The organization called on the French authorities to ensure that children are not displaced and that their needs are met (French)
The French department of Bouches-du-Rhône, which includes Marseille, France's second-largest city, is failing to provide protection for unaccompanied migrant children, Human Rights Watch said.
A report by the organization entitled “Not the France I imagined: Housing, health and education for unaccompanied migrant children in Marseille” concludes that child protection authorities in Marseille are leaving children with health needs on the streets without treatment, psychosocial support or health care.
She added that half of the unaccompanied migrant children who face an age assessment in Marseille are denied official recognition as children, although about 75% of those who appeal ultimately prove that they are under the age of 18.
The organization noted that court review can take months or even years, making children ineligible for emergency accommodation and services such as legal aid, appointment of a guardian, comprehensive health protection, and education.
“No child should be forced to sleep on the streets while their eligibility for long-term services is resolved,” said Michael Garcia Buchenek, senior children's rights adviser at Human Rights Watch.
"It is particularly shameful to subject young people to such uncertainty and insecurity when the vast majority of those who appeal to negative assessments of their age ultimately succeed," he continued.
The organization called on French officials to ensure that children are not displaced, that their health needs are met, and that they are able to obtain education, while they exercise their right to review negative assessments of their ages.
Source: Human Rights Watch