Reducing Violence Against Migrant Children in Southeast Europe

Global Fund for Children supported a network of four community-based organizations in Southeast Europe that are increasing protections for migrant children and youth and promoting tolerance in transit and host countries.

This initiative was a partnership between the Swedish Postcode Foundation and GFC.

Our partners in this initiative, which ran from 2020–2022, were located in Croatia, North Macedonia, and Serbia, where migrant children and youth face violence, exploitation, and discrimination as they travel north seeking refuge in other European countries. These organizations provide services and support to migrant children and their families, as well as advocating for improved laws and greater social acceptance.

This initiative engaged local organizations in ensuring that migrant children and youth lead safe and dignified lives by:

• Providing services and assistance, including legal and psychosocial aid, and improving access to safe shelter and medical care for migrant children and their families.
• Advocating for improved laws, treatment, and conditions for migrants, as well as greater social acceptance, by engaging government officials, school leaders, and community members.
• Harnessing the power of youth voices and empowering youth to become more aware of their rights and more visible in advocacy efforts and programs.
• Strengthening networks for advocacy and learning by uniting local organizations, increasing their capacity to influence long-term systemic change and to raise awareness about the situation of migrants in their communities.

GFC provided these local organizations with flexible funding and capacity development services to support their growth and effectiveness.

Project Partners:

ASYLUM PROTECTION CENTER

Belgrade, Serbia

Asylum Protection Center (APC) provides legal, psychological, and other assistance to asylum seekers in Serbia, serving children aged 0 to 24 through consultations with lawyers, social workers, and psychologists.

ASYLUM AND REFUGE CENTER

Preševo, Serbia

Asylum and Refuge Center (ARC) advocates for the rights of migrants and provides comprehensive support to children and youth migrating with their families, as well as to unaccompanied minors. In addition to offering legal and psychosocial assistance to migrant youth, ARC empowers teenage volunteers to lead school programs designed to create safe conditions for social interaction and inclusion.

CENTRE FOR PEACE STUDIES

Zagreb, Croatia

The Centre for Peace Studies (CPS) promotes nonviolence and social change through education, public policy, research, and activism. CPS provides psychosocial support, legal consultations, and community integration activities for migrant and refugee children and youth, including unaccompanied minors, and advocates for improved integration and migration policies.

LEGIS

Skopje, North Macedonia

Legis advocates for human rights and provides humanitarian, legal, and medical assistance to migrants and asylum seekers, with a focus on registering and protecting unaccompanied minors. The organization – which involves young volunteers and migrants in its decision-making – offers psychosocial support to migrants in detention centers and deploys mobile assistance teams to provide support for migrants across the country.

Header photo: Children participating in an Asylum Protection Center program. © Petar Markovic