Separated migrant children

Ensuring effective protection for separated migrant children is essential for safeguarding children’s rights within the EU’s migration and asylum systems. As EU asylum law does not define “separated children”, Member States rely on the definition provided in General Comment No. 6 of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which refers to children who are separated from their parents or legal guardians,  but who may still be accompanied by other relatives. 
The EMN summary provides a comparative overview of how 24 EMN Member Countries regulate and address this group, outlining differences in legal and policy frameworks, procedures for recognizing accompanying adults, and practical arrangements that help maintain continuity of care. Key challenges include divergent approaches to guardianship and representation as well as limited data collection, while good practices include structured suitability assessments, temporary care arrangements, and mechanisms to preserve child–adult relationships, where aligned with the child’s best interests. The EMN summary supports policymakers by offering comparable evidence and insights to inform protection measures under the evolving EU asylum framework.