In the spotlight

As Europe struggles with its migration crisis, it is estimated that more than 40,000 migrant children are detained in Europe every year. In 2015, the Assembly launched a parliamentary campaign - overseen by the Migration Committee - to end this practive, and appointed Doris Fiala (Switzertland, ALDE) as its General Rapporteur. The campaign seeks to raise awareness on the issue and to encourage States to find alternatives to detention that are in the best interests of the children, allowing them to remain with family members or guardians in non-custodial, community-based contexts while there migrations status is resolved.
More

Many parliamentarians across Europe have a right to visit detention centres for irregular migrants and asylum seekers as part of their mandate as national parliamentarians. Yet a survey conducted by the Assembly has shown that this right is not always known to parliamentarians or used to its full capacity. The Committee has developed a guide to raise awareness of this right and encourage and assist parliamentarians in carrying out visits to detention centres. More