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France Struggles to Protect Unaccompanied Migrant Children, Report Finds
Wednesday 11 September 2019, by
In the absence of reception facilities, France is (almost) unable to manage the influx of unaccompanied minor migrants, especially the "lost children of Morocco", left to their own devices.
In a long report, Human Rights Watch denounces this humanitarian puzzle, that of unaccompanied minor migrants.
"We have found, in France, the use of various justifications to refuse to grant protection to children, such as minor date errors, a reluctance to address in detail particularly traumatic experiences," the report states.
The human rights organization deplores the mistreatment of minors in Paris and in the Hautes-Alpes department, bordering Italy, from where many arrive in the country, reports Le Temps.
Julie, the manager of a bakery located on Rue Marcadet, does not share the point of view of Human Rights Watch. For her, these minors form gangs that multiply attacks in front of ATMs. "In addition, many are false minors of Moroccan nationality, who claim to be Afghans. It’s a nightmare," she said.
In any case, France is struggling to manage the influx of minor migrants due to its law, obsolete examinations, and the ineffectiveness of the evaluation services responsible for determining the age of these young migrants.
In total, around 17,000 Unaccompanied Minors (UAMs) would currently be awaiting evaluation by the authorities, according to figures from the Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA).