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GUARD: Guaranteeing, Upholding And Respecting the Rights of Children at Risk of Detention

Description

Partners:

• International Commission of Jurists – European Institutions (ICJ-EI) – Coordinator
• Forum for Human Rights (FORUM) – Czech Republic
• Foundation for Access to Rights (FAR) – Bulgaria
• Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) – Greece
• Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI) – Ireland

Area

of implementation:

Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Greece and Ireland, with transnational activities in Belgium and Ireland.

Donor

European Union – Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV-2025-CHAR-LITI)

Date of implementation:

1/7/2026 – 30/6/2028

Objectives

The project aims to promote the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum in compliance with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and international human rights law.

More specifically, it seeks to:

• Enhance the capacity of national authorities, national human rights institutions, equality bodies, ombuds institutions, civil society organisations and legal practitioners to implement the Pact in a manner that protects the rights of migrant children.
• Strengthen cooperation and exchange among legal practitioners, State authorities and EU actors.
• Identify and address legal and practical gaps concerning issues such as age assessment, access to legal representation and immigration detention.
• Increase awareness of the harmful effects of detention on migrant children.
• Promote rights-based solutions and good practices that may also be applied in other EU Member States.

Activities

During the project’s two-year implementation period, the following activities are planned:
• Preparation of a baseline study on the protection of migrant children who are subject to or at risk of immigration detention.
• Organisation of national workshops with legal professionals, civil society organisations and national authorities in Bulgaria, Czechia, Greece and Ireland.
• Organisation of transnational workshops in Belgium and Ireland.
• Preparation of an international synthesis report addressing the key issues to be considered when implementing the EU Pact in relation to the immigration detention of children.
• Preparation of a comparative legal brief presenting good practices for the implementation of the Pact in the four participating Member States.
• Conducting and publishing expert interviews online.
• Production of information leaflets for lawyers and other legal practitioners.

Results

Through these activities, GUARD is expected to contribute to:
• Improved legal protection for migrant children.
• Stronger application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and international standards on children’s rights.
• Enhanced cooperation among competent authorities, legal practitioners and civil society organisations.
• Reduced use of immigration detention for children and the promotion of alternative, rights-based practices.

Description

The GUARD project – Guaranteeing, Upholding And Respecting the rights of children at risk of Detention – aims to strengthen the protection of migrant children who are subject to or at risk of immigration detention.

The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, adopted in 2024, introduces legislative changes which, when implemented at the national level, may undermine children’s rights, particularly through accelerated procedures and the increased use of detention.

The project promotes the implementation of the Pact in compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and international human rights law.

Gallery

Read more

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Helios+ : «Ολοκληρωμένες δράσεις ένταξης πολιτών τρίτων χωρών στην αγορά εργασίας» στην Περιφέρεια Δυτικής Ελλάδας

Helios+ : «Ολοκληρωμένες δράσεις ένταξης πολιτών τρίτων χωρών στην αγορά εργασίας» στην Περιφέρεια Ανατολικής Μακεδονίας και Θράκης

Helios+ : «Ολοκληρωμένες δράσεις ένταξης πολιτών τρίτων χωρών στην αγορά εργασίας» στην Βορείου Αιγαίου
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