FINAL CONFERENCE OF THE EUROPEAN PROJECT FA.B! TOGETHER – Family based care for children in migration

On 23rd May, the European project arrives in Brussels to talk about family foster care for minors who
have arrived alone in five European countries: Italy, Malta, Cyprus, Spain and Greece. The event will be
an opportunity to share projects’ results and outcomes, alongside with a panel discussion on future
prospects for the benefit of young foreign minors.

Brussels. On 23rd of May the final conference of FA.B! Together project will be held in the Headquarter of the
Umbria Regions’ Representation. The event will be a unique moment of sharing of results and outputs of the
project with the European partnership and with testimonies of young migrants’ foster care. The event will give an
insight on the work done in the different national contexts and promotes discussion on future challenges.
According to international data, in 2021, 24,147 children accessed the EU through Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy,
Malta and Spain. Of these, 17,185 (71%) were unaccompanied or separated children (UASC). Child arrivals
increased by 44% in 2021 compared to 2020 (16,700) (IOM-UNHCR-UNICEF). The majority are boys, and almost
70% are between 16 and 17 years old. With regards to nationalities, Egypt, Bangladesh and Albania are the top
three in the statistics.

On 23rd February 2022, the Council of Europe adopted the Strategy for the Rights of the Child for the period 2022-
2027, in which migrant children are repeatedly mentioned as having same rights of their European peers. The
European Commission recalls that “every child in Europe and in the world should enjoy the same rights and be
able to live without discrimination, recrimination or intimidation of any kind. It is a social, moral and human
imperative”. Many young migrants arrived alone end up in reception centres and when they reach the age of
majority find themselves without a mentor or a structured path to follow.

Within this framework, FA.B! Together aimed at supporting the improvement and expansion of the alternative
family reception system for unaccompanied migrant minors. Over the course of three years of the project, starting
from the good practices of the territories and with the involvement of the main public institutions and private
organizations with proven experience, the partnership has experimented with innovative approaches and tools
and sensitized the community on this issue. Family based care systems are recognized – and many studies
confirmed it -, as the best way to facilitate integration and promote the well-being of young migrants arriving alone.
Despite this, only a few of them are able to experience foster care and family-based care. FA.B! has worked at
various levels to support at European level this form of reception alternative. The event will be a step forward
towards a common European approach.

To register for the event and participate – in presence or online – fill in the form available at the link HERE
 by 17 May 2023.
The translation of the meeting will be available in Italian and English.

Brussels, 23rd May 2023