Working together to ensure the protection and reception of unaccompanied children in Europe

Programme

This conference will include expert panel sessions and workshops on the key themes addressed in the CONNECT project, which include:

• action to promote co-operation between different actors in legal and judicial proceedings involving unaccompanied and trafficked migrant children
• the development of children’s courts
• the particular needs of unaccompanied children with special needs because of disability or being victims of human trafficking
• unaccompanied children who go missing from care
• the need for multi-agency participation when collecting information for the determination of and application by a child for asylum or other forms of international protection

Full details can be found in the conference programme.

The conference has been organised as part of the EU Commission-funded CONNECT Project. Similar conferences are also being held by project partners in Sweden, Italy and the Netherlands.

Speakers

The speaker panel comprises experts in children's rights, migration and trafficking who work in government, the judiciary, NGOs and in independent legal practice.

• Jacqueline Bhabha, Jeremiah Smith Jr Lecturer, Harvard Law School and author of Child Migration & Human Rights in a Global Age
• Sir Mathew Thorpe
• Rebecca O’Donnell, CONNECT Project
• Mikaela Hagan, Save the Children, Sweden
• Nadine Finch, Barrister at Garden Court Chambers and UK Consultant for the CONNECT project
• Naomi Angell, Consultant at Osbornes Solicitors LLP and outgoing chair of the Family Law Committee of the Law Society
• Pat Monro, Fee-paid Immigration Judge
• Judith Dennis, Policy Manager, Refugee Council
• Adrian Matthews, Principle Policy Advisor (Asylum and Immigration), Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England
• Ravi Kohli, Professor of Child Welfare, University of Bedfordshire
• Chloe Setter, Head of Advocacy, Policy & Campaigns (Child Trafficking), ECPAT UK
• Dragan Nastic, Senior Policy & Advocacy Advisor, UNICEF UK
• Ann Haigh, Chair of NAGALRO
• Kamena Dorling, Policy and Programmes Manager, Coram Children’s Legal Centre
• Nick Crichton, Deputy Judge (Retired)

Who should attend?

The conference is aimed at experts in child migration and related fields.

Conference reports and presentations

Copies of the reports and presentations given at the conference are available for download below.

• Always migrants: Sometimes children - CONNECT Project UK Mapping Report
• Standards to ensure that unaccompanied migrant children are able to fully participate: A tool to assist actors in legal and judicial proceedings
• Keynote address by Justice McCloskey: Immigration, asylum and children: The cry of the weak and helpless

Workshop 3: The child's right to participate in asylum and immigration proceedings

• Presentation by Adrian Matthews: Enabling unaccompanied migrant children to fully participate in asylum and immigration proceedings
• Presentation by Judith Dennis: Legal advice research

Workshop 4: The multi-agency approach to children going missing from care

• Presentation by Mark Clark: Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs: Pan London work

Workshop 5: Child trafficking within the wider child protection system

• Presentation by Chloe Setter: Child trafficking in the wider child protection system
• Presentation by Paul Hewitt Child trafficking: The role of the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) in combating child trafficking

Workshop 6: The need for a durable solution

• Presentation Majorie Kaandorp: Children in asylum procedures: Child Notices: country of origin reports 2013-2015
• Power point by Sheona York: Failed asylum seekers: what do their cases show us about a durable solution?

Registration information

Entry is by invitation. To apply for a place, please download and complete the registration form, and return it to katrina.hamilton99@hotmail.com.

Please note that this conference is organised by the CONNECT Project. All enquiries must be made by email to katrina.hamilton99@hotmail.com. Garden Court Chambers is unable to assist with registrations or queries relating to the conference.