Separated Children in Europe Programme: Position Paper on Age Assessment in the Context of Separated Children in Europe

Date: 
Friday, October 4, 2013

The Separated Children in Europe Programme (SCEP) published recently its Position Paper on Age Assessment in the Context of Separated Children in Europe.The Paper represents the position of the SCEP on age assessment in the context of separated children in Europe. In particular, it aims to provide concrete recommendations to States and other relevant stakeholders on how to ensure full respect of the rights that separated children are entitled to, when doubts concerning their age may arise. SCEP’s positions presented in this Paper are based on the current situation concerning laws, policies and practices related to age assessment in Europe, primarily as it resulted from a review undertaken by SCEP in 16 European countries. The paper builds upon the principles and standards outlined in the SCEP’s Statement of Good Practice which are primarily based upon and informed by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (‘CRC’, 1989), the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child’s General Comment Number 6 on the Treatment of Unaccompanied and Separated Children Outside Their Country of Origin (2005) and the UNHCR’s Guidelines on Policies and Procedures in dealing with Unaccompanied Children Seeking Asylum (1997).


This item was reproduced with the permission of ECRE from the weekly ELENA legal update supported by the Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Funding Programme and distributed by email. The purpose of these updates is to inform asylum lawyers and legal organizations supporting asylum seekers and refugees of recent developments in the field of asylum law. Please note that the information provided is taken from publicly available information on the internet. Every reasonable effort is made to make the content accurate and up to date at the time each item is published but no responsibility for its accuracy and correctness, or for any consequences of relying on it, is assumed by ECRE, the IRC or its partners.

                                                     

 

Keywords: 
Child Specific Considerations