dignity,
and access to essential services. During the fact-finding visit
carried out in Sicily from 16 to 18 September 2024, the delegation
visited the Lampedusa hotspot. By meeting the different institutional
and non-institutional stakeholders involved in the management of the
constant arrivals on this small island, the delegation gained better
insight into the organisation of the disembarkations and the first
reception of migrants, at the door of Europe.
9. The authorities in Lampedusa explained the process of arrival
and management of migrants, from their disembarkation and during
their short stay (in general, a maximum of 72 hours and an average
of 24 hours), in the Lampedusa hotspot (Contrada Imbriacola hotspot).
Hotspots are governmental centres set up in the places of disembarkation,
where the operations of first assistance, health screening, identification
and information on how to claim for international protection take
place.
10. After search and rescue operations, the rescued people disembark
at the Lampedusa port, thanks to the coast guard authority. A triage
conducted by a team of doctors, nurses, and cultural mediators aims
to identify needs for immediate and potential future medical care.
Common health issues include hypothermia during the winter, dehydration
and heat strokes during the summer period, diabetes, burns, or inhalation
of toxic fumes from boats’ engines. This initial phase is also the
appropriate moment for identifying vulnerabilities.
11. The delegation was present at the Lampedusa port on 16 September
2024, at 20:45, to witness the disembarkation of approximately 70 migrants
who were rescued by the Lampedusa Coast Guard Authority. The parliamentarians
expressed their sympathy towards the situation and commended the
authorities for their efficient handling of the disembarkation process.
12. Many people arriving in Lampedusa are, indeed, exhausted and
traumatised by their journeys and have often experienced violence,
including gender-based violence and torture, trafficking, labour
exploitation, forcible return, or potential abusive detention in
transit countries. Unaccompanied minors and women (including pregnant
women), who are at risk of experiencing, inter
alia, trafficking and sexual violence during their migration
journey, are among these vulnerable individuals. A significant number
of them may be thus dealing with intersecting vulnerabilities, such
as pregnant women who have suffered from sexual violence, or unaccompanied
minors who have been victims of torture.
13. There are numerous actors involved in the first operations
and present at the pier and in the area. They collaborate within
the community-based protection framework to identify and swiftly
and efficiently assist vulnerable people, or those with specific
needs.
14. At disembarkation, the police proceed to identification, with
the support of the UNHCR, helping in identifying individuals with
vulnerabilities, such as single mothers or pregnant women, individuals
with disabilities, or unaccompanied minors. Other private actors
are present in this crucial initial phase, such as CISOM (Corpo
Italiano di Soccorso dell’Ordine di Malta), Save
the Children, Mediterranean Hope, or the nuns of the Unione Internazionale
delle Superiore Generali.
15. Once identified as vulnerable, the migrants get certification
of their vulnerabilities, which will help them later during the
next phases of the reception system. Once the initial medical care
is administered, the people are transported by bus to the Lampedusa
hotspot, where a dedicated health centre continues to provide medical
support.
16. The initial phase of identification entails conducting brief
interviews and collecting comprehensive data on migrants, including
personal details such as their name, date of birth, and fingerprints
of all ten fingers, which will be registered in national and international
databases. The interpreters also play an essential role as socio-cultural
mediators in assisting migrants to understand the various steps
of the pre-identification process. Furthermore, migrants receive
informative sessions on their rights, including on how to apply
for international protection and the right to asylum, from different
entities, including the Italian Red Cross, the European Union Agency
for Asylum, UNHCR, and the IOM, the latter of which covers subjects
such as trafficking and labour exploitation.
17. People arriving in Lampedusa may also be victims of trafficking.
When there is a potential trafficking situation picked up during
the pre-identification phase, the police notifies the responsible
department. The pre-identification phase allows for the gathering
of data on the origins of the journeys, with the technical support
of Frontex. For this purpose, Frontex officers receive specialised
training to identify indicators of trafficking when conducting confidential
interviews at the hotspot.
18. The parliamentary delegation visited the Lampedusa hotspot.
The facility has devised protocols tailored to the diverse populations,
who receive food, water, and clothing, as part of the initial reception
system. They have access to washing facilities – although limited
– and charging stations for their mobile phones, crucial to allowing
them to communicate with their families. In addition, the staff
evaluate their humanitarian needs. The delegation learnt that the
hotspot improved after June 2023, when the Italian Red Cross took
over its management. Since then, staff numbers have increased, and
the centre has been better organised. Nevertheless, the delegation
was disappointed by the inadequate conditions at the Lampedusa hotspot:
beds, mattrasses, showers and bathrooms are in bad condition. The
delegation believed that the facilities could be significantly enhanced.
Civil society representatives also underlined the risk of promiscuity
of minors with adults, as it seems difficult to separate unaccompanied
minors and women from male adults, especially at night.
19. Once the period spent in the Lampedusa hotspot is over, migrants
are transferred to the main island of Sicily by ferry, and then,
if they express the will to apply for international protection,
they are sent to reception centres for asylum seekers situated throughout
Italy. If migrants do not express the will to apply for international protection,
a different path is initiated: as irregular foreign nationals, they
cannot stay on the Italian territory. This may result in the detention
in the so-called CPR detention centres, until the final execution
of the return to the country of origin, or in an order issued to
leave the Italian territory within seven days. In practice, the
order to leave the territory in 7 days is not or cannot complied
with and, as a result, some people stay in the territory without
a residence permit living in precarious conditions, at risk of exploitation.
20. In conclusion, in Lampedusa, the delegation recorded that
co-operation between the different actors – institutional and others
– in the first phase of the arrival, and the involvement of all
the civil society organisations operating on the island, leads to
an effective and respectful management of people, even in complex
situations.
21. During my fact-finding visit to the United Kingdom on 24-26 March 2025,
I was able to visit the Western Jet Foil Processing Centre, in Dover,
where the migrants rescued in the English Channel are disembarked. This
centre is the main reception point for migrants arriving by small
boats who succeed in crossing the Channel after having left France. I was able to observe on 25 March 2025
morning the disembarkation of 65 migrants, including six women and
three children, rescued by the British coast guards.
I was able to observe on 25 March 2025
morning the disembarkation of 65 migrants, including six women and
three children, rescued by the British coast guards.22. The British border forces explained that at this preliminary
stage, no one was arrested, in order to fulfil humanitarian duties
before law enforcement. In this spirit, rescued migrants go through
a well-organised pre-identification process where men, women, and
presumably or claimed unaccompanied minors are put in separate areas.
There is a first screening with fingerprints taken, and the identification
of potential vulnerabilities. This includes the identification of
potential medical emergencies, for which the agents are in contact
with a doctor present within the centre, and with the local hospitals
if needed. The medical unit indicated that it often observed injuries
linked to the crossing, in particular burns due to the engines of
the boat. The first interaction is very short, with 10 languages
available. In order to trace all the screening stages, but also
the facilities where the migrants are oriented, all migrants are
equipped with bracelets equipped with chip readers giving the information
of all the stages they go through. This first-arrival process lasts
in general one hour but can go up to about six hours.
23. The next step is the immigration check; the migrants are informed
that they are officially under arrest as they arrived irregularly.
The immigration agents do not ask too many questions at this point
given the traumas of the journey. This step is followed by a control
of all the items in the possession of the migrants, the procedure being
filmed in its entirety. If required, the migrants can be reoriented
to an interview room after that inspection.
24. Within a maximum of 24 hours from their arrival, the applicants
are transferred within the reception system to hotels across the
United Kingdom, managed by private companies and large private groups,
to which the Ministry of the Interior has fully sub-contracted the
management of reception. Minors are transferred to a dedicated centre,
which I also visited, where they stay for 24 hours, without being
allowed to leave. They are then sent to different parts of the country,
where local authorities take care of them.
25. The border forces explained that the criminal networks of
smugglers also act on the British territory and recruit, and even
force migrants travelling by buses to their temporary accommodation
to follow traffickers.
26. During the fact-finding visit, I met with representatives
of civil society organisations. The director of the Humans for Rights
Network explained her organisation had been in contact with a whistleblower
from a private company responsible for part of the screening process
when people arrive in the United Kingdom. She gave an example of
a young woman who had arrived in the United Kingdom the week before
and disclosed that she had been trafficked to the United Kingdom
and that if she was to be sent into the accommodation system, she would
be kidnapped. According to the interlocutor, no action was taken.
27. It was very useful to compare the operations that follow rescue
operations in both Dover and Lampedusa. The procedures at Dover
are fast, each step follows the other rapidly, while they seem to
respect European and international standards and practices. There
is considerable deployment of means and resources and the facilities
appear adequate overall, from a material point of view.
28. This clear procedural efficiency observed in the United Kingdom
may however lead to the risk of failing to identify possible vulnerabilities,
as in the cases of minors or of victims of trafficking, since the
screening is carried out through brief observations and interviews
by staff from the Home Office – equivalent to the ministry of the
Interior – and operators of private companies that manage the various
reception facilities. There are moreover no psychologists or other
professionals, nor international organisations, such as the UNHCR
and IOM, or NGOs with specific training, working alongside the police,
as is the case in Italy.
3. First and second reception systems: strengths and weaknesses
29. A comprehensive understanding
of migration to Europe necessitates recognising that the reception system
in Italy and in other countries of arrival does not receive all
people who have arrived, and as a result many are excluded from
the protection network. Some of those who do arrive at reception
centres leave the centres soon after their arrival and continue
their journey to other European destinations or remain in Italy
and in other countries of arrival and resort to undeclared work.
People who are not taken in charge by the formal reception systems
stay in informal situations – informal camps, squats, or living
in the streets – and suffer from a lack of essential means. Their
situation is worse than asylum seekers and refugees, despite living
conditions remaining critical in several reception centres throughout
Europe.
30. As explained in the previous section, Italy’s reception system
for asylum seekers and refugees consists of two levels of reception,
preceded by the initial phase of assistance which takes place in
the congestion points, particularly those established in places
of disembarkation, such as Lampedusa.
31. The first phase for people expressing the will to apply for
asylum after their identification takes place in the governmental
first reception centres (CAS). Asylum seekers remain in such centres
until their application for international protection is completed.
The second reception and integration phase is ensured at territorial level
by local authority projects.
32. The first reception centres are determined by the prefectures,
in consultation with the local authority where they are situated.
The public authorities handle first reception tasks, such as initiating
asylum procedures, evaluating health conditions, and addressing
vulnerabilities. They also provide basic necessities, such as housing,
meals, clothing, health care, and linguistic-cultural mediation.
33. The second reception system is managed by the Protection System
for Asylum Seekers and Refugees, established in 2002, recently renamed
Reception and Integration System (SAI, for Sistema Accoglienza Integrazione).
The programmes associated with the second reception system go beyond
providing the basic necessities as observed in the first reception
centres. They encompass a wide range of services designed to help
individuals to regain their independence, such as Italian language
courses, vocational training, legal guidance, access to local services,
job placement assistance, housing support, social integration, and comprehensive
psycho-social healthcare services.
34. During the fact-finding visit to Italy, the delegation visited
in Giarre, near Catania, the CAS and SAI run by a non-profit private
actor, the Cooperative Iride, where about 50 young adult men were
hosted in the same building. The manager and the legal and social
operators working in the two centres underlined that the exclusion
of asylum seekers from the SAI increases precariousness and lowers
their chances of taking part in programmes aimed at fostering social
inclusion.
35. Regarding asylum support and accommodation in the United Kingdom,
asylum seekers can apply for accommodation, subsistence, or both.
In providing accommodation, the authorities are required to have
no regard to “any preference that the supported person or his dependants,
if any, may have as to the locality in which the accommodation is
to be provided”. Similarly, the law requires them to have no regard
to “his personal preference as to the nature of the accommodation
to be provided”.
36. All asylum seekers are screened in order to identify and protect
vulnerable individuals and ensure that they are placed in suitable
accommodation. They have access to health and social care services,
including support for mental health, as from their point of arrival
in the United Kingdom, and continue to benefit from such support
while in asylum accommodation. The support package provided usually
consists of furnished accommodation, with utility bills and council
tax paid, and a weekly cash allowance to meet other essential living
needs.
37. As initial transit reception centres, asylum seekers may spend
two or three weeks in initial accommodation centres while their
claim is considered. There are moreover private houses or flats
arranged and paid for by the authorities as well as private hotels,
supposedly used on very rare occasions and on an emergency basis,
but de facto commonly used.
There are additionally situations of individually arranged accommodation,
such as houses, flats, hotels, or staying with friends or family.
Such accommodation is not paid for by the Home Office. Individuals
staying in this type of accommodation are able to apply for subsistence only
for essential living needs.
38. An asylum claim may be put through the detained fast track
procedure if, after a screening process, it appears to be one that
may be decided quickly. There are four accommodation facilities
designated for use in such procedures.
39. During the fact-finding visit to the United Kingdom, I visited
Manston Asylum Processing Centre, which follows the first-arrival
processing in Dover’s Western Jet Foil processing centre. The centre
is a large former military base, which has been rehabilitated into
a reception centre. In this centre, the migrants go through a biometric
room, which is managed by staff from the Home Office. The following
phases with interviewers questioning the migrants about their crossing,
intentions etc. are however sub-contracted to a private company. Similarly,
the medication units are also sub-contracted to the private sector
and are in charge of the assessment of health issues, diagnoses,
and treatment.
40. I also visited headquarters of associations that protect and
support, including materially, refugees and asylum seekers in Canterbury
and in other places near London. For instance, I met with volunteers,
refugees and asylum seekers in the Bell Farm Christian Centre, a
church which turns into a canteen every day and welcomes dozens
of people. Such a visit demonstrated the importance of the local
communities and local initiatives, the most successful way of integrating
refugees and asylum seekers.
41. I noted that asylum procedures in the United Kingdom could
take several months, obliging people, individuals, and families
alike, to spend long periods of time in hotels managed by private
contractors. The living conditions in these hotels are not always
decent, and they often provide only minimal services, with no access
to work, or education, or other activities, which could lead to
psychological distress and uncertainty. During such a long period
of time, asylum seekers are not allowed to work until their status
is recognised, resulting in months of inactivity, with minimal subsidy
provided by the State.
42. I also observed the abrupt transition once the protection
status was granted, as beneficiaries only have a few weeks to leave
their accommodation and are often left without any support for inclusion
and access to services. This results in cases of homelessness, and
situations where people must solely rely on the protection of associations
to survive, look for accommodation and find work. Moreover, families
can be moved from one city to another, without taking into account
the continuity of children’s education.
43. The moment of transition from reception to integration into
the community and to independence is thus the most critical and
often leads to highly precarious situations. Many people leave the
formal reception system at this exact transition time. This crucial
period requires close co-operation between all the relevant public
and private actors to ensure a smooth transition and an effective
inclusion into local communities.
44. Among the local actors, it is equally important to involve
the diaspora organisations, which can prevent and overcome many
practical, administrative, and legal issues for refugees and asylum
seekers. Heard by the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced
Persons during an exchange of views held on 18 October 2024, Ms Alexandra
Mamaeva, Coordinator and Representative of the People’s Embassy
of Belarus in Slovenia, cited the example of Poland, which was faced
with a high number of migrants arriving from Belarus, and which
established a working group with Belarusian lawyers and human rights
defenders to find better integration solutions for these refugees.
A further positive example is Italy, where the co-operation between
the Italian local authorities and the People’s Embassy of Belarus
helped Belarusian applicants in preparing their documentation, resulting
in over 30 successful refugee status decisions in 2025. In April 2025, Ms Mamaeva
informed that a second case of obtaining a foreigner’s passport
without the need for international protection had been recorded
in Italy.
4. Unaccompanied foreign minors
45. All along their migration routes,
there are vulnerabilities for unaccompanied minors. Their fragile situations
require special consideration and a specific approach. As underlined
by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in its Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)22
on human rights principles and guidelines on age assessment in the
context of migration , being unable to prove their age
can increase this vulnerability and the risk of being subjected
to violence, exploitation, abuse and/or becoming victims of trafficking.
This recommendation is the first international legal instrument
setting human rights standards on age assessment in the context
of migration. The Committee of Ministers recalls “the right of the
child to have their best interests given primary consideration in
all matters concerning them and that any legitimate interest of
the State to determine the age of a child must respect the rights
of that child”. The recommendation includes the
principle of presumption of minority for persons undergoing age
assessment “unless and until determined otherwise through an age
assessment procedure”. Importantly, it requires member States to
implement multidisciplinary and evidence-based age assessment procedures.
It reminds member States that a medical examination for age assessment
purposes should only be undertaken when reasonable doubts remain
about the person’s estimated age once the other measures of the
procedure have been exhausted. It also adds that the “age assessment
should be carried out by designated professionals, in accordance
with relevant professional obligations and standards, and appropriate
professional training should be provided for all those responsible for
age assessment and related procedures”.
, being unable to prove their age
can increase this vulnerability and the risk of being subjected
to violence, exploitation, abuse and/or becoming victims of trafficking.
This recommendation is the first international legal instrument
setting human rights standards on age assessment in the context
of migration. The Committee of Ministers recalls “the right of the
child to have their best interests given primary consideration in
all matters concerning them and that any legitimate interest of
the State to determine the age of a child must respect the rights
of that child”. The recommendation includes the
principle of presumption of minority for persons undergoing age
assessment “unless and until determined otherwise through an age
assessment procedure”. Importantly, it requires member States to
implement multidisciplinary and evidence-based age assessment procedures.
It reminds member States that a medical examination for age assessment
purposes should only be undertaken when reasonable doubts remain
about the person’s estimated age once the other measures of the
procedure have been exhausted. It also adds that the “age assessment
should be carried out by designated professionals, in accordance
with relevant professional obligations and standards, and appropriate
professional training should be provided for all those responsible for
age assessment and related procedures”.46. In March 2025, the European Court of Human Rights stated in
its Chamber judgment F.B. v. Belgium that,
without ruling on the reliability of the bone tests or on the applicant’s
proven minority, the decision-making process leading to the decision
to terminate her care as an unaccompanied foreign minor following
the age assessment procedure was not accompanied by sufficient procedural
safeguards under Article 8 (right to respect for private life) of
the European Convention on Human Rights (ETS No. 5), concluding
unanimously to a violation of Article 8. The Court noted inter alia that it did not appear
from the file that the applicant had actually been informed of the
need to give her consent to the medical test being carried out.
It also stressed that, given their invasive nature, medical examinations
could only be carried out as a last resort if other means of removing
doubts about the age of the person in question had not produced
conclusive results.
The Court noted inter alia that it did not appear
from the file that the applicant had actually been informed of the
need to give her consent to the medical test being carried out.
It also stressed that, given their invasive nature, medical examinations
could only be carried out as a last resort if other means of removing
doubts about the age of the person in question had not produced
conclusive results.47. In Italy, Law No. 47 of 2017 introduced a single procedure
to identify minors, comprising thus the fundamental step for ascertaining
the age, on which depends the possibility of applying protection
measures in favour of unaccompanied minors. It provides that a social
and medical age assessment procedure may be ordered by the judicial
authority, when there are well-founded doubts about the age declared
by a presumed unaccompanied minor and when it is impossible to establish
his or her age through documentary evidence. The child must be informed
of the objectives, methods, and consequences of the age assessment,
and must be treated as a minor until the conclusion of the procedure.
According to the law, age assessment procedures must be carried
out with a multidisciplinary approach, by professionals with appropriate
expertise, involving a cultural mediator. The result must indicate
the margin of error, and the individual in question must be presumed to
be a minor in case of doubt. The final decision on the individual’s
age, adopted by the judicial authority, must be issued to both the
person concerned and the guardian, thus allowing for an appeal.
48. The 2017 Law also introduced measures concerning strengthening
rights and protections in favour of minors, starting from the reception
stages. The regulatory framework for the reception of unaccompanied foreign
minors distinguishes between first and second reception and establishes
the principle that unaccompanied minors may under no circumstances
be detained or received in return centres. All unaccompanied minors
shall be received within the framework of the SAI, the capacity
of which must therefore be commensurate with the actual presence
of foreign minors in the national territory. Asylum seekers who
have been placed in the SAI while under 18 years old remain in reception
centres until their application for international protection is
completed. In the second reception centre, the minors can stay until
18 years old, or 21 years old with a judge’s authorisation, only
if the child gets new permits in certain situations. The complexity and
bureaucratic character of such procedures, is however said to form
part of the obstacles to integration.
49. Additionally, Law No. 47 of 2017, provided the establishment
by the regional guarantors for childhood and adolescence, a computerised
list of voluntary guardians available to take on the guardianship
of unaccompanied foreign minors. The law shifted the ability to
open guardianship and appoint a guardian from the tutelary judge
to the Juvenile Court, so all the jurisdictional procedural decisions
relating to unaccompanied foreign minors are made by the same judge.
50. The Law Decree No. 133 of 2023 introduces several novelties
about child identification and age assessment. It provides for the
possibility for the public security authority to proceed with examinations
to determine the age of an alleged minor, as an exception to the
already codified procedure based on the socio-medical assessment
conducted by multidisciplinary teams. Among the changes, it establishes
that the procedure for the socio-sanitary assessment of the child’s
age must be concluded within 60 days from the date on which such
assessment is ordered by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Several
interlocutors, however, expressed concerns about the recent legislative
developments, which may affect the quality of the Italian reception
system for unaccompanied minors.
51. This law also provides that, if needed, there is the possibility
for prefects to establish extraordinary reception centres for minors,
with different services and fewer guarantees than ordinary SAI centres.
The length of stay of unaccompanied minors in the first reception
centres varies according to the number of arrivals, and the availability
of space in the dedicated centre. Their prolonged stay in these
first reception centres poses a challenge, despite the fact that
their stay may not exceed 30 days according to the law.
52. During the fact-finding visit to Sicily, the parliamentary
delegation visited the first reception centre for unaccompanied
minors in Catania, called Il Nodo, funded by the EU Asylum Migration
and Integration Fund. The centre hosted about 20 minors and was
staffed with a multidisciplinary team offering basic services, such as
Italian language courses and legal guidance, as well as various
additional activities, such as gardening and access to professional
training through partnerships with local companies.
53. The delegation also visited the CivicoZero centre in Catania,
managed by the organisation Save the Children. This day centre for
minors is open until 18:00 every day, and provides resources, educational opportunities,
psychological support, and language courses to unaccompanied minors
aged 14 and above, with an average age of around 16-17 years old.
For children under 14 years old, CivicoZero ensures
that the child protection authorities are notified. Workshops are
set up to offer minors legal advice and assist them in preparing
CVs, among other things. The centre also offers them legal assistance
and educates them about their rights, empowering them to make informed
choices about their lives and futures. The centre’s staff, particularly
cultural mediators, frequently come into contact with the young
individuals on the streets.
54. During the fact-finding visit to the United Kingdom, I followed
the age assessment process at the Western Jet Foil Processing Centre,
in Dover, where the migrants rescued in the Channel are disembarked. The
migrants claiming to be minors are separated from the adults. The
British border forces base their assessment on a procedure of two
inspectors assessing the age visually. These agents must determine whether
the migrant seems significantly and not significantly over 18 and
must agree on their assessment. If the migrant is assessed by the
agents as appearing significantly over 18, he or she is oriented
to an interviewing room where the person will exchange with an agent
about his or her story, to identify potential evidence, or on the
contrary inconsistencies, reinforcing or contradicting the assessment
of the first two agents. If this agent also believes that the person
is significantly over 18, he or she goes straight into the adult
system.
55. During the meeting with civil society representatives, I was
informed about the potential deficiencies of the above-mentioned
visual age assessment process. The Director of Policy of the Helen
Bamber Foundation, also co-chairing the Refugee and Migrant Children’s
Consortium grouping over 100 organisations working to promote the
rights of young migrants and refugees, expressed her concern about
the visual age assessment, resulting too often in wrongly considering
minors as adults, resulting to hundreds of children being oriented
to the adults’ reception system. During the same meeting, the Director
of the Humans for Rights Network explained they had been working
with 28 children treated as adults due to a wholly inadequate visual
age assessment upon their arrival.
56. Following the visit of the Western Jet Foil Processing Centre,
I visited the Kent Intake Unit, which is exclusively dedicated to unaccompanied
asylum-seeking children and is where they are officially detained. There
is also an interview with the minors, where they are informed about
the next steps, but also about issues such as the risk of trafficking.
This interview is furthermore an opportunity to identify health
issues that would not have been identified before, at the Western
Jet Foil Processing Centre. The centre, where the minors stay in
general a maximum of 24 hours, was well maintained, with television,
games, seats, access to drinks, dishes, showers, toilets, and a
prayer room, but without beds. There is an observation room from
where agents have a view on the room where minors stay, inter alia to ensure that there
are no tensions among minors.
57. During a hearing held by the Committee on Migration, Refugees
and Displaced Persons during its meeting in Ljubljana, Slovenia,
on 18 October 2024, I was able to gather first-hand testimonies
from NGO representatives acting along the Balkans migration route.
On that occasion, the representative of the Legal Center for the
Protection of Human Rights and the Environment indicated that due
to insufficient reception conditions, a lack of staff and of systematic
vulnerability screening procedures, vulnerable asylum seekers were
often not identified as such and were not receiving the services
and help required. In police procedures, the identification of unaccompanied
minors irregularly crossing the border continued to be a challenge.
While official statistics on the number of unaccompanied minors
processed for irregular crossing or expressing the intention to
apply for asylum was not gathered, only 46 unaccompanied minors
lodged the application for international protection in Slovenia
in 2023. This meant that the majority of unaccompanied minors were
either unidentified as such or left the formal reception system
before lodging any application. The representative of the Legal
Center for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment thus
recommended that Slovenia establish a systematic vulnerability screening
procedure both by the police and in the context of the asylum procedure,
which would allow proper identification, assistance, and protection
of vulnerable groups.
5. Informal settlements
58. Migrants who are not taken
in charge by the formal reception systems of countries of arrival,
and who stay in Europe in informal situations face a significant
lack of basic necessities, continuous health and safety risks, and
legal and administrative barriers. In informal camps, migrants face
a lack of essential means: there are recurring problems of access
to water, food and appropriate equipment for cooking. There are
also difficulties in cleaning, sanitation and showering, maintaining
goods, and access to toilets. There is furthermore a lack of access
to non-food items, such as blankets, tents, clothes or shoes. There
have been also recurring reports of goods being confiscated or destroyed
by police forces. Such congestion points also face deficient housing,
including the lack of adequate and separate shelters for young people
and families. Lastly, there is inadequate access to healthcare,
including mental healthcare. These persons often lack effective
access to their fundamental rights and are excluded from public
services. Further, they are victims of social isolation and stigmatisation
and can be victims of discrimination and hostility from local populations.
These persons often lack effective
access to their fundamental rights and are excluded from public
services. Further, they are victims of social isolation and stigmatisation
and can be victims of discrimination and hostility from local populations.59. The parliamentary delegation which visited Calais and Dunkirk
areas, in France, on 25-26 October 2023, was appalled by the humanitarian
conditions observed in those areas, with many people living in informal camps.
The delegation observed insufficient accommodation, often located
in remote and inaccessible areas, forcing residents to rely on State-organised
transport. The housing situation was particularly alarming for vulnerable
groups such as women and minors. In the Pas-de-Calais and Nord départements,
a lack of shelters for children exposed them to various risks and
left them without the required protection.
60. The delegation highlighted that many migrants in Calais and
Dunkirk could not return to their countries of origin and had nowhere
else to go. This was compounded by a deficient formal reception
system, lack of information on asylum rights, and lengthy and complicated
administrative procedures. The delegation observed informal camps
suffering from limited access to essential needs: overcrowded food
and water distribution points, insufficient non-food supplies like
blankets or tents, and restricted healthcare access. At the time
of the visit, an estimated 4 000 migrants were living in the region,
including 2 000 in Grande-Synthe/Loon-Plage alone.
61. During a hearing with the committee on 6 December 2024, the
representative of Doctors without Borders (MSF) stated that in Belgium,
asylum seekers are systematically denied their reception-related
rights: as of March 2024, 3 800 asylum seekers were waiting to access
the reception network and related services, with many having to
seek refuge in the overwhelmed shelter network, informal squats
or on the streets. The representative added that psychologists reported
a clear deterioration in the mental health of those forced into homelessness,
exacerbated by insecurity.
62. During the hearing held by the Committee on Migration, Refugees
and Displaced Persons in Ljubljana, on 18 October 2024, the representative
of the Italian Consortium of Solidarity (Consorzio Italiano di Solidarietà) demonstrated
the value added by the civil society organisations acting at borders
to help municipalities in dealing with the arrivals of migrants
and assisting them, especially the migrants crossing the border
into Italy via Slovenia and arriving in Trieste.
6. Testimonies
63. It was important for me to
hear from the persons concerned, and to meet them, when possible,
on location, either in formal or in informal contexts. For this
purpose, this report reproduces two testimonies of migrants met
by the two parliamentary delegations during the fact-finding visits
to France and Italy. This is complemented by a testimony following
the fact-finding visit I carried out to the United Kingdom.
64. During its 2023 fact-finding visit to France, the parliamentary
delegation met with migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers both
through centres managed by NGOs and in the informal context, in
the land around Calais and Dunkirk. Parliamentarians discussed,
among other persons, with a young 24-year-old Afghan in the region
of Grande-Synthe. He was part of a group of mostly young males,
living in the middle of nowhere. He explained the delegation he
had taken four months to reach the Calais region, explaining he
had been expelled several times at States’ borders and had to change
his route to reach Calais many times. He also explained that he
tried to get enough money to pay the smugglers in order to cross
the Channel. Parliamentarians raised the question of the danger
in crossing the Channel, but the young man was determined to reach
the United Kingdom, as his family had financed part of his trip
and was expecting him to succeed and send back money from there.
He additionally explained that the United Kingdom was his destination
as he had contacts there, who were working there and able to help
him. The exchange was very touching. In the middle of nowhere, in the
dust, this young man was full of hope and determination, despite
all the obstacles he had met with since he had fled from Afghanistan.
65. During its fact-finding visit to Sicily, on 16-18 September 2024,
the delegation was able to engage in emotional exchanges on several
occasions with young adults, women, and unaccompanied minors. The delegation
heard, for instance, Ahmed’s poignant testimony. This former unaccompanied
minor explained that he left his home country Senegal as an adolescent
and arrived in Italy in 2016. Ahmed explained that many people left
the country because of the violence they experienced, obliging them
to seek safety elsewhere, as staying would expose them to further
harm. He added that they also encountered violence during their migration
journey, and frequently met dangerous criminals; this was particularly
aggravated for girls and women, who often endured sexual violence.
He underlined that educational opportunities in Senegal were scarce.
“I am one of the lucky ones because I was welcomed by a community”,
he said. Ahmed finally highlighted the necessity to provide psychological
aid to migrants upon their arrival and recognised the trauma they
faced in their country of origin and throughout their migration
journey.
66. During the fact-finding visit to the United Kingdom, on 24-26 March 2025,
I met with several refugees and asylum seekers. This was the case
during a meeting at We are Trinity, in Uxbridge, London. We are Trinity is a private non-profit
actor supporting accommodation for 18-25 year olds at risk of homelessness
and providing housing advice. I exchanged, among other persons,
with Jamal, a 20-year-old man originated from Sudan. He arrived in the
United Kingdom five years ago, when he was 15 years old. He explained
his long and risky journey throughout Europe before reaching the
United Kingdom. He went inter alia through
Germany and France, where he lived in the street. He finally reached
the United Kingdom by boat, where he was interviewed and authorised
to stay. Jamal explained his situation was particularly difficult
when he arrived in the United Kingdom due to the language barrier
and his highly precarious living conditions. He was promised a job
opportunity by smugglers when he left Sudan but was left alone once
he finally reached the United Kingdom. As he needed money, someone
helped him find a job in a supermarket. He was first housed by this person,
before finding provisionally accommodation, which was however not
appropriate. Furthermore, Jamal explained that he was unsure about
his future, and how he could get assistance. He finally met the
organisation We are a Trinity, which helped him a lot. Jamal explained
that the volunteers accompanied him in various initiatives and he
was able to go to college. He explained to me he was thinking of
going through an apprenticeship in mechanics. Jamal explained that
he was able to reconnect with his family from Sudan thanks to the
Trinity and the Red Cross. “I guess I am taking care of myself.
I need to stand on my feet”, he said.
We are Trinity is a private non-profit
actor supporting accommodation for 18-25 year olds at risk of homelessness
and providing housing advice. I exchanged, among other persons,
with Jamal, a 20-year-old man originated from Sudan. He arrived in the
United Kingdom five years ago, when he was 15 years old. He explained
his long and risky journey throughout Europe before reaching the
United Kingdom. He went inter alia through
Germany and France, where he lived in the street. He finally reached
the United Kingdom by boat, where he was interviewed and authorised
to stay. Jamal explained his situation was particularly difficult
when he arrived in the United Kingdom due to the language barrier
and his highly precarious living conditions. He was promised a job
opportunity by smugglers when he left Sudan but was left alone once
he finally reached the United Kingdom. As he needed money, someone
helped him find a job in a supermarket. He was first housed by this person,
before finding provisionally accommodation, which was however not
appropriate. Furthermore, Jamal explained that he was unsure about
his future, and how he could get assistance. He finally met the
organisation We are a Trinity, which helped him a lot. Jamal explained
that the volunteers accompanied him in various initiatives and he
was able to go to college. He explained to me he was thinking of
going through an apprenticeship in mechanics. Jamal explained that
he was able to reconnect with his family from Sudan thanks to the
Trinity and the Red Cross. “I guess I am taking care of myself.
I need to stand on my feet”, he said.7. Co-operation between public and private actors involved in migration management
67. The observations made during
the three fact-finding visits as well as those coming from other
bodies of the Council of Europe in various member States demonstrate
the urgency to respond to the needs of public and private actors
involved in migration management, with the objective of a dignified
reception of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Europe. Such
solutions suppose either domestic policies and/or European ones.
7.1. Successful public-private partnerships
68. Public authorities should further
involve the numerous non-profit private actors in the management
of migration and in the assistance to, reception of, and inclusion
of asylum seekers and refugees. These actors can positively work
alongside public actors and, ultimately, facilitate inclusion. Public-private
partnerships can be successful in informal situations too, where
the humanitarian situation is very concerning.
69. There are various administrative and elected authorities on
different levels who have responsibility vis-à-vis migrants, refugees,
and asylum seekers, depending on their respective functions and
mandates. When the delegation who went to Calais and Dunkirk areas,
in France, met representatives of municipalities, it observed that
their approach to this responsibility varied. While some municipalities
were reluctant to assist migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers,
as well as humanitarian actors, some others such as in Grande-Synthe
were doing their best to do so, despite limited resources. The delegation
was impressed by the engagement of the NGOs supporting migrants,
refugees, and asylum seekers, despite limited means and a recurrent
lack of human resources. The NGOs can be distinguished between mandated
by public authorities and non-mandated associations. Mandated NGOs benefit from public
authorities’ delegation and public funds with a view to assist the
individuals concerned on various aspects, such as shelters, food
and water distribution, electricity supplies, information, etc.
Non-mandated NGOs are more numerous and depend on private funds.
Public authorities work smoothly with mandated NGOs, whereas there
are more tensions with non-mandated NGOs, the latter working either
where State and mandated associations are absent, or in a supplementary
manner. The delegation could observe successful public-private partnerships
where the public local authorities demonstrated willingness to co-operate
with non-profit private actors, such as in the municipality of Grande-Synthe.
Mandated NGOs benefit from public
authorities’ delegation and public funds with a view to assist the
individuals concerned on various aspects, such as shelters, food
and water distribution, electricity supplies, information, etc.
Non-mandated NGOs are more numerous and depend on private funds.
Public authorities work smoothly with mandated NGOs, whereas there
are more tensions with non-mandated NGOs, the latter working either
where State and mandated associations are absent, or in a supplementary
manner. The delegation could observe successful public-private partnerships
where the public local authorities demonstrated willingness to co-operate
with non-profit private actors, such as in the municipality of Grande-Synthe.70. The fact-finding visit to the United Kingdom also demonstrated
the efficiency of public-private partnership. In the first arrival,
sub-contracting thorough medical checks to private medical companies
allowed a specialised corps to carry out such examinations efficiently.
It is important that some crucial screening steps be dealt with
by specialised professionals, as this is a particularly sensitive
phase in which to avoid trauma and psychological violence, but also
to identify potential vulnerabilities among migrants. I welcomed
the ongoing process aimed at reducing the backlog in the examination
of the asylum claims and the intention expressed by the authorities
to stop the use of hotels and consider other kinds of accommodation
for refugees and asylum seekers.
71. The public-private partnerships are successful when frontline
services and the screening phases at arrival are efficient and when
legal information about the rights to asylum and refugee status,
and information about accommodation, etc. is provided to migrants.
Such partnerships are also successful when appropriate and ambitious
training programmes are in place for staff members dealing with
migrants from both public and private actors. This is especially
important in order to ensure smooth and harmonised procedures, and
to make informed decisions on the situations of the migrants checked
and interviewed. The monitoring of activities of all the actors
involved in migration management is essential to prevent human rights
abuses and precarious conditions in reception facilities at all
levels of the reception systems. For this reason, independent public monitors
should be able to visit any publicly or privately managed reception
facilities. Successful partnerships also require a stability of
the law, as too much political change creates frequent changes in
migration policies, which hinders the development of a long-term
vision for all actors involved in the management of such policies.
7.2. A better inclusion in local communities
72. The parliamentary delegation
which visited Sicily in September 2024 could observe successful examples
of policies prioritising small reception facilities. The delegation
visited for instance in Giarre, near Catania, first (CAS) and second
(SAI) reception centres run by a non-profit local private actor.
About 50 young adult men were hosted in the same building, on different
floors. These centres are part of the territorial Bronte project,
a network of small reception centres distributed among several municipalities,
carried out in the territory for over 15 years, taking on the most
difficult challenges of inclusion and turning them into opportunities,
for refugees and asylum seekers, as well as for Sicilian operators
and professionals who find employment on the island. These facilities
provide Italian language courses, vocational training, activation
of internships in the local area and volunteer activities that periodically
engage migrants in supporting the local community. The delegation
commended “the implementation of small reception centres, which
prevents the formation of isolated communities. This is why the
consortiums of small municipalities or municipal joint projects
in migration management are seen as successful models.” The good
reception practices witnessed by the delegation can be largely attributed
to the experience that public and private actors gained in the last
ten years, after the massive arrivals in 2014-2016. Contrarily,
it has been demonstrated that the presence of ghettos and segregation
can foster negative consequences, such as radicalisation. The delegation
thus noticed the agility and the effectiveness in terms of inclusion
of the reception system when it remains on a small scale. Moreover, the
delegation praised the positive attitude of local populations vis-à-vis
migrants reaching Sicily, especially in Lampedusa. This demonstrates
the benefits of collaborating with local populations, which ultimately
leads to a smoother and more secure experience for migrants and
host communities.
73. The SAI seems to be a model of “integrated reception” going
beyond the mere distribution of food and accommodation, and providing
individual programmes designed to enable people to regain a sense
of independence and effective involvement in the life of the local
community, in terms of employment, housing, access to local services
and social interaction, favouring the development of solid relationships
with local authorities. For this reason, the access to SAI’s integrated
reception services should also be provided to asylum seekers.
74. The delegation furthermore visited in Catania Casa Betania
(Centro Astalli), a place of co-housing for mothers with children,
run by Centro Astalli. The delegation met with representatives of
civil society organisations working on minors’ rights in Sicily, which
gave precious insights into civil society’s crucial role in migration
management and in supporting the most vulnerable foreign persons
in Catania and in Sicily overall. The various public and private
actors supporting migrants also prove their efficiency when they
co-operate together, as well as with municipalities and different
local religious communities.
which
gave precious insights into civil society’s crucial role in migration
management and in supporting the most vulnerable foreign persons
in Catania and in Sicily overall. The various public and private
actors supporting migrants also prove their efficiency when they
co-operate together, as well as with municipalities and different
local religious communities.75. The fact-finding visit to the United Kingdom also offered
the possibility for me to meet with successful local initiatives
aimed at integrating refugees in local communities. The Trinity
Homeless Project for instance supports refugees families, including
168 Ukrainian families, but also families from Sudan and Afghanistan.
76. Following the meeting with the civil society, it appeared necessary to move beyond
the housing crisis, and avoid the use of hotels for refugees and
situations of homelessness as much as possible. This implies the opening
of more accommodation and the devotion of more funds for dedicated
support workers, for instance in the context of the Ukrainian resettlement
scheme, especially regarding the family reunion scheme, which would
represent more arrivals than any of all resettlement routes combined.
The representative of Doctors without Borders gave the example of
Sudan, from where people reached the United Kingdom following the
war, and how the organisation helped Sudanese people in finding
accommodation, primarily hotels and other temporary places, thus
preventing people and especially families from living in overcrowded
housing conditions.
it appeared necessary to move beyond
the housing crisis, and avoid the use of hotels for refugees and
situations of homelessness as much as possible. This implies the opening
of more accommodation and the devotion of more funds for dedicated
support workers, for instance in the context of the Ukrainian resettlement
scheme, especially regarding the family reunion scheme, which would
represent more arrivals than any of all resettlement routes combined.
The representative of Doctors without Borders gave the example of
Sudan, from where people reached the United Kingdom following the
war, and how the organisation helped Sudanese people in finding
accommodation, primarily hotels and other temporary places, thus
preventing people and especially families from living in overcrowded
housing conditions.77. The objective of avoiding the use of privately-owned reception
facilities, especially hotels in the near future, should reorient
accommodation policies of refugees and asylum seekers to local authorities
and local initiatives, such as We are Trinity. An appropriate funding
of public local authorities will also participate in a successful
integration in host communities.
78. During a hearing held by the Committee on Migration, Refugees
and Displaced Persons on 11 March 2025, the representative of Jesuit
Refugee Service Europe explained that her organisation had developed
guidance on hospitality-driven reception for asylum seekers in Europe.
Jesuit Refugee Service promotes a guarantee of a sufficient privacy
and autonomy by choosing individual/self-catering forms of accommodation,
invites public actors to prioritise small-scale accommodation facilities,
hosting small numbers of residents, while ensuring the respect of
human dignity and guaranteeing a sufficient level of comfort. The representative
of Jesuit Refugee Service underlined that beyond providing accommodation,
the accompaniment to autonomy is an intrinsic part of a successful
reception system, which should be tailormade to the needs of asylum
seekers and ensure availability of, and actual possibility to reach,
necessary services. To ensure a better inclusion in local communities,
she stressed the importance of installing facilities located within
local communities, fostering encounters with the local population.
During the same hearing, a representative of the International Rescue
Committee Italy working with the municipality of Trieste underlined the
importance of increasing and strengthening local reception capacities,
as well as liaising with the central government in order to ensure
prompt and swift transfer of asylum seekers to reception centres
in other regions when needed.
8. Conclusion
79. There is a need for a harmonised
and sustainable approach to migration management that places the dignity
and rights of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers at its core.
Beyond the three member States visited and analysed, such pan-European
challenges require co-ordinated, comprehensive policy responses and
meaningful collaboration across sectors.
80. There has been a fragmentation of roles and responsibilities
among public and private actors. Public authorities at national,
regional, and local levels often operate without sufficient resources,
particularly at congestion points. This gap is frequently filled
by private actors, including NGOs, as well as international organisations
such as the UNHCR and IOM, whose contributions are indispensable
but often under-supported or inconsistently integrated into State
systems. There is thus an urgent need to strengthen, and adequately support
these partnerships through effective public-private co-operation,
particularly in first arrival and reception contexts.
81. The fact-finding visits revealed significant variance in the
quality and efficiency of first-reception procedures. In Lampedusa,
for instance, the delegation raised concerns over inadequate, poor
infrastructure, and access restrictions. In contrast, the United
Kingdom’s operations at Dover demonstrated procedural efficiency
and adequate material conditions, but also revealed shortcomings
in identifying vulnerable individuals due to overly rapid screening
and the limited involvement of international and non-profit organisations.
These observations suggest that while operational efficiency is
essential, it must not come at the expense of thoroughness, human
rights protection, or trauma-informed approaches.
82. The two-tiered reception systems in Italy and the United Kingdom,
while structurally coherent on paper, often leave individuals in
limbo between arrival and long-term integration. The exclusion of
asylum seekers from Italy’s SAI and the over-reliance on hotels
in the United Kingdom highlight deficiencies that hinder social inclusion
and foster precariousness. The highly precarious situations of migrants
in camps and outside any formal reception system in France and in
other countries is a matter of great concern. There must be expanded access
to integrated reception programmes, fostering independence, social
cohesion, and local actors’ engagement. Furthermore, transition
from reception to community inclusion for refugees is a critical
juncture requiring a comprehensive support from all actors, including
diaspora communities, who often serve as cultural and logistical
bridges.
83. Unaccompanied minors are among the most vulnerable migrants,
yet their treatment often lacks the procedural safeguards necessary
to protect their rights, as established by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international and
regional treaties. The visual age assessment mostly used in the
United Kingdom is concerning, as it frequently results in misclassification
and the subsequent mistreatment of children as adults, including
detention. Member States should therefore refer to the Council of Europe’s
recommendations for multidisciplinary, evidence-based age assessment
procedures, highlighting the necessity of preserving the presumption
of minority and involving trained professionals in the assessment process.
84. The Assembly should call for a strategic rethinking of migration
management that favours decentralised, small-scale reception models
embedded within local communities. Inclusive and community-based
reception practices in Sicily and initiatives such as the United
Kingdom’s Trinity Homeless Project are exemplary models that promote
mutual understanding, local development, and successful integration.
Ultimately, ensuring a dignified and effective reception system
requires long-term political commitment, stable legal frameworks,
and the inclusive participation of all relevant actors.