Integration, empowerment and protection of migrant children through compulsory education

Motion for a resolution | Doc. 14241 | 24 January 2017

Signatories:

Ms Petra De SUTTER, Belgium, SOC ; Lord Donald ANDERSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Metin Lütfi BAYDAR, Turkey, SOC ; Mr Deniz BAYKAL, Turkey, SOC ; Ms Gülsün BİLGEHAN, Turkey, SOC ; Ms Sílvia Eloïsa BONET, Andorra, SOC ; Mr Liam BYRNE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr José CEPEDA, Spain, SOC ; Ms Lise CHRISTOFFERSEN, Norway, SOC ; Mr Boriss CILEVIČS, Latvia, SOC ; Mr Titus CORLĂŢEAN, Romania, SOC ; Mr Yves CRUCHTEN, Luxembourg, SOC ; Ms Vanessa D'AMBROSIO, San Marino, NR ; Mr Namik DOKLE, Albania, SOC ; Lord George FOULKES, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Antonio GUTIÉRREZ, Spain, SOC ; Mr Gábor HARANGOZÓ, Hungary, SOC ; Ms Gabriela HEINRICH, Germany, SOC ; Ms Eva-Lena JANSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Mogens JENSEN, Denmark, SOC ; Mr Florian KRONBICHLER, Italy, SOC ; Mr Zviad KVATCHANTIRADZE, Georgia, SOC ; Ms Yuliya L OVOCHKINA, Ukraine, SOC ; Ms Valentina LESKAJ, Albania, SOC ; Mr Carlo LUCHERINI, Italy, SOC ; Ms Milica MARKOVIĆ, Bosnia and Herzegovina, SOC ; Ms Liliane MAURY PASQUIER, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Kerry McCARTHY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Sir Alan MEALE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Ana Catarina MENDES, Portugal, SOC ; Ms Marianne MIKKO, Estonia, SOC ; Mr Ian MURRAY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Žarko OBRADOVIĆ, Serbia, SOC ; Ms Laura PUPPATO, Italy, SOC ; Ms Soraya RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS, Spain, SOC ; Mr Armen RUSTAMYAN, Armenia, SOC ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Mr Andreas SCHIEDER, Austria, SOC ; Mr Frank SCHWABE, Germany, SOC ; Mr Virendra SHARMA, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Angela SMITH, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Tineke STRIK, Netherlands, SOC ; Mr Dimitri TSKITISHVILI, Georgia, SOC ; Mr Phil WILSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Dame Rosie WINTERTON, United Kingdom, SOC

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

States have a positive obligation to fulfil education rights for migrated children, especially those most vulnerable (such as undocumented migrants). This has been confirmed by the United Nations’ CESCR General Comment 13 on the Right to Education (Art. 13) which states that “the principle of non-discrimination extends to all persons of school age residing in the territory of a State party including non-nationals, and irrespective of their legal status.”

For migrated children, education is both a human right in itself and an indispensable means of realising other human rights. As an empowerment right, it is the primary vehicle by which economically and socially marginalised persons can lift themselves out of poverty and obtain the means to participate fully in their communities. Education has a vital role safeguarding migrated children from exploitative and hazardous labour and sexual exploitation.

As such, compulsory education can be essential to the integration, the empowerment and the protection of migrated children. Yet, recent OECD research shows great disparities among European States in the school participation levels of first and second generation migrated children. The figures also show that these children tend to do better in countries where education is free and accessible to all.

The Parliamentary Assembly should investigate and report on the educational provisions for migrated children made by the member States of the Council of Europe, and subsequently develop appropriate recommendations and guidelines.