‘Power to Unaccompanied Minors’ is an EU-funded (CERV) project dedicated to ensuring equal access to public services at the local level for every unaccompanied child.
Power2UAMs takes place in 6 localities in Belgium (Ghent, Brussels and Liège), Greece (Athens, Piraeus) and France (Calais). NADOE and Caritas International are the partners responsible for implementing this project in the 3 Belgian cities. In 2025, we collaborated to produce three of the six local-level reports, examining equality and access to services and support for UAMs. These reports contributed to the EU-level synthesis report and can all be accessed below.
Reports
Brussels
Ghent
Liège
Calais
Athens
Piraeus
The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by all EU Member States, guarantee the rights of all children – regardless of their migration background or residence status. Public authorities at all levels (national, regional, and local) are bound to uphold these rights.
However, unaccompanied children remain one of the most vulnerable groups in Europe facing a wide range of challenges in their everyday life, including:
- Lack of access to essential public services
- Lack of recognition as children (discriminatory ‘age assessments’ procedures)
- Homelessness
- Institutionalisation
- Violence, abuse
- Segregated education
- Prolonged asylum procedures
The POWER2UAMs project addresses these barriers and advocates for systemic change to improve the lives of unaccompanied children across Europe.
Research and data collection: Collect qualitative and quantitative data on the needs of unaccompanied children and their access to services at the local level. (2025) Read the reports below!
Local working group meetings: Strengthen collaboration among local stakeholders by organising regular working groups and meetings. (2026)
Child participation platforms: Create platforms where unaccompanied children can voice their needs, ideas, and concerns in each selected locality. (2026)
Local strategies: Develop tailored local strategies based on research findings to address the unique needs of unaccompanied children.
Advocacy and legal action: Advocate for sustainable change at the local and national levels, including pursuing legal action when necessary.
Project Partners and Locations
Belgium: Brussels, Ghent, Liège / France: Calais / Greece: Athens, Piraeus
