Nearly 30 ombudspersons for children from across Europe participated in the two-day seminar, alongside experts in healthcare and migration. Together, they addressed critical issues such as access to health services, the rights of migrant children, and how to safeguard children’s welfare in evolving political landscapes.
The first day focused on health. Many children across Europe still lack adequate access to healthcare services, and there is a clear need for age-appropriate information to help them participate in decisions affecting their well-being, according to seminar participants. They emphasised the importance of investing in training for healthcare professionals so that they are better equipped to address children’s needs effectively.
Migration was the focus of the second day. The recently agreed EU Pact on Migration and Asylum was broadly welcomed as a necessary step toward a more unified approach. Finnish Ombudswoman for Children, Elina Pekkarinen, expressed support for the initiative, stating that regulation at EU level is essential, particularly for countries with long external borders facing significant migration pressure.
In her view, sharing the responsibility among member states brings a sense of reassurance and solidarity.
Despite this, concerns remain. French Ombudsman for Children Éric Delemare voiced apprehension over the tendency for public policies to overlook children, warning that minors are too often rendered invisible in migration systems. He stressed that children should never be treated as being in an irregular situation and called for better EU-level safeguards, especially for those held at Europe’s external borders in hot spots or detention centres.
He insisted on the need to uphold the principles enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and demanded clarity on how vulnerable individuals will be treated when filtered through migration procedures far from their home countries.
Luxembourg’s own Ombudsman for Children and Youth, Charel Schmit, called for improvements within the country as well. He acknowledged the challenges of the housing market but said that current solutions, such as temporary tent settlements, were inadequate and unsustainable.
Schmit also raised alarm about a recent initiative by nine European countries to challenge the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights. While the move is currently tied to migration policy, he warned that it could eventually lead to a broader erosion of fundamental rights that have taken decades to secure and are part of Europe’s core values.
Across the board, participants agreed that the rights of children must not be allowed to fall by the wayside. In the face of shifting political priorities and increasing migration pressures, they called for continued vigilance and commitment to children’s rights remain essential, both in Luxembourg and across Europe.
