With growing awareness of the importance of the rights of all children across Europe, no matter their circumstances, the European Child Rights Helpdesk aims to provide both concrete and strategic support to fulfilling these rights for children in migration in their daily life.

It brings together NGOs providing legal information and assistance to children on the move in seven different countries in the European Union (EU), ranging across countries of entry, transit and destination for children and their families. Its core aim is to ensure children’s rights are at the heart of decision making in cases involving these children.

Child Circle’s role in the European Child Rights Helpdesk is to ensure its work contributes to changes in law, policy and practice through EU advocacy, In this regard, the Helpdesk aims to share its experience with policymakers and stakeholders across Europe to support (i) increasing access to child-friendly justice so children on the move can effectively claim their rights; (ii) translating case law into improvements for all children on the move and (iii) promoting Child Rights Helpdesks to support children on the move.

See our publication from November 2020:  Putting children’s rights at the heart of decision-making in cases involving children on the move 

Project partners

Project supporters

The European Child Rights Helpdesk partners include organizations providing legal information and assistance in Belgium (Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen), Greece (Greek Council for Refugees, ARSIS- Association for the Social Support of Youth, European Lawyers in Lesvos), Ireland (Irish Refugee Council), Italy (Defence for Children Italy), the Netherlands (Defence for Children - ECPAT Netherlands), Poland (Association for Legal Intervention - SIP), Sweden (Swedish Refugee Law Centre) as well as Child Circle.

The European Child Rights Helpdesk benefits from funding from Dutch National Postcode Lottery and is coordinated by DCI Netherlands.