Summary

AuthorBircan, Tuba; Lancker, Anne van; Nicaise, Ides
Pages7-8
Target Group Discussion Paper Children with a Migrant Background
7
Summary
For the purpose of thi s study, children with a migrant background are defined as children
with at least one parent born outside the EU. According to EU Statistics on Income and
Living Conditions (EU-SILC) data, their share in the population of children amounts to 7.1%
at EU level, but varies between 0.1% in Romania and 27% in Austria. Gi ven the doubtful
representativeness of existing microdata for households with a migrant background, it
appears hazardous to estimate their number i n the EU as a whole. As regards ‘refugee
children’, only official figures on recent applications for asylum can be used: in the four-
year period 2015-2018, approximately 1.2 million new child applicants have been
registered for the EU as a whole . The total number of s o-called children in migration is
undoubtedly much higher, as many do so under a different immi gration status2.
The (financial) poverty risk among children with a migrant background varies a lot too:
from less than 20% in DE, DK, CZ and LV to more than 50% in Spain and Greece. Poverty
goes in tandem with unbalanced diets, segregated schooling, unequal access to healthcare,
homelessness, overcrowded or substandard housing, and under-utilisation of early
childhood education and care (ECEC).
As poli cy interventions in the fi eld of nutrition cannot substitute for adequate financial
resources, the first recommendation is to lift social benefits to a decent level or to cancel
planned cutbacks and to make sure that all famili es with a migrant background have
access to social protection. More specific measures relating to nutrition include: quality
improvements in the food served in camps, asylum or reception centres; access to free or
affordable meals in ECEC centres and schools for migrant and refugee children irrespective
of residence status; and ensuring that food provision is adapted to the needs and
preferences of this group of children (mainly in terms of religious prescriptions).
In education, the smooth integration of asylum-seeking children remains a major
challenge, due to a lack of flexibility in provision, as well as language and cultural barriers.
On a larger scale, ethnic (as well as socio-economic) segregation shoul d be prevented by
all means, as it has a very negative impact on the quality and learning outcomes of children
with a migrant background. Intercultural openness must be promot ed, including
intercultural training of teaching staff, positive use of multilingualism, zero tolerance vis-
à-vis discrimination, culture-sensitive l earning contents and active parental in volvement.
Positive action in terms of school funding (e.g. giving a higher weight to students with a
migrant background) or in enrolment procedures (quota systems) can be helpful, provided
that such measures are paired with equal quality of the extra inputs. Research indicates
that the quality of teachers matters more for equal outcomes than their quantity.
Evaluations of healthcare from the viewpoint of children with a migrant or refugee
background reveal that much remains to be done to ensure equal treatment between
children of national citizens, EU migrants, non-EU migrants and (in particular)
undocumented migrants. Legal initiatives are needed in the first place to meet the
commitments made under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) regarding
health (care) for all children. Moreover, there is a long way to go in guaranteeing free
access to healthcare (including dental care and medication, as well as mental healthcare)
to vulnerable children. In addition, active outreach and the systematic monitoring of the
health situation of chi ldren with a migrant or refugee background are necessary. This
includes specific efforts to overcome lan guage and cultural barriers, through (free)
intercultural mediation and sufficiently-funded social services. Firewalls must be put in
place to ensure that people can access healthcare in a secure way wi thout havi ng their
personal details shared with other services. Needless to say, a positive approach to
addressing the social determinants of health through adequate income, housin g and
education measures remains a key area of investment, coupled with adequate funding
2 The holistic term ‘children in migration’ refers to all children who have migrated, are migrating or are affected
by migration, irrespective of the pathway they use(d). These children may be seeking safety, stability, asylum,
decent income and living standards, freedom from discrimination, family reunification, economic or educational
opportunities, something else or a combination of these.

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