The GUIDE project partners are presenting a set of recommendations on how to better protect unaccompanied children and improve support for their guardians. The package includes a comprehensive European-level report and country-specific recommendations for Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Poland and Slovakia, as well as summary tables outlining the challenges, relevant stakeholders and proposed solutions. All materials are available in English and in the respective national languages.
The project has identified persistent structural challenges affecting the protection, representation and well-being of unaccompanied children, particularly children with disabilities, across the European Union. While European legislation recognises guardianship as a key safeguard for access to rights, participation in procedures and continuity of care, its implementation remains inconsistent across Member States. Guardianship systems may differ from one country to another, but all EU Member States share the same responsibility.
The findings highlight common challenges across the partner countries, including delays in appointing guardians, excessive caseloads, insufficient training opportunities and limited institutional support. The reports also raise serious concerns about current trends towards accelerated migration procedures, detention and policies aimed at shifting responsibility beyond EU borders, which place children at risk.
The reports also highlight a broader policy shift following the adoption of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which places greater emphasis on migration management, border control and security considerations, rather than child protection. Children with disabilities and those facing multiple vulnerabilities are often overlooked and face even greater challenges.
At European level, the recommendations call for:
- sustainable investment in guardianship systems;
- harmonised standards for training and professional support;
- greater legal clarity and procedural safeguards;
- child-centred and inclusive approaches;
- improved coordination, digitalisation and data management;
- stronger cooperation and mutual recognition mechanisms between countries.
The recommendations are the result of in-depth research, legal analysis and consultations with a wide range of stakeholders carried out within the GUIDE project. They draw on national assessments, national round tables, European-level round tables and exchanges of experience between countries, involving experts, child protection professionals, guardians, civil society organisations, policymakers and researchers.
Recommendations:
EU
Bulgaria
Greece
Italy
Poland
Slovakia
Tables:
