Unaccompanied minor

The European Parliament narrowly approved the extensive reform of the European Union's migration and asylum policy on Wednesday.

Amid mounting dissent from both the right and left, the momentous vote proceeded on Wednesday afternoon, despite uncertainties.

European Parliament has greenlit a comprehensive overhaul of the EU's asylum and migration policies, marking a significant shift in how the bloc manages its borders and addresses the influx of migrants and asylum seekers. The approved reforms, part of the new Asylum and Migration Pact, promise to bring about substantial changes starting from 2026 if ratified.

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The Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ordered Greece to pay 8,000 euros to an unaccompanied child refugee, who in 2018 was left without accommodation for six months.

The court ruled, unanimously, that there had been a violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights on the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment.

A document forwarded to Parliament on Wednesday by the Deputy Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Sofia Voultepsi, shows that a total of 4,255 children identified as homeless or in precarious living conditions have been housed in the last 2.5 years.

Amidst a concerning trend, Bulgaria grapples with an alarming surge in unaccompanied children seeking refuge within its borders. The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC) disclosed a staggering number—over 3,400 unaccompanied minors have sought protection in Bulgaria since the start of 2023.

Greece will receive an additional 42.2 million euros in funding from the European Union for two proposals - the protection of unaccompanied minors in Greece, and enforcing electronic surveillance at the borders by police, the Greek Migration and Asylum Ministry said on Monday, following a decision by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs.

Fewer than a third of unaccompanied children succeeded in winning asylum in Greece last year, with the rest of the applications rejected or in limbo, aid agency Save the Children said in calling for better protection of those most vulnerable.

More than 1,800 of the 1,914 unaccompanied minors taken under protection after the deadly Feb. 6 earthquakes have been handed over to their families, the Family and Social Services Ministry has announced.

More than 325,000 people have applied to become foster families for children affected by the deadly Feb. 6 earthquakes, while the number of people making an official request for adoption exceeds 67,000, stated a senior official from the Family and Social Services Ministry.

Greece's Parliament approved on Wednesday a Migration Ministry legislation that overhauls that migration code, clarifying regulations about residence permits for non-EU migrants and unaccompanied children, and incorporating a related EU Directive (2021/1883/EK).