The Canary Islands Government has developed a guide of best practices for the care and support of unaccompanied minor migrants, in collaboration with nearly 50 NGOs and international entities, according to an official statement.
Urgent Need for Inter-Administrative Collaboration
Among the key conclusions and recommendations, the guide highlights the urgent need to strengthen inter-administrative collaboration. This is essential for facilitating the compassionate transfer of unaccompanied migrant minors to other communities and ensuring their full social integration.
Comprehensive Care for Children and Adolescents
The document addresses various aspects of comprehensive care for children and adolescents arriving alone. This includes access to asylum procedures, international protection, and specific care for girls who are survivors of gender-based violence, victims of trafficking, and members of the LGBTIQ+ community. It also covers mental health support, harm repair, various foster care models—whether residential, familial, or through reunification—and the reality of separated children.
Support for Transition to Adulthood
Additionally, the guide discusses age determination procedures, the administrative status of minors, challenges in transitioning to adulthood, and residential and socio-labour alternatives. It also outlines inter-institutional coordination mechanisms and the distribution of minors across different territories.
The Canary Islands Government asserts that this document “will improve the reception of these young people across the country,” despite “the passivity of the central government and the reluctance of regional governments” to accommodate unaccompanied minors.
A Practical Tool for Better Responses
The guide is described as “not just a declaration of intent but a technical, collaborative, and ethical tool to provide a better response in the processes of reception, care, and transition to adult life” for minors arriving in small boats to the coasts of the Canary Islands, stated Claudia Pérez, spokesperson for Innovation in migration management.
Facilitating Employment Opportunities
Moreover, this team, which includes sociologist Marta Hernández, has fostered alliances between businesses and social projects to support the employment inclusion of vulnerable young migrants.
“We cannot allow reaching adulthood to become another barrier. On the contrary, it should be the moment when they begin to build their own path in the Canary Islands, with support, networks, and rights,” she emphasised.
Strategic Migration Management
Innovation in migration management is one of the sectors within the strategic think tank Islas Responsables (IRLab) established by the Canary Islands Government. This focus centres on the strategic management of migration and the promotion of intercultural coexistence.
One of its key objectives is the comprehensive care of unaccompanied foreign minors, particularly regarding their transition to adult life.
In this context, one of the most significant challenges this team faces is providing emancipation and integration alternatives for minors who, upon reaching adulthood, will no longer be under the guardianship of the Canary Islands Government.
EFE
