A/HRC/33/53
Other reasons
25.
The following countries cited domestic violence: Finland, Germany and Hungary.
26.
The following countries cited the recruitment of child soldiers: Austria, Finland and
Germany.
27.
The following countries cited forced marriage: Austria, Germany and Norway.
Special reasons
28.
The following countries cited reunification with family members: Austria, Belgium,
Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland,
Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia.
29.
The following countries cited joining the diaspora or a migrant community: Austria,
Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland and Slovenia.
30.
The following countries cited education, economic and aspirational reasons: Austria,
Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland,
Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and
Norway.
31.
Although there are different causes and categories of migrant children, the
Committee on the Rights of Child recommends being cautious when trying to put migrant
children into boxes. The complexity of the migration dynamics could make many children
fall into several categories and the excessive categorization could prevent the carrying out
of a comprehensive analysis of their human rights situation.
III. Situation of unaccompanied migrant children
and adolescents
32.
In the responses to the questionnaires, most States did not provide accurate data
about the living, reception and transit conditions of unaccompanied migrant children.
Important information has been provided instead by NGOs.
33.
Migratory policies based on detention and deportation have failed to discourage
irregular migration. Usually, transit migrants use less guarded and riskier areas. An
increasing number of migrant families hoping to make the journey abroad contact
traffickers, which may lead to the separation of children from their families, leaving most
children without any protection. Migrant children usually choose to go through country
roads and thus are not very visible to the local population, the organizations offering
services and the immigration authorities.
34.
Unaccompanied migrant children separated from their families are the most
vulnerable group among all migrants; the lack of information about their situation is one of
the most important barriers faced by institutions and States seeking to effectively protect
their rights.
35.
Across the European Union, age determination procedures are frequently intrusive
and unreliable and unaccompanied children are often subjected to the same violations as
undocumented adults. If apprehended and, in particular, if not recognized as children,
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