EU Policy and Unaccompanied Minors: Are Unaccompanied Minors Afforded Adequate Protection?

The European Union has a number of policies and legislation under which unaccompanied minor migrants and their rights are protected. This dissertation sought to examine the existing legal framework for unaccompanied minor migrants, whether or not it is adequate, and what progress (if any) has been made on fixing gaps in their protection. My research has highlighted the dichotomy that exists between the human rights guaranteed to unaccompanied minors by International and EU Law, and the ways in which EU foreign policy, and reception conditions operate. Within the day to day operation of the EU foreign Policy and arrival conditions I found three main areas of systemic failure to protect and support the rights of unaccompanied minors. These three areas of systemic failure are in the application of the legal system, failures of the EU foreign policy, and a lack of support during arrival. The paper is broken up into sections, the first section defining unaccompanied minors based on their legal status. The following section discusses the general protections afforded to unaccompanied minors in three areas: international and EU Law, the functioning of EU foreign Policy, and the Arrivals system. I will use case studies to analyze the areas of failure to protect unaccompanied minors in the three examined areas. The final section will analyze the progress being made towards realizing the effective protection of this vulnerable group. Keywords: EU, Unaccompanied Minors, Migration, Migration Crisis, Legal Protection of Unaccompanied Minors, EU Foreign Policy, Arrival Conditions, EU Law, Best Practices