The first round of the training programme on Child protection in the context of migration was held in Ankara on 6-8 September 2023. The 3-day training was organised in the framework of the joint European Union/Council of Europe action “Strengthening the human rights protection in the context of migration in Türkiye”.
The training was tailored to the needs of the personnel of the Presidency of Migration Management (PMM), the authority of Türkiye responsible for the overall migration and international protection affaires in Türkiye. Considering the overall mandate of the PMM, the training covered a wide range of topics including the domestic and international legal framework on child protection in migration, determining the best interests of the child, legal regulations on interviewing children, and the functioning of the child protection system.
The training sessions were highly interactive which facilitated discussions on the challenges faced such as the risk of human trafficking, violence, exploitation and immigration detention as well as access to child-friendly information and procedures. Participants reported that the content of the training was well-prepared and tailored to their needs. Through this training, 39 participants from the PMM enhanced their knowledge on a variety of topics relevant to their work and became better equipped to ensure the human rights protection of children in the context of migration.
At the end of the training, the participants reaffirmed their willingness to engage in further co-operation in capacity-building activities in the future. Türkiye hosts the highest number of refugees in the world, out of which a large percentage is children. Capacity-building activities aim at supporting the local authorities in addressing persisting challenges in the field and protecting the human rights of persons on the move, especially children, in line with international and European standards.
The action “Strengthening the human rights protection in the context of migration in Türkiye” is implemented within the framework of the joint European Union/Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.