Crossing alone the Mediterranean sea. Some critical issues about unaccompanied minors in Europe

Abstract Despite the increasing social impact of unaccompanied migrant minors (UAMs) in many European Union (EU) member states, EU regulations on UAMs are still inadequate and the necessary protection measures are thus insufficient. More specifically, the “best interest of the child”, stated in a large number of international documents, may not be properly guaranteed. In addition, there is often a discrepancy between the rights of migrant children, according to the international legislation, and the actual protection they receive. Moreover, despite the declared aim of reaching a common standard of reception and inclusion, policies and practices across Europe are still very different. The paper attempts to highlight and discuss some critical issues regarding UAMs in Europe. Over and beyond the need for the EU to develop a common framework, greater efforts should be made in order to improve inclusion of UAMs, especially to ensure the management of the phenomenon beyond the current emergency.

摘要：尽管无人陪伴移民未成年人（unaccompanied migrant minors，UAMs）在诸多欧洲联盟（European Union，EU）成员国的社会影响日益凸显，但欧盟针对UAMs的现行法规仍存在不足，必要的保护措施亦相对匮乏。具体而言，诸多国际文件中确立的“儿童最大利益”原则，往往难以得到切实保障。此外，国际立法所赋予移民儿童的各项权利，与其实际获得的保护之间时常存在明显落差。再者，尽管各方宣称旨在建立接纳与融合的共同标准，但欧洲各地的相关政策与实践仍存在显著差异。本文旨在探讨并剖析欧洲地区UAMs面临的若干关键议题。除却欧盟需构建统一监管框架的迫切需求外，还应加大力度改善UAMs的融合融入工作，尤其要确保对该群体相关现象的治理能够超越当前的应急处置模式。