Half of young unaccompanied migrants arriving in Marseille
“are refused recognition of their status as minors” after
“arbitrary”
age assessments
which deprive them of their rights, sometimes throwing them onto the street, the NGO said on Tuesday Human Rights Watch.
In a report, the human rights organization denounces
“rapid”
assessment interviews , which are often poorly understood by the foreign minor and do not take into account the
“post-traumatic stress”
which affects
the “overwhelming majority”
of these young people after a perilous journey.
The NGO underlines that
“these decisions
(of refusal of minority, Editor's note)
are canceled for nearly 75% of those who file an appeal”
before the judges.
But
“the review of appeals by the courts can take months or even years”
, meanwhile depriving children of
“emergency accommodation and services such as universal health protection and education
,” says HRW.
The department singled out
“Within 48 hours following an unfavorable age determination, children considered adults are expelled from emergency accommodation
,” adds the NGO.
“No child should be forced to sleep on the streets
,” says Michael Garcia Bochenek, legal advisor to HRW.
“It is particularly shameful to subject young people to this uncertainty and insecurity when the overwhelming majority of those who appeal an unfavorable assessment of their age ultimately succeed
. ”
“In January 2024, 150 children no longer benefited from housing after a negative assessment of their age”
, most of them being temporarily accommodated by associations and volunteers, according to the report.
“The French department of Bouches-du-Rhône, which includes Marseille, France's second city, does not provide unaccompanied migrant children with the protections they need and to which they are entitled
,” accuses HRW, which interviewed nearly 60 people, including 18 unaccompanied minors.
In a letter sent to HRW and of which AFP had a copy, ADDAP13, an association responsible for initial reception by the department, recalls that in 2022, it
“accommodated 1,106 young people and carried out 686 educational and social assessments”
.
Also read: Martine Vassal: “The influx of foreign minors is no longer bearable!”
Restrictions in several departments
She underlines that
“following the significant waves of migration observed since September”
, it welcomes, as part of immediate shelter,
“more than 240 young people, or double the number of authorized places”
.
It has also,
“over the past year, evolved the system to enable the care of people who have filed an appeal”
.
Concerning minority evaluations, ADDAP13 claims to carry them out
“collegially by a multidisciplinary team”
and in
“the best interests of the child”
.
In 2021, the Defender of Rights had already accused the Bouches-du-Rhône Departmental Council of
“attacking the rights”
of foreign minors.
France is regularly the subject of criticism for the treatment reserved for young migrants.
Since 2013, as part of their child protection mission, the departments have been responsible for welcoming and caring for unaccompanied foreign minors.
In recent months, several departments have announced restrictions, such as Vaucluse which closed its reception service in November, citing
“saturation accommodation capacity”
.
Ain took a similar decision in November, suspended by the courts a month later.
Gard, although also questioned by associations, launched
“a call for projects in order to increase its sheltering and evaluation capacities by more than 50%”
, according to the departmental council.