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EMN inform | Migrant children

EMN inform: ‘Access to education for migrant children in the EU'

30 October 2025

EMN inform on education opportunities for migrant children in primary and secondary education in EU Member States and EMN Observer Countries.

Study period – Until March 2025
Participating EU Member States – Austria (AT), Bulgaria (BG), Cyprus (CY), Czech Republic (CZ), Estonia (EE), Finland (FI), France (FR), Greece (EL), Hungary (HU), Ireland (IE), Italy (IT), Croatia (HR), Lithuania (LT), Luxembourg (LU), Latvia (LV), Malta (MT), Netherlands (NL), Poland (PL), Portugal (PT), Sweden (SE), Slovakia (SK), Slovenia (SI), Spain (ES)
Participating EMN Observer Countries – Ukraine (UA), Serbia (RS)

Background and scopeEMN Inform Access to education for migrant children coverbeeld

  • Access to education is one of the most important and powerful instruments for the integration of children (see also the European Commission Communication on the protection of migrant children).
  • The EU Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021–2027 emphasises that EU Member States must ensure that migrant children have access to quality education suitable for children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The European Pact on Migration and Asylum underlines the importance of education for the integration of asylum seekers and their families.
  • The study provides an overview of the situation of migrant children in primary and secondary education in EU Member States and EMN Observer Countries.
  • It concerns children aged between 6 and 18 (in most European education systems, primary education starts at the age of 6).
  • The study focuses on government measures at national level and does not cover initiatives by other agencies.

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Written By Sandra Murmans