EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 12.4.2017 SWD(2017) 129 final COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Implementation of the Action Plan on UAMs (2010-2014) Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

The protection of children in migration



{COM(2017) 211 final}



Contents I. INTRODUCTION II. DATA COLLECTION II.1 Actions at EU level (a) Collection of data at EU level under the Statistics Regulation (b) EU Agencies and networks II.2 Actions in EU Member States III. PREVENTION OF UNSAFE MIGRATION AND TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS III.1 Prevention (a) Funding (b) Relation with Third Countries (c)Addressing trafficking in human beings (d) Visa applications submitted on behalf of children IV. RECEPTION AND PROCEDURAL GUARANTEES IN THE EU IV.1 Procedures at first arrival and standards of protection (a) Legislative action at EU level (b) Guidance from the EU Agencies (c) Border-related measures regarding unaccompanied children

(d) Age assessment (c) Funding (e) Children going missing IV. 2 Relocation IV.3 Safeguards for unaccompanied children in judicial proceedings IV.4 EU Financial support provided IV.5 Actions in the EU Member States for ensuring protection of unaccompanied children V. FINDING DURABLE SOLUTIONS V.I Family tracing V.2 Return and reintegration in the country of origin (a) Funding (b) Legislative monitoring (c) Detention V.3 International protection status, other legal status and integration of unaccompanied children (a) Funding V.4 Resettlement I. INTRODUCTION Protecting unaccompanied migrant children and ensuring that their best interests are respected has been a priority for the Commission over the last decade. The Action Plan on Unaccompanied Minors (2010 – 2014) ('the Action Plan') was designed to provide a comprehensive framework for the concrete responses to the challenges posed by the arrival of unaccompanied children on EU territory.

In September 2012, the Commission issued a Mid-term Report on the Action Plan on Unaccompanied Minors highlighting the developments between May 2010 and June 2012 and identifying the areas which required more attention and targeted action during the following years. The migratory crisis has exacerbated the challenges posed by the arrival to the EU of vulnerable migrants, and in particular of migrant children, including the unaccompanied ones. The European Agenda on Migration and the Communication of February 2016 on the state of play in its implementation indicate that the protection of migrant minors, and especially of the unaccompanied ones, is a priority for the EU. The overall increase of the number of migrant minors, including unaccompanied ones, calls for a comprehensive approach to their protection. This Staff Working Document ('SWD') provides an overview of what was achieved in the implementation of the Action Plan over the period from mid-2012 to end 2014, and of some of the key developments that occurred in the main areas covered by the Action Plan in 2015 and 2016. The structure of the SWD follows the four main lines of action that were identified in the Action Plan: data collection; prevention of unsafe migration and trafficking; reception and procedural guarantees in the EU, and finding durable solutions. For actions implemented at EU level, the document is based on information provided by the European Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS), and EU Agencies – in particular the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and European Border and Coast Guard Agency (EBCGA). Concerning developments which have taken place in the Member States, the SWD relies on information available in the Study by the European Migration Network (EMN) of 2015 on “Policies, Practices and Data on Unaccompanied Minors ” (‘the 2015 EMN Study’), and on information facilitated by some Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Spain, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, and the Slovak Republic) for 2015, and by the Commission and the EU Agencies (EASO, FRA, Frontex) for 2016. The 2015 EMN Study provided a comparative analysis of Member States’ policies and practices to safeguard unaccompanied children from the moment they are intercepted on the EU territory and until when a durable solution has been found for them. The Study distinguishes (where possible) between unaccompanied children applying and those not applying for international protection, including those who entered irregularly and child victims of trafficking. It also covered the issues of unaccompanied children who abscond or go missing, and arrangements to support the transition to adulthood for unaccompanied children turning 18 years of age. The Study highlighted good practices in the Member States, but also pointed to gaps and challenges that still need to be addressed in order to ensure that all unaccompanied children, regardless whether or not they are seeking asylum in the EU, benefit from the same level of protection. II. DATA COLLECTION The Action Plan underlined the need for comprehensive, reliable and comparable data on unaccompanied children arriving on the territory of the Member States, as an essential factor for assessing the phenomenon of unaccompanied children, finding durable solutions and ensuring our policy is adapted to the needs on the ground. In particular, the Action Plan established that: (a) Member States should use the full potential of current and additional disaggregation of the Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 July 2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 311/76 on the compilation of statistics on foreign workers (the Statistics Regulation) to gather comprehensive data on unaccompanied children – or alternatively, collect such data directly from the administrations in the Member States; (b) the EU and the Member States should use the EU Agencies (EASO, Frontex, Europol) and networks (European Network On Migration, EMN) to improve data collection and the exchange of information on unaccompanied children. The Action Plan has helped build awareness of the importance of gathering and exchanging quantitative and qualitative data, and progress was made in practice on both strands. However, gaps and limitations remain, and efforts need to continue. The objective is to ensure that the presence of unaccompanied children in the EU is known to the full extent, to ensure their full traceability from the point of arrival and regardless of their legal status, to prevent that they go missing and to ensure that there is information available to support their tracing. II.1 Actions at EU level

(a) Collection of data at EU level under the Statistics Regulation At EU level, Eurostat continued to require Member States to provide data not only on unaccompanied children seeking asylum but also on those irregularly present including victims of trafficking. The Commission's Annual Reports on Immigration and Asylum provide specific data referring to unaccompanied children as a vulnerable group, with equal focus being placed on those who apply for international protection and those who do not. The need for consistency and comparability for the latter is highlighted. Eurostat collects and publishes annual data of persons applying for asylum considered to be unaccompanied children since 2008 reference year on the basis of Article 4 of the Statistics Regulation. These data are broken down by citizenship, age (groups) and sex. The tables below show the main figures for the timeframe of the Action Plan and the year 2015. Under Article 6 of the Statistics Regulation, Eurostat collects since 2010 data on first residence permits issued to unaccompanied children for non-asylum related reasons. However, due to the non-availability of information on the specific types of authorisations issued to unaccompanied children in some Member States or the lack of possibility to distinguish such permits from other types, such data are currently not reported by all countries. In 2015, only 6,234 such permits were reported by Member States, compared to 4,512 in the previous year. More than two thirds of all such permits were issued in Italy (4,365 in 2015 and 3,400 in 2014). Significant numbers of such permits were reported by the United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden and Finland. In 2015, most of residence permits issued to unaccompanied children not related to asylum were issued to unaccompanied children being citizens of Albania (1,514), Egypt (1,076) and Bangladesh (518). Evolution in the number of unaccompanied child asylum applications in the EU 2010-2014-2015 Eurostat: Unaccompanied child asylum applicants evolution 2010-2015: Year Number of unaccompanied child asylum applicants 2010 10,610 2014 23,150 2015 96,465 Applicants for international protection considered to be unaccompanied minors in the EU28 by age group, 2015

Applicants for international protection considered to be unaccompanied minors In March 2017, Eurostat published a compilation of annual data on Asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex, covering the period 2011-2016. The data shows that, out of 56,000 unaccompanied minors who applied for asylum in the EU28 in 2016, around 50,000 were boys, of which around 40,000 aged over 16. A compilation of data on children in migration collected from other institutional and non-governmental sources is also available on the Commission’s website. To sum up, the data communicated by Member States to Eurostat continues to be very fragmented. Moreover, the precise numbers of unaccompanied children who go missing or abscond from reception and care facilities are not known. FRA reported an average of 28 children disappearing daily in Italy as of October 2016, and one in four unaccompanied children disappearing from their accommodation in Sweden in January and March 2016. Some of these shortcomings were discussed at the Eurostat Annual Working Group on Asylum and Managed Migration (19-20 October 2016). (b) EU Agencies and networks The EU Agencies, international organisations and networks such as the EMN have also been working to improve the availability of data and statistics regarding unaccompanied children. The European Asylum Support Office started collecting monthly data on unaccompanied minor applicants in March 2014, in the context of the Early Warning and Preparedness System ('EPS'). The EPS is a data collection system gathering information under specific indicators that cover all key stages of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). However, the information available is limited and access to it is restricted. EASO data cover persons claiming to be unaccompanied children, whereas Eurostat data cover persons that are confirmed to be unaccompanied minors. Countries provide monthly provisional data to EASO within 15 days, with all 30 EU+ countries (EU Member States plus Norway and Switzerland) contributing. For this reason, the data provided to EASO by the EU+ countries might differ from the official statistics submitted to Eurostat in the framework of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007. The EPS data inform of persons claiming to be unaccompanied children according to two indicators: (i) applicants for international protection and (ii) withdrawn applications for international protection. Given the short timelines for submitting these operational data, EASO considers a person to be an unaccompanied minor applicant if they claim to be below the age of 18 years.

Information on unaccompanied children who have withdrawn their applications (implicitly or explicitly) during the reference period is also collected in the framework of the EPS. The implicit withdrawals can be taken into account, amongst other factors, for estimates in relation to child trafficking, provided that other available information on the phenomenon is duly considered, including for what concerns trends, gender dimension, age groups. However, the information available is limited and access to the system is restricted. Currently this data is not public, but it is available to the Member States, the Commission and EU Agencies. According to EASO, in September 2016 the EU+ countries recorded 125,809 applications for international protection. Since the beginning of 2016, 1,013,053 applications have been recorded in the EU+. 2% of all applicants claimed to be unaccompanied minorswhen lodging an application. 27% of all unaccompanied minor applicants were Afghan citizens, 12% Syrian and 9% Eritrean. EASO continued the development of Country of Origin Information (COI), and recently opened to the public the COI Portal, including information on the situation of children in certain countries of origin, to assist asylum practitioners. Several COI reports have been developed and are available to officials dealing with applications for international protection, researchers, policy-makers and decision-making authorities. Some of the reports listed below included one or several sections on children: Afghanistan: Security Situation Afghanistan: Taliban Strategies Recruitment South and Central Somalia country overview Chechnya: Women, Marriage, Divorce and Child Custody Pakistan: Country Overview. South and Central Somalia country overview with attention a Forced recruitment of girls/Early marriage/female genital mutilation (FGM); EASO Practical Guide on “Researching the situation of lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons (LGB) in countries of origin”. In addition to the reports, EASO also organised two conferences on Afghanistan: in December 2012, with a session devoted to Child-Specific COI, and in December 2015, on the situation of unaccompanied children. In October 2015, a COI workshop was held on Nigeria. The topics of female genital mutilation and early marriages were covered by an external expert from the field. The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has developed a child-focused country of origin report about Afghanistan as a pilot project in 2012. The EU funded (under the European Return Fund) the UNICEF Child Notices project, which also sought to address the lack of child-specific country of origin information. Child Notices on the situation in Afghanistan, Albania, Guinea, Morocco and Sudan contain valuable background information for policy-makers as well as caseworkers, lawyers and other professionals in Europe, such as demographic and statistical data on children, basic legal information, general principles, civil rights and freedoms, basic rights (e.g. education, healthcare), family environment and alternative care, special protection measures, returning separated or unaccompanied children and families. The project also provided valuable learning on the gathering of child-specific country of origin information.

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights has started in the last quarter of 2015 to collect data on the fundamental rights situation of migrants and persons in need of international protection in those Member States that had been particularly affected by large migration movements. In particular, FRA started collecting data for the situation in Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia and Sweden, as these were assessed by FRA as the most affected countries (covering the main entry, transit and destination countries). As of October 2016, FRA has expanded the number of Member States covered in the regular overviews on refugee and immigration situation from 8 to 16, including Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the Slovak Republic. The first and following reports contain specific references to children, particularly when referring to "child protection" within the challenges and developments concerning reception conditions of new arrivals, including detention. These references exemplify how the different Member States consulted address the main challenges regarding children in migration, such as identification and registration of unaccompanied and separated children, the appointment of guardians, the number of unaccompanied children who disappear from their accommodation, and the legal and operational path for those who apply for international protection. In addition to the regular overviews, FRA has started to publish thematic focus reports on unaccompanied and separated children. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency continued to collect on an ad hoc and voluntary basis statistics on the persons who illegally crossed the border, which however does not provide for age and gender disaggregation. As a result of the experience gained through its activities in 2007 (Joint Operation (JO) Agelaus 2007), 2010 (JO Agelaus 2010) and 2011 (JO Hammer), it began to develop an indicators compilation and good practice handbook on children on the move at risk (namely “Vega Handbook: Children at airports”) in cooperation with its Fundamental Right Officer, its Consultative Forum representatives and Terre des Hommes. The guidance was tested in 2014 in the first Vega Children joint operations before being published in August 2015. Frontex planned to extend its VEGA Handbook also to land and sea borders. The VEGA Handbook on land borders will be available in 2017. The European Migration Network compiles data related to migration and asylum including on unaccompanied children. The EMN publishes reports and studies, Ad-Hoc Queries, policy briefs, bulletins and factsheets. The EMN comparative studies have proven to be a useful tool for mapping data collection sources and systems in the Member States, for identifying best practices and remaining gaps and divergences among the Member States regarding data collection on unaccompanied children. The 2015 EMN Study on policies, practices and data on unaccompanied children/children in the EU Member States and Norway provided a comparative overview of practices and policies on several key aspects related to the treatment of migrant unaccompanied children before, during and after status determination. Annex 1 to the 2015 EMN Study compiled the following types of data: Table A1.1 Statistics on applications for international protection by unaccompanied minors in the (Member) States (2009-2014). Table A1.2 Total number of applications for international protection submitted by unaccompanied minors in the (Member) States in each reference period, disaggregated by their sex and age (2009-2013). Table A1.3 Statistics on results of application for international protection by unaccompanied minors in the (Member) States (2009-2013). Table A1.4 Status granted to unaccompanied minors out of the total number of positive asylum decisions (2009-2013). Table A1.5 Statistics on grounds for permits granted application for international protection by unaccompanied minors in the (Member) State (2009-2013). Table A1.6 Total number of unaccompanied minors not applying for international protection in the Member State (2009-2013) (data for 6 Member States only). Table A1.7 Total number of unaccompanied minors NOT applying for asylum in the Member States in each reference period, disaggregated by their sex and age (2009-2013) (data for 4 Member States). Table A1.8 Total number of residence permits granted to unaccompanied minors not in the asylum system, disaggregated by sex (2009-2013) (data for 4 Member States). Table A1.9 Asylum-seeking unaccompanied minors that abscond and/or are reported as missing from the asylum system (including those then accounted for) (2009-2013). Table A1.10 Non-asylum seeking unaccompanied minors that abscond and/ or are reported as missing from the care of public authorities (including those then accounted for) (2009-2013). Table A1.11 Total number of unaccompanied minors in the care of the public authorities in each reference period (2009-2013). Table A1.12 Total number of unaccompanied minors in the care of the public authorities in each reference period, disaggregated by their sex and age (2009-2013).

Table A1.13 Total number of unaccompanied minors in detention pending return in each reference period, disaggregated by their sex and age (2009-2013). Table A1.14 Total number of unaccompanied minors returned as part of forced return measures in each reference period (2009-2013). Table A1.15 Total number of unaccompanied minors returned as part of voluntary measures in each reference period (2009-2013). Table A1.16 Total number of unaccompanied minors returned as part of assisted voluntary return measures in each reference period (2009-2013). Under the EMN 2017-2018 Work Programme, Member States should start collecting weekly operational data on return, disaggregated inter alia by vulnerable groups, including unaccompanied children, with a view to exchanging it within the Integrated Return Management Application. International organisations are also involved in the sharing and monitoring of statistical data on unaccompanied children. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and UNICEF provide regularly updated data compilations. To ensure visibility of data on children in migration collected from some institutional and non-governmental sources, the Commission published this information on its website. In the context of the migration crisis, the Integrated Political Crisis Response (IPCR) arrangements were launched in November 2015 under the Presidency of the Council of the EU. IPCR proved to be a very useful tool enabling prompt collection and (non-public) exchange of relevant data in relation to unaccompanied children. II.2 Actions in EU Member States A Commission study of 2013 on Missing Children in the European Union: Mapping, data collection and statistics provided data on the numbers of missing unaccompanied children in 12 EU Member States: Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. The numbers of missing children ranged from 1,754 in Italy to 1 in Cyprus (2012). This study also revealed that responses to missing unaccompanied children are often different from responses to missing national children. The precise numbers of unaccompanied children who go missing or abscond from reception and care facilities are not known, which makes it difficult to provide an adequate assessment of the issue of absconding in the Member States, as well as at EU level. The 2015 EMN Study also highlighted the lack of comprehensive and comparable data on the numbers of and outcomes for unaccompanied children receiving some form of protection in the EU other than international protection. The current obligation for Member States to provide annual data only for unaccompanied children applying for international protection was one of the causes of the data shortage. The lack of comprehensive and comparable data impedes a proper assessment of the real scale of specific problems affecting asylum- and non-asylum seeking unaccompanied children alike, such as the risk of absconding from reception and / or care facilities. The EMN Study concluded that more systematic data collection by the Member States, using common definitions on unaccompanied children, is needed for informing policies addressing this particularly vulnerable group. It was suggested that this may include:

The systematic collection of annual disaggregated data on unaccompanied children who are not applying for international protection (by age and sex, grounds for residence permits granted to non-asylum seeking unaccompanied children or other possible outcomes for such children - e.g. return).  The development of a standardised EU-wide method to record the disappearances with annual data collection on the total number of unaccompanied children reported as missing and/or absconding from the care of asylum or other public authorities (and those then accounted for), disaggregated by age, sex, nationality, type of disappearances in terms of the migration status of the minor, including a distinction between the numbers of children and numbers of cases of disappearances.  The development of common indicators on durable solutions/outcomes for unaccompanied children, both asylum- and non-asylum seeking;  The development of common indicators on outcomes for unaccompanied children turning 18 years of age, disaggregated by sex and type of outcomes (e.g. permanent/temporary residence permit, return, education/ employment, etc.). The 2015 EMN Study showed that data collection on unaccompanied children continues to be insufficient in many Member States, mainly due to the fact that different administrations and institutions are in charge of children’s' reception and care. At the same time, many Member States do not compile at all statistics on the number of unaccompanied children who do not apply for international protection. However, the 2015 EMN Study provides data on the numbers of (i) unaccompanied children applying for international protection and/or those who have been granted international protection, and (ii) unaccompanied children not applying for international protection, including those who entered irregularly and/or child victims of trafficking. These numbers can be found in the Synthesis Report of the 2015 EMN Study. Further developments in the Member States in 2015 Several Member States have indicated the following data for 2015 GEO/TIME 2015 Age -disaggregated Top 5 countries of origin Sex-disaggregated EU (28 countries) <14 14-15 16-17 Males Females Austria 6,171 404 5,767 Afghanistan 4,012) Syria (834) Iraq (284) Somalia (208) Pakistan (203) Belgium 3,099 399 1,265 1,435 Afghanistan (2,013) Syria (467) Iraq (185) Somalia (108) Guinea (60) 2,836 233 Bulgaria 1,816 255 603 968 Afghanistan (940) Iraq (532) Syria (284) Pakistan (40) India (7) 1,706 110 Czech Republic 14 4 10 Afghanistan (5) Syria (3) Ukraine (3) Egypt (1) Iraq (1) Nigeria (1) 10 4 Denmark Germany Estonia Hungary 8,804 2,915 2,234 3,671 Afghanistan (4,875) Syria (2,238) Kosovo (746) Iraq (310) Pakistan (212) 7,534 1,270 Ireland 32 1 5 26 Afghanistan Albania Democratic Republic of Congo Zimbabwe Iraq 4 28 Greece Spain 65 15 10 40 Morocco Algeria Syria 48 17 France Croatia Italy 3,959 Gambia (1,171) Nigeria (564) Senegal (437) Bangladesh (420) Mali (310) Cyprus Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta 42 Netherlands 3,890 230 3,610 Syria (1,640) Eritrea (1,270) Afghanistan (490) Iraq (130) Iran (50) 3,270 630 Poland 149 107 13 29 Russian Federation (103) Vietnam (13) Takijistan (7) Afghanistan (5) Iraq (5) 82 67 Portugal 49 49 Mali Guinea Democratic Republic of Congo 32 17 Romania 40 10 30 Afghanistan Syria Bangladesh Iraq Somalia 35 5 Slovenia 44 6 14 24 44 0 Slovakia 3 3 Pakistan (1) Vietnam (2) 1 2 Finland Sweden 35,369 35,369 Afghanistan Syria Somalia Eritrea United Kingdom Iceland Liechtenstein Norway Switzerland Total III. PREVENTION OF UNSAFE MIGRATION AND TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS III.1 Prevention

Preventing unsafe migration and child trafficking remains the first step of a strategy to tackle the phenomenon of unaccompanied children. On this account, the Action Plan had identified priority actions to be undertaken at EU and national levels in four main areas: (a) funding; (b) relations with third countries; (c) fight against trafficking in human beings ('THB'); and (d) visas and information. Significant progress was made since 2010 as result of increased cooperation with third countries, including under the new Partnership Framework and the implementation of the EU Strategy towards the eradication of trafficking in human beings 2012-2016. These efforts need to be sustained and further increased. (a) Funding The first implementation report of the ActionOriented paper on strengthening the EU external dimension on action against trafficking in human beings ('THB'), adopted in 2011, gave an overview of projects addressing THB in non-EU countries funded by the EU and Member States. Awareness-raising information campaigns concerning the serious risks and dangers faced by migrants, and especially by unaccompanied children attempting to reach the EU through irregular channels, have been intensified. In 2014, the EU has launched two information campaigns in Niger (targeting Western Africans) and Ethiopia/Sudan (targeting Somalis and Eritreans). These countries are crucial in the smuggling of human beings which takes place from key regions in crisis, and have an impact on the flow affecting the Central Mediterranean route. These are important origin and transit countries for trafficking in human beings which takes place from key regions in crisis, and through the Central Mediterranean route. These campaigns were financed by the EU under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) 2014 Annual Work Programme. In 2015, the Commission has published a call for proposals under AMIF aimed at funding actions addressing the integration and the safe and sustainable return of victims of trafficking in human beings, further focusing on the early identification and protection of children, including unaccompanied children, as well as adults victims of trafficking for all forms of exploitation in high-risk sectors (such as, for example, sex industry, agriculture, fisheries, construction, textile, sex industry, domestic work). Following the call HOME/2015/AMIF/AG/THBX, the project "Trafficking along Migration Routes: Identification and Integration of Victims of Trafficking among Vulnerable Groups and Unaccompanied Children is co-financed with EUR 498,741.74. Protection of children is one of the main objectives of the "Strengthening child protection, reducing the risk of sexual and gender base violence and improving protection for refugees and asylum-seekers in Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya" project which is supported under the 2015 AMIF grant for the Regional Development and Protection Programme in the Horn of Africa (the maximum AMIF contribution is EUR 4,966,112.53). Apart from the child protection related activities, the project covers also activities related to the prevention of the sexual and gender based violence in Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya. Some child related activities are also covered by the 2015 AMIF grant for the Regional Development and Protection Programme in North Africa, in particular in Mauritania. The overall maximum AMIF contribution to the Regional Development and Protection Programme in North Africa is EUR 9,997,627.90 and the budget of the sub-action for Mauritania (which does not cover only child related activities) is EUR 1,298,913.17. Via a sub-delegation of the budget from the Commission to Eurostat (under the AMIF 2016 Annual Work Programme), on the basis of a memorandum of understanding, additional statistical data is financed, amounting EUR 375,000. Data tables collected specifically about children and when feasible all other relevant datasets shall always provide for inclusion of the disaggregation by sex/age and figures on children who are unaccompanied.

The Commission has continued to provide funding for projects targeting child victims of trafficking in the EU under several programmes, e.g. Prevention and Fight Against Crime and DAPHNE, but also to projects addressing THB in non-EU countries and regions. In particular, the EU is currently implementing the Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants, with specific actions dedicated to children and other vulnerable migrants. It is a four-year (2015-2019) joint initiative by the European Union and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime ('UNODC') being implemented in partnership with the IOM and UNICEF. The programme is part of a joint response to address trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants and it is expected to be delivered in up to 15 strategically selected countries across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. The focus will be on assistance to governmental authorities, civil society organisations, victims of trafficking and smuggled migrants. The programme aims to assist the selected countries in developing and implementing comprehensive national counter-trafficking and counter-smuggling responses aims and objectives. In East Africa, the programme 'Addressing Mixed Migration Flows (AMMF)' , implemented by Expertise France in partnership with the IOM, the Danish Refugee Council and the Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat has as one of its main objectives to tackle organised crime networks active in migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings with a specific focus on vulnerable groups and children. Other specific objectives include to set up and strengthen safe and rights-respectful centres for migrants and to promote the provision of livelihoods and self-reliance opportunities for displaced persons and host communities. The project runs for 36 months over the period 2016-2019 and covers Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Egypt, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan. Tailor- made technical assistance interventions to improve country legislation on trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants are also currently provided to partner governments in the framework of two EU-funded initiatives on capacity building: MIEUX (Migration EU Expertise, a global initiative implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD)) and the ACP-EU Migration Action (to support the implementation of the ACP-EU Dialogue on Migration and Development and implemented by IOM). Both programmes will run up to 2019. Consultations under the IOM implemented project “Migrants in Countries in Crisis: Supporting an Approach Based on the Facts for Efficient and Concerted Action of the States” highlighted the importance of reflecting the vulnerabilities of migrant children, in particular unaccompanied minors. It is currently being explored how capacity building activities under the project can integrate such aspects. Following the Council Conclusions of 10 March 2016 and in line with the EU Action Plan against Migrant Smuggling 2015-2020,the Commission, together with the relevant Member States and EU Agencies, is mapping ongoing and planned projects across EU Member States with a view to collecting best practices and developing new, targeted campaigns in countries of origin and transit, including in the Horn of Africa and the Silk Route region. EU Trust Fund for Africa Under the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, a number of projects approved since 2015 are contributing to the implementation of the Action Plan on Unaccompanied Minors. Firstly, the project ‘Better Migration Management’ (EUR 46 million), aimed at improving migration management at regional level in the Horn of Africa, will provide specialised protection to unaccompanied and separated minors who have fallen prey to human trafficking and smuggling networks. Foreseen activities in Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Somalia include facilitating dialogue between child protection providers in the relevant countries, establishing multidisciplinary child protection teams and conducting trainings on standard operating procedures in child protection such as family tracing or reunification. The project is implemented by a consortium of EU Member States’ agencies led by Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and commenced its activities in April 2016.

Secondly, under the Regional Development and Protection Programme (RDPP) framework, for which projects are on-going in Ethiopia (EUR 30 million), Kenya (EUR 15 million), Somalia (EUR 50 million), Sudan (EUR 15 million) and Uganda (EUR 20 million), a specific focus is put on the protection of unaccompanied minors. As its overall objective, the RDPP aims to create evidence-based, innovative and sustainable development and protection solutions for both refugees and their host communities, including access to and provision of basic rights and services. For example, in Uganda, a project implemented by EU Member State agencies and NGO consortia provides protection in four refugee-hosting areas where youth are particularly vulnerable to abduction or recruitment into sex slavery and child soldiering, with one component dedicated to providing technical vocational, education and training (TVET) and promoting apprenticeships for youth. In Ethiopia, activities are specifically targeted at providing protection and assistance to Eritrean refugees of whom many are young men and unaccompanied minors, for instance through access to primary education and apprenticeship programmes. The RDPP North Africa as well as the RDPP Horn of Africa focus on the protection needs of vulnerable persons, in particular unaccompanied minors. The RDPP Middle East aims to enhance protection against the worst forms of child labour. In Cameroon a Trust Fund project is dedicated to strengthening the capacities for a better migration management in order to protect children migrants against exploitation and trafficking (EUR 3 million). A similar project is implemented in Nigeria (EUR 3.2 million) to invest in the safety and integrity of Nigerian girls. In the same country, a project is dedicated to strengthening psychosocial support mental health, reintegration and protection services for children in Borno, including children associated with Boko Haram (EUR 5 million). Many others projects are supported under the Trust Fund to prevent migration through improving youth employability and creating job opportunities, among them: socio-professional insertion project for youth Chadians in vulnerability (EUR 10.3 million); youth employment opportunities in Mali (EUR 20 million); creating job opportunities in cross-border and peripheral areas in Burkina Faso (EUR 7 million); countering rural emigration and reintegration in the peanut plant basin through developing rural economy in Senegal (EUR 18 million); decent jobs and job strengthening for youth and potential migrants in the fishery sector in Mauritania (EUR 14 million); support to agricultural sector in Niger (EUR 30 million); boosting economy and supporting communities in Mali (EUR 10 million); job creation in Senegal through the reinforcement of competitiveness of enterprises in departure zones in Senegal (EUR 40 million); reducing migration through rural job creation and setting individual and village agricultural farms in high-potential migration areas in Senegal (EUR 20 million); resilience and employment in Lake Chad (EUR 27 million); promoting employment and reinforcing resilience in North Cameron (EUR 7 million); strengthening training and professional insertion of young boys and girls in Agadez and Zinder for socioeconomic development in Niger (EUR 6.9 million); insertion and socioeconomic stabilisation of youth and women in Seno in Burkina-Faso (EUR 5.2 million); countering illegal migration through supporting the private sector and job creation in Senegal (EUR 10 million); job creation and development of micro-enterprises through fair trade and selected value chains (regional project, EUR 10 million); investing for local economic development in the extreme North of Cameroon to favour youth employment and insertion (EUR 10 million); supporting a Gambia Youth Empowerment Scheme (EUR 11 million); improving employability of youth and capacities of medium and small enterprises through developing the construction industry relying on local materials in Mauritania (EUR 3.2 million); supporting professional competences, entrepreneurship and agribusiness for youth in rural area in Burkina-Faso (EUR 8 million); promotion of jobs and strengthening living conditions of fishermen, youth and women in North Mauritania (EUR 10 million). Other are focusing on addressing nutritional and food insecurity as push factor for migration. Violence against children A specific EUR 41 million Call for Proposals was launched in 2013 on child protection and tackling violence against children. 32 projects were selected worldwide, focusing mainly on establishing stronger child protection systems and establishing protection, assistance and referral mechanisms through local and national actions. Others In 2016, the EU launched a comprehensive development assistance package (EUR 92 million) to support sustainable reintegration of returnees in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. This measure is also aimed to help local authorities develop adequate policy frameworks for rights-based and development-focused migration policies and sustainable reintegration of returnees. Particular attention is given to vulnerable groups, including unaccompanied minors, who will be assisted by local authorities and IOM in the framework of the EU-funded reintegration programme through effective referral and support systems, which include post-arrival assistance, enhanced access to livelihood services, support to educational needs, skills development and/or income generating activities. The "Civil Society Action for Promoting Migrants’ Rights", implemented by the International Federation of the Red Cross, is aiming to reinforce Civil Society Actors' capacities to set up protection mechanisms for migrants with focus on children at risk and other vulnerable groups. The main objective is to contribute towards eradicating human trafficking in targeted countries, corridors and regions, in the frame of a globally coordinated civil society action, providing direct support and protection to migrants and their families, promoting and raising awareness of their rights at all levels through prevention actions, assistance services, rescue operations, reintegration assistance. The Commission is supporting the project "Strengthening regional multi-national coordination for increased protection of vulnerable and trafficked migrant children travelling through the Gulf of Aden Migration Route", implemented by the IOM and taking place in Yemen, Ethiopia and Djibouti (EUR 1.25 million). It supports the coordination efforts of the governments of the 3 countries to protect and promote the human rights of unaccompanied minors and separated children along their migration route (cooperation and policy dialogue, advocacy, enhancing information, identification and direct assistance, awareness-raising).

European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights Through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights , the Commission is providing support to several projects selected in 2015 under the lot on "support to migrants, including asylum seekers in third countries, internally displaced persons and stateless persons". Among them, a project in Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is aiming at community monitoring and advocacy: improving the position of refugees and other migrants, especially children and women on local communities. Another project focuses, mainly in Libya, on the protection of migrants and asylum seekers, especially children, and women coming from Nigeria and victims of trafficking. In India, a project aims at preventing, protecting and promoting the rights of internally displaced children and their families through increased state policies and protection of their rights. Children are also among main beneficiaries of projects in Cambodia aiming at supporting and advocating Cambodian's migrants' rights in Thailand, preventing violations and human trafficking; and in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, aiming at supporting the rights of Dom and other related minorities from Syria. Moreover, in 2016 the Commission allocated a direct grant (EUR 1.2 million) to UNHCR for global technical assistance and capacity-building to prevent the detention of children and to protect children and other asylum seekers in detention (Indonesia, Iraq, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico). Country-wide immigration detention monitoring and capacity building programmes as well as technical assistance and awareness raising activities for immigration officials (border guards, airport staff etc.) and child protection actors, stakeholders and Civil Society Organisations are provided in order to reinforce expertise on international standards. Direct support to civil society Since 2016 the Commission is providing support to Civil Society Organisations through the signature of Framework Partnerships Agreements (FPA) in their capacities of implementing agents and actors of governance at regional and global levels. An FPA has been signed with the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) to defend and protect the enabling environment of civil society in particular regarding the rights of migrants, women and Human Rights Defenders. Another FPA has been signed with La Via Campesina (LVC) to increase the capacity of small-scale food producer's organisations and notably empower youth and ensure them a future in the country-side. Education The EU invests around EUR 1.7 billion (2014-2020) in country allocations to fragile states to improve access to quality education for all children and youth. 60% are fragile countries out of the 45 countries where education is a focal sector for EU support. The EU also supports education through the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) which aims to strengthen education systems in developing countries in order to dramatically increase the number of children who are in school and learning. The GPE is increasingly focussing support on fragile countries, with around 50% of funding going to these countries. The EU is the biggest donor to the GPE Fund with a pledge of EUR 375 million (2014-2020). The EU collectively (EU and the Member States) provide around 63% of the financing to the GPE Fund. The EU is also actively engaged in the Education Cannot Wait Fund (ECW), which was launched at the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016. The ECW's goal is to ensure that children and youth in conflict-affected countries or have been forcibly displaced have access to safe, free and quality schooling. Civil and birth registration The Commission is supporting as a priority the establishment of strong Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems, and notably quality birth registration services, in third countries. Ensuring children's access to an identity at birth participates to a better protection from violence all along their life. The project "Towards universal birth registration in Africa" (EUR 4 million) is implemented by UNICEF in Burkina-Faso, Cameroon, Uganda and Zambia. In Mali, a EUR 25 million support is given to the strengthening of a national secured and civil registration system. In Senegal, the Commission supports the consolidation of the civil registration system and the creation of a national file of biometric identities. As highlighted in the 2015 EMN Study, over the period 2012-2014 several Member States have implemented prevention and development projects in third countries to address the circumstances of unaccompanied children (and migrants in general) who seek to travel to the EU. These projects focused on:

Investments in education in third countries (by Belgium, France, Hungary, Luxembourg, Slovenia). Educational aspirations constitute one of the reasons for fleeing third countries and seeking protection in the EU. It is important to provide access to educational resources in those countries. This could help reduce poverty and increase the possibilities for employment. Measures aimed at the prevention of recruitment of child soldiers, prostitution and establishment of protection centres (Germany). Measures for prevention of trafficking in human beings (the United Kingdom). Awareness-raising campaigns on migration and asylum procedures in the EU in general and (Member) States in particular (Belgium, Cyprus, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Norway). The 2015 EMN Study points to a set of good practices identified in this respect. Member States Promising practices reported Belgium Several awareness-raising missions were carried out to countries of origin of important groups of migrants, such as countries in the Balkan region, Guinea and Congo. These missions aimed at explaining the Belgian migration policies and asylum system to the local populations, in order to counter false expectations and dissuade possible victims of trafficking or smuggling, including unaccompanied children, from heading to Belgium. Netherlands A project was run in Afghanistan from January 2013 to June 2014. The project was implemented by UNHCR and developed an awareness-raising campaign geared towards preventing vulnerable children from abuse and improving this group's access to protection services. The most important activities that took place in various parts of the country were: - dialogue with local communities about child protection (abuse, violence, exploitation and neglect); - providing information in the form of theatre plays (due to illiteracy) about the risks of irregular migration; TV and radio campaigns about irregular migration and the vulnerability of unaccompanied children during such travel; and - campaign about the forced marriages of children. Directive 2011/93/EU on child sexual abuse and exploitation provides another legal instrument which sets minimum levels for criminal penalties for such crimes and facilitates reporting, investigation and prosecution. It extends national jurisdiction to cover abuse by EU nationals abroad, gives child victims easier access to legal remedies and includes measures to prevent additional trauma from participating in criminal proceedings. (b) Relation with Third Countries Awareness- raising information campaigns in Countries of Origin and of Transit In 2016 a call for proposals was launched under the Global Public Goods and Challenges thematic programme on Migration to support the implementation of the Rome Programme (Rabat Process). Among the selected awarded projects, three Civil Society Organisations' implemented initiatives are focusing on child protection in West Africa region. Foreseen activities include: awareness rising in local communities on the risks of irregular migration for children (with a specific focus on identified communities with children at risk); training for relevant actors on the protection of children and young migrants at risk of exploitation; reinforcing existing child protection mechanisms and improve access to protection for child migrants in vulnerable situations; support voluntary return and sustainable reintegration for migrant children; improve data collection and analysis and improve governments' ownership on data collection and information sharing. The EU-Africa Action Plan on Migration foresees the organisation of information campaigns in countries of origin, transit and destination, to raise awareness amongst the general public and potential migrants and victims on the dangers of trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants and their recruitment processes. This included campaigns through public broadcasting services programmes aimed at informing about the migratory situation in Europe.

Furthermore, in the EU Action Plan against migrant smuggling (2015-2020), the Commission announced new information and prevention campaigns in key countries of origin or transit for migrants. Cooperation projects The EU and Member States continued to work towards increasing the protection capacities in third countries, along the main axes of intervention identified in the Action Plan. The vulnerability of this group of migrant children continued to be regularly addressed in the framework of migration and mobility dialogues with third countries. With the newly-established Partnership Framework approach, migration is fully embedded into EU foreign policy, with the aim to address its root causes, to combat smuggling of migrants and address trafficking in human beings, to improve cooperation including for the purposes of return and readmission. This also includes the protection of children in priority partner countries, and mobilising different kinds of EU support. The protection needs of unaccompanied minors are addressed for instance in the Political Declarations of the Mobility Partnerships and Common Agendas on Migration and Mobility. Practices and experiences in dealing with unaccompanied migrant children were shared in a number of meetings with third countries and regions such as the United States. This subject was discussed in the framework of the EU-US Cooperation Platform on Migration and Refugee issues, and the Latin America and Caribbean partners at the occasion of the IX High Level Meeting of the EU-CELAC Dialogue on Migration. Specific issues such as birth registration and statelessness among children are key concerns in a number of the priority countries. The EU, through the EEAS, is working with UNHCR to identify the countries mostly affected by the problem of statelessness, in order to raise the issue with the governments concerned. For this purpose, UNHCR provided training for key EEAS and Commission staff in July 2015. The Declaration of the High Level Conference on the Eastern Mediterranean and the Western Balkan Route, which took place in Luxembourg on 8 October 2015, reflects the commitment of the EU and the partner countries along this route to support and protect the more vulnerable victims of migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings, with special attention to children. This concern was also raised by the leaders of the EU and Africa, gathered at the EU-Africa Summit on Migration, held in Valletta on 11-12 November 2015. The EU-Africa Action Plan on Migration adopted in Valletta foresees a number of actions to prevent children from finding themselves in situations of risk and to ensure that they receive the adequate protection. Furthermore, this issue has also been approached in the framework of the European Parliament Panel on Migration and Asylum. A dedicated expert workshop on unaccompanied children seeking asylum took place in Kiev on 21-22 October 2015. The workshop allowed practitioners from the EU Member States and the Eastern partners to hold an open discussion about protection of children seeking asylum, ensuring their rights and to address child-specific needs throughout the asylum procedure.

The Human Rights Dialogues with third countries, covering also children's rights and trafficking in human beings, have continued, and cover at present about fifty countries worldwide. Children’s rights are regularly addressed in subcommittees on Justice, Freedom and Security and human rights informal working groups. Recently, in these different configurations, children’s rights and in particular child protection systems were raised with Belarus, Ukraine, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the United Arab Emirates. The EU continued to implement the 2007 EU Guidelines on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child. In the context of the ongoing review of these Guidelines further emphasis is placed on unaccompanied children. The EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy (2015-2019), adopted in July 2015, renewed the commitment to attend to the needs of unaccompanied children. The Council Conclusions on the Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2015-2019 state in action 24.e) that “Support improved access to justice and health for migrants in countries of origin and transit; promote improved conditions of detention for detained migrants and alternatives to the use of detention for irregular migrants in third countries; pay particular attention in this regard to vulnerable migrants including unaccompanied minors.” Likewise, the 7th, 8th and 9th editions of the European Forum on the Rights of the Child helped to inform the Commission and other EU institutions for mainstreaming children's rights across EU policies. Furthermore, the European Migration Forum– the dialogue platform on migration, asylum and migrant integration – met for the first time on 26 and 27 January 2015. The main theme of this meeting was "Safe routes, safe futures. How to manage the mixed flows of migrants across the Mediterranean?". The result was a set of policy recommendations, which were presented by four rapporteurs. (c)Addressing trafficking in human beings Trafficking in human beings is a grave violation of human rights and a serious form of organised crime, explicitly prohibited by Article 5 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and with treaty references in Article 83 (organised crime) and Article 79 (irregular migration) TFEU. Children are a particularly vulnerable group to trafficking into the EU, within the EU and within individual Member States, as well as to re-trafficking and secondary victimisation. Child trafficking is reported by Member States as one of the trends that is increasing most sharply in the EU. The statistical data for 2013-2014 show that out of the 15,846 persons registered victims of trafficking in the EU, at least 2,375 were children. 2013-2014 show that out of the 15,846 registered victims of trafficking in the EU, at least 2,375 were children. Although child trafficking is prevalent in situations unrelated to migration, the information in the Report on the progress made in fight against THB suggests that the phenomenon has been exacerbated by the ongoing migration crisis, during which the number of children arriving in the EU increased. A significant proportion of those children are unaccompanied, travelling to and in the EU without a responsible adult, or left unaccompanied after entering the EU and are a high risk group for trafficking in human beings. Since the adoption of the Action Plan, special efforts have already been implemented to collect data on trafficking in human beings. In April 2013, the Eurostat published the first Working Paper on Trafficking in Human Beings in Europe , including data for the years 2008- 2010. In February 2015, a revised edition of the Working Paper was issued on statistics on trafficking in human beings for the years 2010-2012. The totals and percentages in the Working Paper are based on data from the 28 EU Member States and Montenegro, Norway Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey. According to the Eurostat statistical data for 2013- 2014 provided by Member States: A total of 15,846 victims of trafficking were registered in the EU. Out of them, 2,375 were children. Trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation continues to be the most widespread form (67%), followed by labour exploitation (21%).

The top five EU countries of citizenship for registered victims continued to be Romania, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Hungary, and Poland, as for the years 2010-2012. For non-EU citizens, the top five countries with the highest number of victims were Nigeria, China, Albania, Vietnam and Morocco. The EU has developed a comprehensive legal and policy framework to address THB, which is human rights centred, gender specific and child sensitive: the Directive on preventing and combating THB and protecting its victims , and the EU Strategy towards the Eradication of THB 2012-2016 . On the basis of the Directive, the EU Anti-trafficking Coordinator (EU ATC) holds the mandate of monitoring implementation, improving coordination and coherence between EU institutions and agencies as well as between Member States and international actors, and contribute to the development of existing or new EU policies and strategies relevant to addressing trafficking in human beings. The Anti-Trafficking Directive sets out a number of provisions based on the principle of the ‘best interests of the child’, which require that Member States take into account the specific needs of child victims of trafficking ensuring child-sensitive support and protective measures. On 2 December 2016, the Commission issued two Reports under Article 23 of the Anti-trafficking Directive, with relevance also for unaccompanied children: a Report assessing the extent to which Member States have taken the necessary measures in order to comply with Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims in accordance with Article 23 (1), and a Report assessing the impact of existing national law, establishing as a criminal offence the use of services which are the objects of exploitation of trafficking in human beings, on the prevention of trafficking in human beings, in accordance with Article 23 (2) of the Directive 2011/36/EU. The first Report, under Article 23 (1), concluded that, while all Member States notified full transposition of the Directive, significant room for improvement still remains for measures related to child victims, such as specific child protection measures, presumption of childhood and child age assessment, the protection before and during criminal proceedings, access to unconditional assistance, compensation, non-punishment, assistance and support to the family member of a child victim as well as prevention. The Second Report, under Article 23 (2), concluded that Member States should step up their efforts to ensure more unified and dissuasive action against the cross-border crime of trafficking in human beings. The EU Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings 2012-2016 recognised that comprehensive child-sensitive protection systems, ensuring interagency and multidisciplinary coordination are crucial in catering to the needs of child victims of THB. A mid-term report of its implementation was published in October 2014 including specific references to the work delivered focusing on children within the anti-trafficking context. The EU Anti-trafficking Strategy included specific deliverables related to children, including unaccompanied minors. In the context of the EU Civil Society Platform against trafficking in human beings, an open dialogue on child trafficking was promoted, bringing together participants from across the EU to discuss current problems and exchange practices. An electronic platform was launched as a complement to the Platform, to enable the continuity of the discussions beyond the biannual meetings in Brussels and to ensure that these are broadened by including a larger number of organisations. Furthermore, in 2015 the Commission published a Study on children as a high risk group within trafficking in human beings, which examines the factors that render children vulnerable and resilient to trafficking in human beings. The Commission has also worked closely with the EU Agencies with a view to developing practical/operational guidance relevant for children. The EU Anti-trafficking Strategy stressed that effective guardianship systems are instrumental in preventing abuse, neglect and exploitation. In June 2014, FRA published "Guardianship for children deprived of parental care: A handbook", which was designed to help harmonise guardianship practice in the Member States while ensuring that they are better equipped to deal with the specific needs of child victims of trafficking. The Handbook provided Member States with guidance and recommendations for strengthening their guardianship systems, by setting out the core principles, fundamental design and management of such systems. In October 2015, FRA published a report on “ Guardianship systems for children deprived of parental care ”, based on research carried out in 2013, with a particular focus on the role of guardianship systems in responding to child trafficking. This report provides a comparative overview of national guardianship systems in EU 28 Member States pointing out disparities between the types of guardianship provided to children in and within the EU Member States and identifying main protection gaps. It explores the key features of guardianship systems put in place to cater for the needs of all children in need of protection. This includes child victims of trafficking in human beings or of other forms of exploitation and those at risk of becoming victims, such as unaccompanied children. The report helps to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of national guardianship systems and could also assist decision makers in taking measures to promote the effective protection of all children.

EASO also aims at supporting the EU Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings (2012–16) and its coherent implementation. For this purpose, it has been working since 2013 on a set of specific activities addressing the issue of victims of trafficking in human beings in the context of asylum procedures, including asylum seeking children. In this context, EASO is currently finalising the development of the EASO Training Module on THB. The module builds on two levels of learning, aimed at raising awareness of asylum officials who can come across a potential victim of THB and developing skills in interviewing and assessing applications for international protection from victims of THB. The EASO online platform on Trafficking in Human Beings has been launched to support the work of the EASO Network on Trafficking in Human Beings. (EASO THBNet). The platform provides for EASO tools and resources, relevant materials from meetings expert workshops, details of upcoming meetings and contact details of the network members. In addition, EASO organises Annual Conferences on Trafficking in Human Beings (held in March 2014, May 2015 and June 2016), as well as practical workshops, for instance on Trafficking and Nigeria (October 2015). Frontex developed a toolkit on combating trafficking by first and second line officers. Frontex now implements "train-the-trainer" courses based on the developed toolkit. Child trafficking has been identified as one of the priorities under the European Multidisciplinary Platform against Criminal Threats on Trafficking in Human Beings, within the framework of the EU Policy Cycle for organised and serious international crime. Operationally, the Commission further provided policy and financial assistance, and conducted joint operations across the EU for cracking down on networks of child trafficking. In the majority of Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Norway) border guards/police authorities receive special training to help identify children, in particular THB victims. The EMN Study of 2015 provided an overview of prevention and development projects implemented by Member States in third countries. Several Member States have implemented prevention and development projects in third countries to address the needs of unaccompanied children (or migrants in general) who seek to travel to the EU. The projects focused on:  Investment in education in third countries to improve access (educational aspirations constitute one of the reasons for fleeing third countries and seeking protection in the EU), reduce poverty and increase the possibilities for employment (Belgium, France, Hungary, Luxembourg, Slovenia). Measures for prevention of recruitment of child soldiers, prostitution and establishment of protection centres (Germany). Measures for prevention of trafficking in human beings (United Kingdom). Awareness-raising campaigns on migration and asylum procedures in the EU in general and (Member) States in particular (Belgium, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Norway).

The 2015 EMN Study also illustrates selected best practices on account of prevention by some Member States. For example, from January 2013 to June 2014 the Netherlands ran a project in Afghanistan, implemented by UNHCR that developed an awareness-raising campaign geared towards preventing vulnerable children from abuse and improving this group's access to protection services. The most important activities that took place in various parts of the country were: Dialogue with local communities about child protection (abuse, violence, exploitation and neglect); Providing information in the form of theatre (due to illiteracy) about the risks of irregular migration; TV and radio campaigns about irregular migration and the vulnerability of unaccompanied children during such travel; and Campaign about the forced marriages of children. The 2015 EMN Study also informs that the measures put in place by Member States to prevent disappearances have focused on a range of strategies, from building relationships of trust with the unaccompanied children, through close monitoring to involving multiple stakeholders who may come into contact with the children. Some Member States (Belgium, Finland, France) have reported that they focus on developing relationships with unaccompanied children staying in state residences. For example, Finland and France report aiming to establish a safe atmosphere, trust-based relationships with adults and peer support. A good practice example of efforts made to prevent absconding of unaccompanied children from the Minor-Ndako reception centre in Belgium. Various Member States have set up systems to register and monitor unaccompanied children. In some Member States, such as Finland and the Netherlands, presumed victims of trafficking are placed in protected reception, whereas intensive supervision takes place over those residing at the open/campus location. In Portugal, unaccompanied children are required to ask permission to leave an open centre and are usually accompanied by an assistant. Actions and alerts in cases of missing children, including unaccompanied children, are in many Member States coordinated by NGOs. The practice in most Member States is that once the police are notified, they are responsible for undertaking a preliminary/ full investigation of the disappearance of a minor, launching a missing persons’ alert, etc. Examples of how Member States deal with disappearances are presented in the 2015 EMN Study. Special prevention measures, fast-track asylum procedures or guidance for national authorities in Belgium, Norway and the United Kingdom, aiming to reduce the disappearance of unaccompanied children, are examples of good practice in the protection of this group highlighted in the Study. One of the primary challenges associated with the issue of unaccompanied children who go missing or abscond is prevention, i.e. ensuring their safety – both those in reception and care and missing/absconding unaccompanied children who run the risk of being trafficked or smuggled – along with early identification of victims of trafficking. The lack of data on this group is also pointed out by most Member States as a main challenge. Some Member States (Belgium, Hungary, Sweden) call for more coordination at national level, a clear allocation of responsibilities and better information sharing between relevant actors (e.g. police, child protection authorities, NGOs, etc.) when preventing and dealing with disappearances. Other Member States, such as Hungary, have criticised the lack of adequate legal representation by the case guardian during the asylum procedure, as well as late appointments of both case and child protection guardians which has hindered the protection of unaccompanied children and often led to disappearances. The 2015 EMN Study identifies prevention measures as one of the most important areas of intervention when it comes to disappearances of unaccompanied children, with the first 24 hours upon arrival of an unaccompanied minor in such a facility seen as critical for establishing a relationship of trust with the child and reducing chances of his/her disappearance. Member States report the need for greater collaboration between all authorities dealing with this vulnerable group who may be prone to disappear. To date, a few (Member) States, including Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom have established protocols between authorities in order to prevent and/or respond to the issue, and these are considered to be a good practice.

The Table below lists examples of good practices in the area of prevention that were reported by some Member States. Member States 2015 promising practices reported Belgium Enhanced activities in trainings given to other partners engaged with the phenomenon of unaccompanied children and victims of human trafficking Ireland Irish authorities reported that they are about to publish a new National Action Plan, containing a number of actions which are aimed at ensuring that a comprehensive child-sensitive protection system is in place. Romania The majority of third country children discovered at border crossings with forged or falsified documents or attempting to illegally cross the border, seek for asylum or other protection in Romania. There are support programs for child victims of THB, developed by the competent institutions: National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons, National Authority for Child Protection and Adoption, etc. with duties in taking over, identification, counselling and repatriation of children who are victims of trafficking in human beings. Romania - the General Inspectorate of Romanian Police - engaged in 2015 in carrying out training sessions focusing on preventing trafficking in human beings/migrants within the Mobility Partnership EU - Jordan. Slovak Republic A national project called "Promotion of the Integration of Aliens in the Facilities for Social and Legal Protection of Children and Social Curatorship" was in preparation. It should include activities aimed at early identification of victims of human trafficking with an aim to ensure the protection and re-integration of children. Sweden A survey on children suspected of being victims of human trafficking was pursued. In the survey, 210 suspected cases of children being victims of human trafficking were identified during the period 2012-2015. The majority of the children were 15-17 years old and it was almost as many boys as girls. The most common purpose behind suspected cases of human trafficking of children is sexual exploitation (50%), whereas 60% were girls and 39% boys. Unaccompanied children were a particular vulnerable group (64% of the suspected cases). According to data provided by the Swedish authorities, the number of internal reports of suspected cases of human trafficking has increased during 2015. Out of 195 internal reports, 66 related to children. The most likely explanation is an increased competence among employees concerning the identification of suspected victims of human trafficking. (d) Visa applications submitted on behalf of children The Action Plan foresaw that Member States’ consular services should thoroughly assess visa applications submitted on behalf of children. As indicated in the 2015 EMN Study, unaccompanied children not seeking asylum are subject to the entry conditions applicable to third country nationals wishing to enter the EU, which include a valid visa and travel document. Asylum-seeking unaccompanied children will always be allowed entry into the EU territory, regardless of whether they meet the entry requirements – in line with international humanitarian law. For non-asylum seeking unaccompanied children, the 2015 EMN Study distinguishes between Member States that can refuse entry to all third country nationals who do not fulfil the entry conditions, including unaccompanied children, and those that apply a special policy to unaccompanied children based on humanitarian grounds and always grant those who are not asylum seekers access to the territory, regardless of whether they fulfil the entry conditions. Where no special policy applies, non-asylum seeking unaccompanied children who do not fulfil the entry conditions may be ordered to return to their country of origin (subject to conditions set out in Directive 2008/11//EC being met). See also further below for details on return actions. In order to prevent illegal migration of travellers obtaining Schengen visas by presenting forged or counterfeited passport and/or breeder documents, Frontex has developed a training tool for visa section staff embassies and consulates in third countries. Since February 2016, the Visa Information System (VIS) is operational worldwide, therefore fingerprints are, as a general rule, collected from visa applicants from the age of 12 years, helping to prevent identity fraud and protecting children from falling victims of trafficking.

The EU Commission is addressing as a priority the protection of children against recruitment and use by armed forces, groups and gangs. Inter alia, 6 projects are under implementation in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Palestinian Territories, Sudan, Lebanon and Jordan for the release and sustainable socioeconomic and psychosocial reintegration of children taken out of armed forces, and for the prevention against recruitment. IV. RECEPTION AND PROCEDURAL GUARANTEES IN THE EU Ensuring adequate standards on reception and procedural guarantees for all unaccompanied minors reaching the territory of the Member States remained a key priority for the EU. Considerable steps have been taken towards strengthening both the EU legislative framework and the operational support provided to those Member States mostly affected by the migration and refugee crisis (such as via the hotspots in Greece and Italy). These efforts need now to be stepped up, with the current legislative reform proposals embedding child protection standards in all relevant procedures being adopted by co-legislators and with full implementation being guaranteed by the Member States. In parallel, operational support by the Commission and the relevant EU agencies to certain Member States needs to be continued, so as to ensure that child protection standards are upheld in all situations. IV.1 Procedures at first arrival and standards of protection (a) Legislative action at EU level The reform of the CEAS adopted in 2011-2013, has significantly increased the protection standards that Member States should grant to unaccompanied children and other vulnerable groups seeking to obtain international protection in the EU. In particular, the principle of the best interests of the child has been explicitly embedded in the CEAS instruments and key provisions on unaccompanied children have been strengthened, guaranteeing inter alia the right to family reunification, enhanced procedural safeguards throughout the asylum procedure, suitable accommodation, prompt access to health and education, protection against arbitrary detention which is allowed only in exceptional circumstances, and never in prison accommodation. A compilation of EU acquis on the rights of the child lists and links all legislation and proposals is available on the Commission's website. The Commission has launched several studies assessing completeness and compliance of Member States' legislations with the asylum acquis standards, and it continuously monitors Member States' practices and legal obligations. The 2015 EMN Study has also shown that, while the CEAS asylum acquis and international law provide numerous guarantees for unaccompanied children applying for international protection, unaccompanied children who are not in the asylum procedure do not benefit from the same level of protection and guarantees. Other gaps that were identified concern the cooperation and coordination between different authorities dealing with unaccompanied minors in the Member States and across borders, and in particular protracted procedures for family tracing and reunification based on the Dublin rules. Guardianship

The FRA Handbook on Guardianship provides guidance on ways to strengthen guardianship systems, setting forth the core principles, fundamental design and management of such systems. Further information on Member States’ practices of guardianship, including distinction between the concepts of ‘guardian’ and ‘(legal) representative’, may be found in the outputs of the CONNECT project, and the National Reports produced for the 2015 EMN Study. The EU-funded CONNECT project reference document provides a useful overview table of most of the key asylum and migration laws regarding unaccompanied children, with different entry points, reflecting all legislation adopted up to 2014, with child-related provisions. The 2015 EMN Study emphasised the diversity of arrangements in the Member States in terms of the type of representative i.e. guardian, lawyer, and/or both, the timing for the appointment of a representative. The March 2016 Commission on Report on the progress made in the fight against trafficking in human beings also revealed many challenges and gaps in the area of guardianship, including on aspects such as training, qualifications, the mandate and the role of appointed guardians and the monitoring of their performance. The 2015 EMN Study also pointed to existent gaps and shortfalls in terms of providing for a prompt and effective guardianship for the unaccompanied children, which is essential for safeguarding their rights. Significant challenges in the guardianship national systems have been identified also in the FRA comparative research on the topic, such as the shortage of qualified guardians in some Member States, the need to provide the necessary training to the guardians, and the lack of monitoring mechanisms for the performance of guardians. These issues should be partly remedied by the further reform of the CEAS proposed by the Commission in May and July 2016. In particular, the proposal for an Asylum Procedures Regulation contains provisions to strengthen the guardianship systems in the Member States (including prompt appointment, availability of guardians in function of the number of children needing their protection, ensuring that guardians have suitable qualifications, introducing systems for monitoring the performance of guardians). The proposal for a recast Dublin Regulation aims to secure quicker determination of the Member State responsible, making the best interests of the child assessment more operational and promoting closer cooperation between Member States. (b) Guidance from the EU Agencies EASO has put in practice several tools regarding the reception conditions, asylum procedures and integration of unaccompanied children. More precisely, in the reporting period the Agency has developed several training modules for asylum officers on: Interviewing children - provides asylum officials with: knowledge and skills in children’s development stages; specific techniques for interviewing children; knowledge and skills on how to assess the information given by a child;

Interviewing vulnerable persons, which takes the participant through the process of preparing and conducting an interview with a vulnerable person in a professional, respectful and emphatic manner. Furthermore, the module focuses on specialised knowledge on indicators of vulnerability, mental and physical impairments; and provides advice on addressing difficult situations, as well as the interviewer’s own needs. Gender, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation, which aims to raise awareness and knowledge on applicants for international protection, including children, whose human rights are being violated because of their gender, gender identity or sexual orientation. The upgraded version of the EASO Training Module on COI presents an enhanced, section on child-focused COI (research tools, sources). In 2014, EASO launched its Network on Activities on Children aimed at facilitating the exchange of relevant information, best practices among the practitioners with thematic meetings organised on Best Interest of the Child, Age Assessment, Family Tracing, Children and the Dublin Regulation and Trafficking of Children. In 2015, EASO completed a comprehensive mapping of national mechanisms for the identification of persons with special needs, the special procedural guarantees and respective reception conditions in place for all categories of persons with special needs as per the Reception Conditions Directive, including unaccompanied children. The ‘Quality Matrix Report: Identification of persons with special needs’ (2015) is available for internal use to Member States, EASO, the Commission and other relevant institutions of the EU, as well as UNHCR. In addition, EASO developed a practical tool for identification of persons with special needs, including unaccompanied children. The tool provides practical information necessary for timely identification, as well as generic guidance on special procedural guarantees and reception support. The guidance is based on the standards of the EU asylum acquis and commonly agreed good practices. In 2013, FRA and EASO signed a bilateral cooperation agreement, which covers the provision of training, quality support, operational cooperation, research, information and analysis, as well as horizontal cooperation. FRA is supporting EASO’s work related to vulnerable groups of persons, including unaccompanied children, and the development of EASO training material and tools on children. FRA “Checklist to act in compliance with fundamental rights when obtaining fingerprints for Eurodac” includes child specific safeguards. It suggests that no fingerprints for Eurodac should be obtained from children if there is doubt concerning whether or not they have reached 14 years of age. Furthermore, the weekly, and as of January 2016 monthly, reports produced by FRA in 14 Member States, including information on reception conditions for children and safeguards at registration and in asylum and return procedures, are shared with EASO and Frontex. As regards Frontex, the amendments introduced to the Schengen Borders Code and the Schengen Handbook (Practical handbook for border guards) in 2013 made it obligatory to the Member States to nominate national contact points for consultation on children and to use them in case of doubt (e.g., in case there is a need to check if an unaccompanied minor is not leaving against the wish of the person(s) having parental custody). In this regard, the common core curricula has been amended by Frontex to include further fundamental rights considerations for the daily work of border guards in any circumstance, with specific emphasis on vulnerable groups such as unaccompanied children and the need to promptly refer them to the competent protection authorities. The curriculum sets the basic standards of education for any border guard function within the EU. Frontex included in its working arrangements with third countries clauses covering fundamental rights. In the last working arrangement negotiated, the standard clause dealing with fundamental rights reads as follows: 'In the implementation of the intended cooperation, Frontex and the Third Country involved, in their respective capacities, afford full respect for human rights, as enshrined in international laws and principles.' The working arrangements to be concluded with third countries also cover vulnerable groups, including children, as well as the status agreements for staff deployed in activities of the Agency in third countries. The recently adopted European Border and Coast Guard Regulation provides that the Agency, in cooperation with the appropriate training entities of Member States, EASO and FRA, should develop specific training tools, including specific training in the protection of children. In addition, migration management support teams shall include staff with expertise in child protection.

Frontex Training Unit organises “Trainings on advanced skills for the detection of falsified documents”. The concept of the training is based on the “train the trainer” principle. The target group for this level of training is the officers operating in the back-offices who are responsible for checking, in further detail, travel documents that have aroused the suspicion of the frontline officers. Two main groups of officers are targeted: Experienced Advanced level officers or Specialist Level Officers as specified in the Framework for harmonised programme for the training of document examiners (Council Doc. No. 9951/07). (c) Border-related measures regarding unaccompanied children The treatment of children at the external borders is assessed in the context of the Schengen evaluation visits. During the evaluation visits particular attention is paid to the respect of fundamental rights in the application of the Schengen acquis. Experts participating in evaluations receive appropriate training on fundamental rights in Schengen evaluation border management. In all Schengen evaluation visits, the general rules of the Schengen Borders Code on children are to be verified (e.g. availability and implementation of VEGA Handbook). The Standard Questionnaire which covers the relevant legislation, commonly agreed recommendations and best practices, also refers to situations and procedures involving unaccompanied children. The experts then verify the application of the Schengen acquis during their on-site visits. Frontex offered its Fundamental Rights training for Border Guards to a number of third countries in the context of the implementation of technical assistance projects and of the Working Arrangements that Frontex has with those states. Frontex has also developed the Vega Handbook: Children at Airports (finalised July 2015, to be tested as a pilot phase first) aimed at increasing border guards' awareness of children and situations of risk for children crossing the external air borders of the EU, unaccompanied or not. It can improve identification of children on the move at risk at airports, while ensuring respect for child rights and enhancing activities against criminal threats to their safety. In the 2014 Joint Operation Vega Children (17 September 2014 – 18 November 2014) Frontex tested the aforementioned handbook at air borders. Following the testing phase, in the course of 2015 and upon the recommendations collected during the evaluation phase of the activities, Frontex implemented two phases of the Vega Children joint operation at air borders (from 12 June 2015 until 8 July 2015 and from 26 August 2015 until 5 October 2015) corresponding to the end and beginning of school periods, when children are mostly expected to travel. Frontex will deliver the public version of the Handbook to Third Country authorities that have signed a working arrangement and/or a cooperation plan with the agency. The involvement of the same authorities in the Joint Operation Vega Children 2016 is also planned. In 2012, a study was undertaken at the request of the Commission to look at the requirements specific to children, travelling alone or accompanied, legally entering or leaving the Member States/associated countries. In the follow-up to the study, the Commission published in 2013 a report on the requirements for children crossing the external borders of the Member States. The report looks at the legislation at the EU and national level as well as practices with regard to the requirements for crossing borders, including the questions of parental authorisation. The report encouraged the Member States to develop appropriate national coordination mechanisms for travelling children and to inform the border crossing points about these mechanisms so that border guards know whom to contact in which situation and what the responsibilities between the different actors are. Frontex has implemented a basic fundamental rights course for its staff that makes specific reference to the need to carefully deal with children and unaccompanied children during border management activities. The course has now been running for 3 years and the Agency is committed to its continuation. Further development of specialised courses for Frontex staff will follow. Furthermore, explicit mentions of children and unaccompanied children are included throughout the Manual on Fundamental Rights for Border Guards. Conditions for the protection of unaccompanied children are specifically foreseen in the areas of reception and assistance, as well as in interviewing. The aforementioned Manual highlights the international and European standards in the area of deprivation of liberty, noting these can only be used as the last resort and only for the shortest possible period of time. The internal Guidelines for Frontex debriefing activities specifically exclude intelligence gathering with children under 18 years to avoid any interference with the rights of the child and the principle of best interest.

Operational plans of Frontex Joint Operations include basic mentions of unaccompanied children’ referral mechanism in operational areas, so that guest officers deployed familiarise themselves with the protection mechanism in the host Member State. Pre-deployment briefings include mentioning unaccompanied children as an especially vulnerable category where in case of doubt, “presumption of minority” should be the approach taken. The recently adopted European Border and Coast Guard Regulation addresses a number of strengthened child protection aspects. The Agency should fulfil its tasks in full respect for fundamental rights and relevant international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The child's best interests are to be a primary consideration in the activities of the Agency. The code of conduct applicable to all border control operations coordinated by the Agency and all persons participating in the activities of the Agency shall lay down procedures intended to guarantee the principles of the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights with particular focus on children and unaccompanied children. In addition, a complaints mechanism is to be set up to monitor and ensure the respect for fundamental rights in all the activities of the Agency. The Agency shall ensure that information about the possibility and procedure for making a complaint is readily available, including for vulnerable persons or any party representing such persons. The European Border and Coast Guard Regulation also calls for a revision of the Fundamental Rights Strategy and action plan, including on children in migration to be adopted in 2017. Particular actions on children in migration will be included in the action plan, to ensure that sufficient attention and specific needs of children, specially unaccompanied, are covered during Agency’s activities. FRA has pursued research on Treatment of third-country nationals at the EU’s external borders: Surveying border checks at selected border crossing points. This research presents the human rights situation at the EU's borders where asylum seekers as well as victims of trafficking for labour and sexual exploitation and for organ extradition may also first enter the EU. Three reports were published by FRA presenting the human rights situation at the EU's southern sea borders (October 2013), the EU’s air (October 2014) and the EU's land borders (November 2014) where asylum seekers as well as victims of trafficking for labour and sexual exploitation and for organ extraction may first enter the EU: Fundamental rights at Europe’s southern sea borders; Fundamental rights at airports: border checks at five international airports in the European Union Summary; Fundamental rights at land borders: findings from selected European Union border crossing points. The reports covered also the treatment of children and revealed challenges and gaps in the identification, registration and treatment of children at the borders, including detention practices and lack of referral of children to child protection authorities. The FRA Handbook on European law relating to the rights of the child aims to raise awareness and improve the knowledge of the legal standards that protect and promote children’s rights in Europe. It is a point of reference on both EU and Council of Europe ('CoE') law related to these subjects, explaining how each issue is regulated under EU law, including the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, as well as under the European Convention on Human Rights, the European Social Charter and other CoE instruments. The Handbook on European law relating to asylum, borders and immigration was jointly produced by the European Court of Human Rights and FRA. It examines relevant law in the field of asylum, borders and immigration stemming from both European systems: the European Union and the Council of Europe. It provides an accessible guide to the various European standards relevant to asylum, borders and immigration. Chapter nine is devoted to persons with specific needs and covers unaccompanied children.

(d) Age assessment As migrants often arrive to Europe undocumented, it is sometimes necessary to perform age assessment in order to assess whether a migrant is a minor and therefore in need of special protection. The grounds, timing and methods used across the Member States for age assessment vary widely. The Asylum Procedures Directive provides some minimum safeguards for the benefit of the asylum-seeking minors, including the need to obtain his/her and the guardian’s consent to performing medical examinations, and the obligation to treat the person as a minor whenever the age assessment is inconclusive. Age assessment should only be used where there are grounds for serious doubt about an individual’s age. Recognising that age assessment is not absolutely precise, in cases of doubt, authorities should treat the person as a child and grant the right to appeal age assessment decisions. In 2013, EASO published its study on Age Assessment Practice in Europe (2013). This publication seeks to highlight the key points and procedural safeguards, in accordance with international, European and national legislations, which should be taken into consideration when undertaking age assessment. It includes several reference tools to support users including; a SWOT analysis of the age assessment methods in use, checklists, a mapping of the methods used by EU+ countries, instances of Member State practice and expert recommendations, a glossary and a summary of the legal provisions on the issue. In 2016, EASO began the development of a new edition of the publication EASO Age assessment practice in Europe. This revised edition is aimed at exploring new methods to assess the age in full compliance with the best interest of the child and the necessary procedural safeguards. It will include practical recommendations and provide guidance for age assessment process following a holistic approach. It will finally present an updated mapping of the current methods in use in the EU+. EASO has also provided operational support to Cyprus and Bulgaria regarding issues related to unaccompanied children (age assessment, guardianship and representation, identification of vulnerable persons. FRA research has shown that age disputes lead to delays in the appointment of a guardian, since in practice often it is necessary to complete age assessment procedures before a guardian is appointed. Age disputes and ineffective age assessment procedures, as well as a lack or disregard of safeguards, may also result in detention of unaccompanied children. Age assessment procedures are also important in the context of child trafficking, as children are sometimes instructed by traffickers and criminal networks to state that they are adults. The Anti-trafficking Directive sets forth the presumption of childhood. The 2013 EASO study on Age Assessment Practice in Europe provides further information on age assessment arrangements and practices in the Member States. The new edition will include