Missing children of Dutch asylum shelters

By Mayeda Tayyab

In May 2024, Lost in Europe released the findings of their investigation into the disappearance of unaccompanied children in Europe. This investigation revealed that 51,433 children disappeared from refugee centres across Europe between 2021 and 2023, with Italy having the highest number of missing unaccompanied minors at 22,899 children (Van den Hof, 2024). Unfortunately, this is not the first time such a discovery has been done.

Netherlands:

15,404 unaccompanied refugee minors registered in the Netherlands in the last three years (Dutch News, 2024). 850 of these children have disappeared from asylum shelters without any trace (Van den Hof, 2024).

Before 2024:

This is not the first time the Dutch authorities have found themselves in this situation. In 2023, 360 minors had disappeared from refugee shelters in the Netherlands between 2022 and 2023, all of whom vanished from the Ter Apel reporting centre. That year, 4449 minors without parents or guardians had applied for asylum in the Netherlands (Dutch News, 2023).

Government response: 

The Human Rights Committee has asked the Dutch government to take urgent measures in investigating the trend of missing unaccompanied minors as well as addressing the root issues causing these disappearances. The Dutch government has also been asked to improve the quality of living standards and resources provided to children in the asylum shelters.

The Dutch national rapporteur on human trafficking, Hermann Bolhaar, has criticised the Dutch refugee system and the government for their lack of implementing any protective and safeguarding measures, given the urgency of the situation and the danger unaccompanied children are finding themselves in.

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Poland’s Education System: Striving for Equity and Inclusion to Fulfill the Right to Education

By Iris Karoli

The modern Polish  emerged in the aftermath of World War II, addressing the significant challenge of rebuilding the country’s social and economic frameworks. Since then, it has undergone extensive reforms, particularly since the fall of communism in 1989. Significant adjustments to educational policies were required due to this crucial shift to a market economy to better reflect democratic values and satisfy the needs of a society that was changing quickly.

Since September 1, 2017, the Polish educational system has been undergoing reform. The Law on School Education and the Provisions introducing the Law on School Education are two significant Acts passed by the Parliament in December 2016.

Providing teachers with sufficient resources, training, and support will help Poland prioritize integrating students with special educational needs (SEN) into regular classrooms. SEN students can flourish in the classroom and contribute to their overall success by emphasizing inclusive education practices and customized support plans.

Overall, Poland needs to take a multifaceted approach to achieve universal access to education that tackles structural inequalities, advances equity, and cultivates an inclusive culture within the educational system. Poland can get closer to achieving its goal of a society in which every person has the chance to learn, develop, and prosper by keeping these initiatives as a top priority and making investments in the future of its students.

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